Getting gx to open a url

Question

I have gx which works with opening files. However, when I try and open a url, it always tries using wget:

[No write since last change]
dyld: Library not loaded: /usr/local/opt/openssl/lib/libssl.1.0.0.dylib
  Referenced from: /usr/local/bin/wget
  Reason: image not found

Command terminated

I am hoping that opening a url is as simple as it is on my terminal, just typing $ open <url> and it opens in my default browser. I've tried setting:

let g:netrw_browsex_viewer= "open"

But it seems like that command isn't working or doing anything because the same thing happens, even if I enter in garbage such as:

let g:netrw_browsex_viewer= "asdfasdfasdf"

What is the setting to make it just do an "open" when I get a url under my cursor and press gx ?

Answer 1

Quick solution (actually just a workaround)

On Linux, add the following to your .vimrc to override netrw's mapping and produce the desired behaviour:

nmap gx :silent execute "!xdg-open " . shellescape("<cWORD>")<CR>

You can replace xdg-open with your preferred browser. But in this case, if your browser is not already open, then you may need to background the process when it starts up:

nmap gx :silent execute "!google-chrome " . shellescape("<cWORD>") . " &"<CR>

If you want to select the link in Visual mode first, then you'll need a visual mapping:

vmap gx <Esc>:silent execute "!google-chrome " . shellescape("<C-r>*") . " &"<CR>

(Escape leaves visual selection mode, and <C-R>* pastes the * register, which contains the latest selection.)

On Windows, one of the following might work (untested):

nmap gx :silent execute "!chrome " . shellescape("<cWORD>")<CR>
nmap gx :silent execute "!firefox " . shellescape("<cWORD>")<CR>
nmap gx :silent execute "!start microsoft-edge:" . shellescape("<cWORD>")<CR>

While you are debugging this setup, you'll want to use :execute instead of :silent execute

Problem details

The details of my situation, in case someone can help to debug.

I am getting this behaviour (similar to the OP, but with no libssl error):

• gx immediately calls wget to download the HTML page into a /tmp/____ folder,
• After wget has finished, then a browser opens up, pointing to the downloaded file.
• I see the HTML displayed in the browser, not the rendered page as I had hoped for!

I'm running KDE5 on Manjaro with this version of Vim:

:verb nmap gx
n  gx            <Plug>NetrwBrowseX                                                                                                    
        Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim82/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim line 82

:version                                                  
VIM - Vi IMproved 8.2 (2019 Dec 12, compiled Sep 17 2020 21:54:53)
Included patches: 1-1704
Compiled by Arch Linux
Huge version with GTK3 GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl               -farsi             +mouse_sgr         +tag_binary
+arabic            +file_in_path      -mouse_sysmouse    -tag_old_static
+autocmd           +find_in_path      +mouse_urxvt       -tag_any_white
+autochdir         +float             +mouse_xterm       +tcl/dyn
-autoservername    +folding           +multi_byte        +termguicolors
+balloon_eval      -footer            +multi_lang        +terminal
+balloon_eval_term +fork()            -mzscheme          +terminfo
+browse            +gettext           +netbeans_intg     +termresponse
++builtin_terms    -hangul_input      +num64             +textobjects
+byte_offset       +iconv             +packages          +textprop
+channel           +insert_expand     +path_extra        +timers
+cindent           +ipv6              +perl/dyn          +title
+clientserver      +job               +persistent_undo   +toolbar
+clipboard         +jumplist          +popupwin          +user_commands
+cmdline_compl     +keymap            +postscript        +vartabs
+cmdline_hist      +lambda            +printer           +vertsplit
+cmdline_info      +langmap           +profile           +virtualedit
+comments          +libcall           +python/dyn        +visual
+conceal           +linebreak         +python3/dyn       +visualextra
+cryptv            +lispindent        +quickfix          +viminfo
+cscope            +listcmds          +reltime           +vreplace
+cursorbind        +localmap          +rightleft         +wildignore
+cursorshape       +lua/dyn           +ruby/dyn          +wildmenu
+dialog_con_gui    +menu              +scrollbind        +windows
+diff              +mksession         +signs             +writebackup
+digraphs          +modify_fname      +smartindent       +X11
+dnd               +mouse             +sound             -xfontset
-ebcdic            +mouseshape        +spell             +xim
+emacs_tags        +mouse_dec         +startuptime       -xpm
+eval              +mouse_gpm         +statusline        +xsmp_interact
+ex_extra          -mouse_jsbterm     -sun_workshop      +xterm_clipboard
+extra_search      +mouse_netterm     +syntax            -xterm_save
   system vimrc file: "/etc/vimrc"
     user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
 2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
      user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
  system gvimrc file: "/etc/gvimrc"
    user gvimrc file: "$HOME/.gvimrc"
2nd user gvimrc file: "~/.vim/gvimrc"
       defaults file: "$VIMRUNTIME/defaults.vim"
    system menu file: "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/share/vim"
Compilation: gcc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DFEAT_GUI_GTK  -I/usr/include/g
tk-3.0 -I/usr/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/lib/glib-2.0/incl
ude -I/usr/include/harfbuzz -I/usr/include/freetype2 -I/usr/include/libpng16 -I/
usr/include/libmount -I/usr/include/blkid -I/usr/include/fribidi -I/usr/include/
cairo -I/usr/include/pixman-1 -I/usr/include/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 -I/usr/include/gio-u
nix-2.0 -I/usr/include/atk-1.0 -I/usr/include/at-spi2-atk/2.0 -I/usr/include/dbu
s-1.0 -I/usr/lib/dbus-1.0/include -I/usr/include/at-spi-2.0 -pthread    -march=x
86-64 -mtune=generic -O2 -pipe -fno-plt -D_REENTRANT  -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTI
FY_SOURCE=1
Linking: gcc   -L. -Wl,-O1,--sort-common,--as-needed,-z,relro,-z,now -fstack-pro
tector-strong -rdynamic -Wl,-export-dynamic -Wl,-E -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib/perl5/5.3
2/core_perl/CORE  -Wl,-O1,--sort-common,--as-needed,-z,relro,-z,now -L/usr/local
/lib -Wl,--as-needed -o vim   -lgtk-3 -lgdk-3 -lz -lpangocairo-1.0 -lpango-1.0 -
lharfbuzz -latk-1.0 -lcairo-gobject -lcairo -lgdk_pixbuf-2.0 -lgio-2.0 -lgobject
-2.0 -lglib-2.0  -lSM -lICE -lXt -lX11 -lXdmcp -lSM -lICE  -lm -ltinfo -lelf
-lcanberra  -lacl -lattr -lgpm -ldl   -Wl,-E -Wl,-rpath,/usr/lib/perl5/5.32/core
_perl/CORE -Wl,-O1,--sort-common,--as-needed,-z,relro,-z,now -fstack-protector-s
trong -L/usr/local/lib  -L/usr/lib/perl5/5.32/core_perl/CORE -lperl -lpthread -l
dl -lm -lcrypt -lutil -lc   -L/usr/lib -ltclstub8.6 -ldl -lz -lpthread -lm

Answer 2

FWIW, this issue is still open on github, but there are now at least a couple plugins that should restore this functionality:

• vim-sanegx (works well for me)
• open-browser.vim (I haven't tested)
• vim-better-gx (gist via @maxim-kim)