In this guide, we will walk you through the process of resolving a common issue faced by Ubuntu users: blank tabs opening when clicking on external links in Google Chrome. This can be a frustrating problem, but thankfully, there are a few solutions that can help rectify this issue.
To fix the blank tabs issue when opening external links in Chrome on Ubuntu, you can try modifying the google-chrome.desktop file by adding %U to the Exec line. If that doesn’t work, you can delete the google-chrome.desktop file and recreate the Google Chrome app icon.
Understanding the Issue
The issue at hand is that when you click on an external link in Google Chrome while using Ubuntu, instead of opening the link, a blank tab opens. This is not the expected behavior and can disrupt your browsing experience.
Solution 1: Modifying the .desktop File
One of the solutions to this problem involves modifying the google-chrome.desktop file. This file is where Ubuntu stores the configuration for the Google Chrome application icon.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Terminal. You can do this by pressing
Ctrl + Alt + Ton your keyboard. - In the Terminal, type the following command to open the
google-chrome.desktopfile in a text editor:
gedit $HOME/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop- In the text editor, find the line that reads
Exec=/opt/google/chrome/chrome. - Modify this line by adding a space and
%Uat the end. The line should now readExec=/opt/google/chrome/chrome %U. - Save the file and close the text editor.
The %U parameter is a placeholder that allows the application to handle multiple files or URLs. By adding this to the Exec line, we are telling Chrome to handle multiple URLs, which can resolve the blank tab issue.
Solution 2: Recreating the App Icon
If the first solution doesn’t work, another approach is to delete the google-chrome.desktop file and recreate the Google Chrome app icon.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Open the Terminal.
- Run the following command to delete the
google-chrome.desktopfile:
rm $HOME/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop- After deleting the file, recreate the app icon for Google Chrome.
Please note that these solutions require you to have administrative access to your Ubuntu system. Also, it’s always a good practice to back up any file before modifying or deleting it.
Conclusion
The blank tabs issue when opening external links in Google Chrome on Ubuntu can be a nuisance, but it’s usually easy to fix. The solutions provided in this guide involve modifying the google-chrome.desktop file or recreating the Google Chrome app icon. If neither of these solutions works, further troubleshooting may be necessary, such as checking the mimeapps.list file or the google-chrome-stable.desktop file. Remember to always make Google Chrome your default browser after applying these fixes to ensure a smooth browsing experience.
This issue occurs due to a misconfiguration in the google-chrome.desktop file, which is responsible for launching Google Chrome.
To modify the google-chrome.desktop file, open the Terminal and enter the command gedit $HOME/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop. Find the line that reads Exec=/opt/google/chrome/chrome and add a space and %U at the end. Save the file and close the text editor.
The %U parameter is a placeholder that allows the application to handle multiple files or URLs. Adding %U to the Exec line in the google-chrome.desktop file tells Chrome to handle multiple URLs, which can resolve the blank tab issue.
If modifying the google-chrome.desktop file doesn’t resolve the issue, you can try deleting the file and recreating the Google Chrome app icon. Open the Terminal and enter the command rm $HOME/.local/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop. Then, recreate the app icon for Google Chrome.
Yes, you will need administrative access to modify or delete the google-chrome.desktop file. Make sure you have the necessary permissions before proceeding.
It is always a good practice to back up any file before modifying or deleting it. This ensures that you have a copy of the original file in case anything goes wrong during the process.
If neither of these solutions resolves the blank tabs issue, further troubleshooting may be required. You can try checking the mimeapps.list file or the google-chrome-stable.desktop file. Additionally, seeking assistance from Ubuntu support forums or Google Chrome forums can provide more specific guidance for your situation.
Yes, it is recommended to make Google Chrome your default browser after applying these fixes to ensure a smooth browsing experience.
