I would like to add a starter icon to my task bar that runs dolphin but initially starts in a folder I would like to specify
the Dolphin Handbook doesn't explain this.
Try this in the terminal: dolphin /usr/home/ (choose your own path). For more information, read the man page (also available online: http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/hardy/man1/dolphin.1.html).
If you would like to open dolphin from your current path in your terminal just use,
dolphin . &
Help pages
The KDE applications have the help - with the Dolphin:
:~$ dolphin --help
Usage: dolphin [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [options] [Url]
File Manager
Generic options:
--help Show help about options
--help-qt Show Qt specific options
--help-kde Show KDE specific options
--help-all Show all options
--author Show author information
-v, --version Show version information
--license Show license information
-- End of options
Options:
--select The files and directories passed as arguments will be selected.
--split Dolphin will get started with a split view.
Arguments:
Url Document to open
Launch with the default application
The KDE has the "Default Appications" in the KDE system settings.
The kfmclient is:
:~$ kfmclient --help
Usage: kfmclient [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [KDE-tempfile-options] [options] command [URL(s)]
KDE tool for opening URLs from the command line
Generic options:
--help Show help about options
--help-qt Show Qt specific options
--help-kde Show KDE specific options
--help-kde-tempfile Show KDE-tempfile specific options
--help-all Show all options
--author Show author information
-v, --version Show version information
--license Show license information
-- End of options
Options:
--noninteractive Non interactive use: no message boxes
--commands Show available commands
Arguments:
command Command (see --commands)
URL(s) Arguments for command
Opening the directory with the default file manager:
kfmclient exec /path/to/the/directory/
Use --select option, for example
dolphin --select .
dolphin --select /
dolphin --select /path/you/want/.
It won't run as a foreground job in the terminal, so it won't block your terminal session and there is no for & etc and it can take extra arguments
--select option is for. It will still be a foreground job and your terminal will be flood with logs from Dolphin.
– Kyriet
Feb 20 '25 at 08:39
If you want an experience simillar to explorer.exe . from Windows which launches File Explorer in a folder specified by the user and then lets you continue your work in the terminal you can create an executable script and add it to your PATH:
#!/bin/bash
dolphin --new-window "$@" 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null & disown
Example usage (I called this script explorer):
explorer .
This will open Dolphin's new window in the path specified by the user (e.g. current dir .). All logs will be redirected to /dev/null and the process will be disown which means that you can close the terminal and your Dolphin window will still be open.
nohup.out file and write all the standard output from dolphin there.
– Kyriet
Mar 11 '25 at 14:53