11.10 Ubuntu/unity: open file in terminal

[uglspil]

Hi
I'm new to Ubuntu-linux and terminals, and I'm trying bit by bit to learn how to use the terminal. By now I've learned (re-)installing, updating, and such. But one thing irritates me: how do I open a file in 11.10 ?

I searched a bit and found answers like
gnome-open filename.xxx
which doesn't help me much not having gnome

then I found out the general solution of
xdg-open xxfilename.xxfileappendix
which suits me fine - it's just that I can't get it to work. Only if I type out the whole directory, but then it looses the point of opening a file in the terminal as it will be quicker to use the mouse..

I know it's out there, and the answer is probably really simple - but: how ?

cheers /steffen

[NikoC]

I could be wrong here, but aren't you always supposed to direct gnome-open or kde-open to the right directory?

You can use 'autocompletion' of directories and files by using the TAB key in a terminal...

e.g. if you want to open a file paper.pdf on the desktop I (using KDE) just type:
kde-o TAB --> autocompletes to kde-open
De TAB --> autocompletes to directory Desktop
p TAB --> autocompletes the filename to paper.pdf

[mcduck]

Hi
I'm new to Ubuntu-linux and terminals, and I'm trying bit by bit to learn how to use the terminal. By now I've learned (re-)installing, updating, and such. But one thing irritates me: how do I open a file in 11.10 ?

I searched a bit and found answers like
gnome-open filename.xxx
which doesn't help me much not having gnome

then I found out the general solution of
xdg-open xxfilename.xxfileappendix
which suits me fine - it's just that I can't get it to work. Only if I type out the whole directory, but then it looses the point of opening a file in the terminal as it will be quicker to use the mouse..

I know it's out there, and the answer is probably really simple - but: how ?

cheers /steffen

You of course either have to be in the directory where the fiel is, or type in the full apth to that directory. How else could the shell otherwise figure out which file to open and where?

Other than that, opening files in terminal is as simple as it can be. You simply tell the shell which program you want to use to open the file, and then of course the file itself.

File in curretn directory:

programname filename

...and file in any directory:

programname /path/to/filename