# phpman > info > xdg-open

[XDG-OPEN(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/XDG-OPEN/1/markdown)                     xdg-open Manual                    [XDG-OPEN(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/XDG-OPEN/1/markdown)

NAME
       xdg-open - opens a file or URL in the user's preferred application

SYNOPSIS
       xdg-open {file | URL}

       xdg-open {--help | --manual | --version}

DESCRIPTION
       xdg-open opens a file or URL in the user's preferred application. If a
       URL is provided the URL will be opened in the user's preferred web
       browser. If a file is provided the file will be opened in the preferred
       application for files of that type. xdg-open supports file, ftp, http
       and https URLs.

       xdg-open is for use inside a desktop session only. It is not
       recommended to use xdg-open as root.

OPTIONS
       --help
           Show command synopsis.

       --manual
           Show this manual page.

       --version
           Show the xdg-utils version information.

EXIT CODES
       An exit code of 0 indicates success while a non-zero exit code
       indicates failure. The following failure codes can be returned:

       1
           Error in command line syntax.

       2
           One of the files passed on the command line did not exist.

       3
           A required tool could not be found.

       4
           The action failed.

SEE ALSO
       [xdg-mime(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xdg-mime/1/markdown), [xdg-settings(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/xdg-settings/1/markdown), MIME applications associations
       specification[1]

EXAMPLES
           xdg-open '<http://www.freedesktop.org/>'

       Opens the freedesktop.org website in the user's default browser.

           xdg-open /tmp/foobar.png

       Opens the PNG image file /tmp/foobar.png in the user's default image
       viewing application.

AUTHORS
       Kevin Krammer
           Author.

       Jeremy White
           Author.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (C) 2006

NOTES
        1. MIME applications associations specification
           <http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/mime-apps-spec/>

xdg-utils 1.0                     08/22/2022                       [XDG-OPEN(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/XDG-OPEN/1/markdown)