Grok Bot hijacks XDG text/html default handler on Linux

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1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Grok Bot

Describe the Bug

Grok Bot on Linux changes my XDG default text/html handler to grok-bot.desktop every time I launch it.

I use Brave as my default browser:

xdg-mime default brave-browser.desktop text/html

Before launching Grok, xdg-open https://example.com correctly opens Brave. After launching Grok, text/html becomes:

text/html=grok-bot.desktop

and xdg-open opens Grok instead.

How can I prevent Grok Bot from registering itself as the default HTML handler while keeping its grokbot:// and sand:// handlers?

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Set Brave as the default browser:
    xdg-mime default brave-browser.desktop text/html

  2. Verify:
    xdg-mime query default text/html
    → brave-browser.desktop

  3. Run:
    xdg-open https://example.com
    → Opens in Brave.

  4. Launch Grok Bot.

  5. Check the MIME association again:
    xdg-mime query default text/html
    → grok-bot.desktop

  6. Run:
    xdg-open https://example.com
    → Opens in Grok Bot instead of Brave.

Expected Behavior

Grok Bot should not modify the system’s default text/html handler when launched.

text/html should remain associated with the user’s selected browser, in my case brave-browser.desktop.

Grok Bot should only register and use its own handlers:

  • x-scheme-handler/grokbot
  • x-scheme-handler/sand

Operating System

Linux

Version Information

Version: 0.57.1
Built: 2026-09-18T22:09:17.394Z
Release Track: stable
OS: linux

Does this stop you from using Cursor

No - Cursor works, but with this issue

6

Hey @ExploiTR, thanks for the report!

You’re right, Grok Bot shouldn’t touch your text/html default. It happens when Grok Bot registers its grokbot:// and sand:// links on startup. On GNOME-based desktops (GNOME, Cinnamon, MATE), the system tool it uses for that also sets the app as the HTML handler. This is a known issue and I’ve added your report to it.

In the meantime, you can restore Brave after Grok Bot has started:

xdg-mime default brave-browser.desktop text/html

If you’d rather not do that by hand, a small launcher script that starts Grok Bot, waits a few seconds, and then runs that command will keep Brave as your default. The grokbot:// and sand:// links will keep working either way.

8

Hi, thanks for the information. This is what I’m following for now. Hopefully the issue can be fixed in Grok Bot so it doesn’t overwrite the existing text/html association. I’ve edited the Grok bot shortcut itself so I don’t need a separate script.