.desktop file will not open in Google Chrome when launched from SpaceFm

1. Convert link files into launchers

The solution below offers the option to right- click the link (.desktop file) and choose > "Execute", which will run Google-Chrome to open the link. By editing SpaceFm's settings, you can run the link by double-click as well (see notes [3]).

Note that the solution automatically edits (only) new links on your desktop, to run the link specifically with Google-Chrome

What it is

A small background script checks once per two seconds for new .desktop files on your Desktop. If a relevant file is found, the file is edited from a Link file into an Application file. This is done by editing two lines inside the file:

• The line:

  Type=Link
  

  is changed into:

  Type=Application
  

• The line:

  URL=<link>
  

  is changed into:

  Exec=/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable <link>
  

In the test(s) I ran, this makes the link "openable" by right- click in SpaceFm: right-click > Open > Execute

The script

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os
import time

# --- define the (absolute) path to your desktop below
dr = "/absolute/path/to/your/desktop"
# edit (if necessary) the command to launch Google-Chrome
application = "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable"

def find_relevant():
    return [f for f in os.listdir(dr) if f.endswith(".desktop")]

relevant1 = []

while True:
    time.sleep(2)
    relevant2 = [f for f in os.listdir(dr) if f.endswith(".desktop")]
    new = [f for f in relevant2 if not f in relevant1]
    if new:
        for f in new:
            f = dr+"/"+f
            rewrite = False
            lines = [l.strip() for l in open(f).readlines()]
            for i, l in enumerate(lines):
                if l.startswith("Type=Link"):
                    rewrite = True
                    lines[i] = "Type=Application"
                elif l.startswith("URL="):
                    lines[i] = l.replace("URL=", "Exec="+application+" ")
            if rewrite == True:
                print("rewrite")
                open(f, "wt").write(("\n").join(lines))            
    relevant1 = relevant2

How to use

1. Copy the script into an empty file, save it as edit_links.py
2. In the head- section of your script, edit the path to your Desktop (as mentioned, use absolute path here)

3. Check the command to run Google-Chrome (also set in the head- section) by checking the first Exec= line in the google-chrome.desktop file: run

   gedit /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop
   

   to read the file.

4. Test-run the script by the command:

   python3 /path/to/edit_links.py
   

   Open Google-Chrome, drag links on to your Desktop, test after a few seconds if it works fine.

5. If all works fine, add it to Startup Applications: Dash > Startup Applications > Add. Add the command:

   python3 /path/to/edit_links.py
   

Note

1. The dragged .desktop file (link) needs to be on your Desktop at least one-two seconds to be found and edited, so if you move the links, at least leave them for a few seconds on your Desktop. :)
2. ll the script does is check for new .desktop files on your Desktop, it only reads/edits the file(s) if there are new files. This means nothing to your system.

3. By editing SpaceFm's settings, you can alsu run the "link" by double-click:

   

Convert your existing link files recursively

Additionally, as discussed in chat, a script to run a single time to convert the links in a directory recursively:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os
import sys

# --- define the (absolute) path to your desktop below
dr = sys.argv[1]
# edit (if necessary) the command to launch Google-Chrome
application = "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable"

for root, dirs, files in os.walk(dr):
    for f in files:
        if f.endswith(".desktop"):
            f = root+"/"+f
            rewrite = False
            lines = [l.strip() for l in open(f).readlines()]
            for i, l in enumerate(lines):
                if l.startswith("Type=Link"):
                    rewrite = True
                    lines[i] = "Type=Application"
                elif l.startswith("URL="):
                    lines[i] = l.replace("URL=", "Exec="+application+" ")
            if rewrite == True:
                open(f, "wt").write(("\n").join(lines)) 

To use it, save it as convert_links.py, run it with the targeted directory as an argument:

python3 /path/to/convert_links.py <directory>

2. Convert links into cross-platform usable link files

As requested by OP, below a version of the (first) (background) script, converting the link files, created by dragging a link from the browser to the desktop, into cross-platform links. Usage is exactly as explained in the first section.

The script

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os
import time

# --- define the (absolute) path to your desktop below
dr = "/absolute/path/to/your/desktop"

out1 = ["<html>", "<body>", '<script type="text/javascript">']
out2 = ["</script>", "</body>", "</html>"]

def find_relevant():
    return [f for f in os.listdir(dr) if f.endswith(".desktop")]

relevant1 = []

while True:
    time.sleep(2)
    relevant2 = [f for f in os.listdir(dr) if f.endswith(".desktop")]
    new = [f for f in relevant2 if not f in relevant1]
    if new:
        for f in new:
            f = dr+"/"+f
            rewrite = False
            lines = [l.strip() for l in open(f).readlines()]
            for i, l in enumerate(lines):
                if l.startswith("Type=Link"):
                    rewrite = True
                elif l.startswith("URL="): 
                    url = 'window.location.href = "'+l.replace("URL=", "")+'"'
                    out1.append(url)
                elif l.startswith("Name="):
                    name = l.replace("Name=", "")
            if rewrite == True:
                open(f.replace(".desktop", ".html"), "wt").write(("\n").join(out1+out2))
                os.remove(f)
    relevant1 = relevant2

Version to convert your existing links in a recursive directory (single run)

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os
import sys

dr = sys.argv[1]

out1 = ["<html>", "<body>", '<script type="text/javascript">']
out2 = ["</script>", "</body>", "</html>"]

for root, dirs, files in os.walk(dr):
    for f in files:
        if f.endswith(".desktop"):
            f = root+"/"+f
            rewrite = False
            lines = [l.strip() for l in open(f).readlines()]
            for i, l in enumerate(lines):
                if l.startswith("Type=Link"):
                    rewrite = True
                elif l.startswith("URL="): 
                    url = 'window.location.href = "'+l.replace("URL=", "")+'"'
                    out1.append(url)
                elif l.startswith("Name="):
                    name = l.replace("Name=", "")
            if rewrite == True:
                open(f.replace(".desktop", ".html"), "wt").write(("\n").join(out1+out2))
                os.remove(f)

To use it, save it as convert_links.py, run it with the targeted directory as an argument:

python3 /path/to/convert_links.py <directory>

Note

This version was based on this nice answer on Super User to create cross-platform links.