# Chooser.files.native still broken

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/chooser-files-native-still-broken/49403>\
**Category:** Processing\
**Created:** [September 19, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/chooser-files-native-still-broken/49403 "2026-09-19T20:18:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PerryJohnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@PerryJohnson](https://discourse.processing.org/u/PerryJohnson)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/chooser-files-native-still-broken/49403/1 "2026-09-19T20:18:32Z")

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I’m still seeing a broken file chooser on the latest Processing versions up through the latest RC. I’m on Linux (Fedora, KDE, Wayland).

Yes, there is the preferences workaround below, but I was hoping for a proper fix. Any progress on this? Thanks to the dev team!

`chooser.files.native=false`

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**Author:** ![josephh](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/josephh/32/210_2.png) [@josephh](https://discourse.processing.org/u/josephh)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 9:28am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/chooser-files-native-still-broken/49403/2 "2026-09-21T09:28:27Z")

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Hi @PerryJohnson,

Are those issues related with what you are experiencing?

> <https://github.com/processing/processing4/issues/1243>
>
> \### Most appropriate sub-area of Processing 4?
> 
> PDE
> 
> \### Processing version
> 
> 4.4….7
> 
> \### Operating system
> 
> Manjaro XFCE Linux
> 
> \### Bug description
> 
> When you do a file operation like Open or Save, the window of the "OS File browser" is blank. 
> 
> \### Steps to reproduce this
> 
> 1. Install Processing using \`sudo snap install processing --classic\` as recommended at Processing.org
> 
> 2. Launch the PDE
> 
> 3. Try on the File menu \> Open... (or Save...)
> 
> \<img width="845" height="604" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4e93439b-b946-4116-a074-2cc52c5985a8" /\>
> 
> 
> \### Additional context
> 
> This was working on Processing 4.3.3 on the same machine. I saw it on 4.4.6 and tried to uninstall and upgrade to 4.4.7 but it is still the same. 
> 
> \### Would you like to work on the issue?
> 
> No, I’m just reporting the issue

> <https://github.com/processing/processing4/issues/247>
>
> In GitLab by @hamoid on Aug 12, 2021, 09:08
> 
> \## Description
> 
> Executing "Open S…ketch Folder" on Arch Linux with i3wm and fish does not open the folder. I used to work around this by specifying a custom \`launcher\` setting. This worked in Processing 3.4, but not in later versions.
> 
> This affects very few people I guess (maybe 1?) but it would be nice if the launcher setting was enforced if present, as an override. The related lines are found here:
> 
> https://github.com/processing/processing4/blob/master/app/src/processing/app/platform/LinuxPlatform.java#L118
> 
> \## Expected Behavior
> 
> I can use Open Sketch Folder
> 
> \## Current Behavior
> 
> I can't use Open Sketch Folder. It opens a terminal window with text being printed forever in a loop.
> 
> \## Steps to Reproduce
> 
> Press Ctrl+K
> 
> \## Your Environment
> 
> \* Processing version: 4.0b
> \* Operating System and OS version: up to date Arch Linux
> \* Other information: using i3 window manager
> 
> \## Possible Causes / Solutions
> 
> I think a solution might be to tweak the order of the if statements: if a launcher is specified, use it, otherwise, try use the default approaches. But I don't know how messy touching any of that might be.
> 
> Old post about this issue:
> https://discourse.processing.org/t/launcher-seems-to-be-ignored-in-the-preferences/10840/7

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PerryJohnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/57b2e6/32.png) [@PerryJohnson](https://discourse.processing.org/u/PerryJohnson)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/chooser-files-native-still-broken/49403/3 "2026-09-21T12:24:12Z")

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Yes, I believe it’s the same issue as the first - Open/Save File browser panels blank on XFCE Linux.