"/home is a folder, but a file was expected"

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#1

I use openSUSE 11.4, KDE Desktop.

Each time I open my /home folder via Konqueror, I’m prompted with this message at the bottom of the Konqueror window. Since I’m a noob, I’m wondering if this is “normal”. I did a google search and didn’t find anything of interest.

#2

Is the the default kde for 11.4 or have you added repos?

Try a new user account and see if you get the same behaviour

#3

Have a look in Settings>General and what you have as your Home Page; possibly a / is missing; my entry is /home/john

#4

My Konqueror version is 4.6.0-6.6.2 (the same version as the terminal). I haven’t added any repos.

I will try with a new user account.

#5

actually there was this thread Sabayon Forums • View topic - I am not able to make dolphin as my default file manager but I don’t think it’s a bit misleading.
So you might try this:
alt-f2 → systemsettings → File Associations → inode → directory
select Dolphin in the right list (it must be the first of the list) → Edit
select Application and check that “Command” voice is:

dolphin %i -caption "%c" %u

with %u at the end
being there… you may just do the same for next voice in the list, which should be “Konqueor” and check that Application tab → Command is:

kfmclient openURL %u inode/directory

hope it helps

#6

I have changed it and closed Konqueror. Same message though. Anyway, I can access my files, I just don’t know why it keeps displaying this message.

#7

I’ve added a new user, logged in…same message. I really don’t know. I’ve upgraded my openSUSE 11.3 to 11.4 some time ago, but I didn’t notice it until yesterday.

#8

Thanks. I’ve done that, too. No change…

#9

Ok, I think I’ve got it. Thank you for the replies.

I’ve checked this thread: Unable to mount/view partitions through Konqueror

and Henk van Velden’s post in particular:

**"Default Re: Unable to mount/view partitions through Konqueror

It seems that in 11.3 the sysinfo of Konqureror (on this subject) points to the block device special file of the partition (like /dev/sdc1). When you click on it, as usual, Konqueror tries to find an applic thatis associated to the type of file (like gwenvie for a JPEG, or konqueror for an HTML, amarok for an MP3, etc), but non is defined (not strange because only root can access these files, so why configure something for the end-user). And it says so in the error message.

And of course the normal way of using mounted file systems in a Unix/Linux OS is forgetting that it is a different partition, but simply walking to it through the directory tree. This starting from mountpoints seems to be a leftover from those who used MD Windows for a considarable tiime. "**

So Konqueror points to the block device file of the partition! That’s why when I write the path to /home it doesn’t display any error message. Maybe it’s not a very clever thing to access your partition from Konqueror’s sysinfo.

#10

Maybe it’s not a very clever thing to access your partition from Konqueror’s sysinfo.
No
I never do
But it should work.
Let me check

#11

OK
I see it too

IIRC in earlier version of kde the links form sysinfo:/ to partitions didn’t work at all

#12

You’re right. I had this issue on 11.3, so it’s an improvement.

Anyway, I’ll use Dolphin as file manager from now on.

#13

On 04/29/2011 11:36 AM, caf4926 wrote:
>
> OK
> I see it too
>
> IIRC in earlier version of kde the links form sysinfo:/ to partitions
> didn’t work at all

11.3/4.5.5 i open My Computer (sysinfo:/ in Konqueror) and

-click on “My Home Folder” on the left, no problem/complaint from Konq

-click on /Home (under Disk Info, on the right) no problem/complaint

–
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[openSUSE 11.3 + KDE4.5.5 + Thunderbird3.1.8 via NNTP]
HACK Everything → http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5b4CCe9pS8&NR=1

#14

no problem/complaint for me too (openSUSE 11.4 + KDE 4.6.2).

#15

Then I really don’t know what’s wrong.

#16

When I right-click on /Home (on the right, under Disk Info) it says “There is no application installed that can open files of the type block device (inode/blockdevice). Do you want to try to install one?”. If I say “Yes”, it scans the repositories and doesn’t find anything.

I don’t understand why it does this association. Also, if I move the mouse pointer above /Home it displays at the bottom of the window “///file:/dev/sda7 block device”. And when I left-click on it, I am getting the content of my /home folder, with the above-mentioned error at the bottom of the window. I can live with that, I was just curious about its cause. I have modified my File Associations for inode/directory as kfmclient %u, so it should have worked.

#17

On 04/30/2011 10:06 AM, riderplus wrote:

>
> I don’t understand

neither do i as it is very unusual…

and my opinion is your system has been some pushed (damaged) out of the
normal setup…or yours is one of those unusual “corner case bugs”
(don’t happen very often, and only seen under a specific mixture of
software packages, hardware mixes and setup differences)

i don’t know how to learn exactly if it is damaged, or not…i do see
you were on 11.3 and wonder how (specificially) you moved to 11.4, did
you (for example) zypper dup your way through some release candidates,
milestones or just dips into Factory repos…or, how did you arrive at
11.4 ?

and, upon arrival did you have this specific anomalous symptom? or, did
it come later?

–
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[openSUSE 11.3 + KDE4.5.5 + Thunderbird3.1.8 via NNTP]
HACK Everything → http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5b4CCe9pS8&NR=1

#18

I upgraded to 11.4 with the help of the openSUSE 11.4 dvd. I didn’t use any weird repos. I update my libraries, but usually I am very careful.

I presume the symptom came after I installed 11.4, but as it didn’t affect my working with the folders, I overlooked it. Now I’m really curious about why I get this error. It must be an explanation. I looked for KIO Slave sysinfo, I tried installing additional support libraries earlier, but nothing works. I’ve also tried adding Konqueror on the list of the applications used for opening block devices (inode>block device - just for the sake of experimenting), and nothing. I’ll think it over and check other alternatives.

#19

On 04/30/2011 12:36 PM, riderplus wrote:
>
> I upgraded to 11.4 with the help of the openSUSE 11.4 dvd. I didn’t use
> any weird repos. I update my libraries, but usually I am very careful.
>
> I presume the symptom came after I installed 11.4, but as it didn’t
> affect my working with the folders, I overlooked it. Now I’m really
> curious about why I get this error. It must be an explanation. I looked
> for KIO Slave sysinfo, I tried installing additional support libraries
> earlier, but nothing works. I’ve also tried adding Konqueror on the list
> of the applications used for opening block devices (inode>block device -
> just for the sake of experimenting), and nothing. I’ll think it over and
> check other alternatives.
>
>
really strange…

i have a theory that somehow something was left over from 11.3 and is
now interacting with 11.4 and causing the problem…which is why asked
about your move from .3 to .4, so i want to focus on exactly how you
upgraded to “11.4 with the help of the openSUSE 11.4 dvd”…

i mean, did you use either of these how-tos:

http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:System_upgrade
or
http://doc.opensuse.org/products/opensuse/openSUSE/opensuse-reference/cha.update.html

if so, which?

and, did you (while following one of those) vary any step? or have any
errors pop up? or suddenly be required to make a decision the how-to
didn’t prepare you for?

or, did you follow some other method known to work and not leave
anything stuck in the corner somewhere to cause these kinds of strange
problems? from where did the that how-to come, can you provide the URL
please??

or, maybe you followed some other advice (maybe a forum posting, which?)

–
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[openSUSE 11.3 + KDE4.5.5 + Thunderbird3.1.8 via NNTP]
HACK Everything → http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5b4CCe9pS8&NR=1

#20

Thanks for the quick reply.

I have used the ‘update’ option which I had with my 11.4 DVD, and it simply installed it. After logging in for the first time, I used Yast to install the updates for my

packages. I know I should have used zypper dup, maybe it would have been safer. Now it’s pretty hard to look for conflicts in my packages.