Launch external files on Linux

Question

I want to launch external files from Java, in a cross platform way.
ie say I have a file fred.jpg, I want to launch that on any platform to open in the editor defined on that computer.
The book 'Swing Hacks' (Marinaccci and Adamson), shows how to do this for Windows and Mac. My version of their code is
     static public void launch(URL url){
          try{
               String cmd;
               if (OS.isMac())
                    cmd = "open "+url;
               else     // TODO linux?
                    cmd = "cmd.exe /c start "+url;     
               Runtime.getRuntime().exec(cmd);
          catch(Exception e){new Fail(e);}          
     }However, I don't know what to put in for linux?
Searching the web I came across http://weblogs.java.net/blog/ixmal/archive/2006/05/javaawtdesktop.html,
which suggests that
Desktop.getDesktop().open(new File(filename));is more platform independant. However for me it seems to work only on Windows, failing silently on Mac and Linux?
Can someone with a good knowledge of Linux help please.

Answer 1

>
Will Duke stars get anyone to answer this?>I cannot say. What I can tell you is that at least it got me to read it.
And now I look over your original post..
>
..However for me it seems to work only on Windows, failing silently on Mac and Linux?>'Seems'? The docs. for Desktop.open(File) suggest it throws a whole range of exceptions if it cannot perform the task. Are you sure the code is not 'swallowing exceptions'?
Can you produce an SSCCE that fails as you claim? If so, this really sounds like a bug.
And as an aside, Desktop was introduced in 1.6, but AFAIR, Apple is still stuck on 1.5. How did you get it to 'fail silently' on a Mac.?
Edit 1:
But if you are intent on doing it the way that you originally asked about, you might be able to pick up some tips from the [http://browserlaunch2.sourceforge.net/|BrowserLauncher2] code.
Edited by: AndrewThompson64 on May 22, 2008 4:48 PM