c / c++, how to open a url in the current browser?

[KPexEA]

Is there any way to "detect" the current browser and open up a URL in it? Preferrably launch it if it is not running already and if it is running then open up a new tab. Would this be different depending on the window manger, like gnome or KDE, as I would rather have a generic solution that worked on any WM.

My current fall back plan if there is no such thing as a "default" browser is to have the user have an input box where they put the path to the browser in like "/etc/firefox" or something like that, but in that case is it possible to detect if it is running already and if so open the url in a new tab instead of a whole new instance?

Thanks
Kevin

[pedro_orange]

I believe there is an environmental variable 'x-www-browser' that contains default browser location.

If you do:


sudo update-alternatives --config x-www-browser

I get an output:


There is only 1 program which provides x-www-browser
(/usr/bin/firefox). Nothing to configure.

I know this is Bash, but might help a bit ^^

[hakermania]

include stdio.h
system("firefox http://mysite.com");

:)

[nvteighen]

include stdio.h
system("firefox http://mysite.com");

:)

No.



#include <stdlib.h>

int main(void)
{
system("firefox -new-tab http://www.google.com");
return 0;
}


But this is awful... I'm sure there has to be another way to do this.

[Zugzwang]

Despite the necromancy in the thread, isn't it probably the best idea to leave this tabbing stuff to the default web browser, whichever that may be?



#include <stdlib.h>

int main(void)
{
system("x-www-browser http://www.google.com");
return 0;
}


BTW: For firefox on Ubuntu 10.04, this *does* open a new tab if the browser is already running.

[juancarlospaco]

xdg-open 'http://www.google.com'

[soltanis]

Either one seems to work, at least on my system (10.04).

[nvteighen]

Well, xdg-open is clearly the nicest of all. I'll write that tip down somewhere.

[juancarlospaco]

Python example:

import os
os.system('xdg-open http://python.org/')

EDIT:ups!, i forget the title says "c / c++"