Change the preferred applications in Linux Mint mate

ID: 302

Category: Linux Mint

Added: 2nd of March 2022

Updated On: Tutorial updated and rechecked on 21st of February 2026

Views: 2,022

I edit code using Geany. When you use Linux Mint mate for the first time, you might find this opens in a heavy application like LibreOffice Writer instead. To solve this issue, you can use the Preferred Applications utility in Linux Mint.

While the specific tool may vary if you are using a different Linux distribution or window manager, the general process remains the same.

In the Linux Mint menu go to Preferences >> Preferred Applications

Or open your terminal and enter the following command

Once opened setting the preferred / default application is pretty straightforward.

You can change the default applications for the following categories:
Web Browser
Mail Reader
Instant Messenger
Image Viewer
Multimedia Player
Video Player
Text Editor
Terminal Emulator
File Manager
Calculator
Document Viewer
Word Processor
Spreadsheet Editor
Visual
Mobility