Allow registration as a URL handler for FTP, SFTP

[karnesky]

Optional) registration as the default URL handler in
windows may be added with a registry addition similar to:

--BEGIN--
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\sftp]
@="URL:sftp Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\sftp\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\sftp\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\sftp\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:
Program Files
FileZilla
FileZilla.exe\" \"%1\""
--END--

Allowing FZ to register itself for FTP and SFTP URLs
would be useful.

For SFTP, this is potentially blocked by this bug:
​http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1454179&group_id=21558&atid=372241

[Alexander Schuch]

Another example is given in closed duplicate #4223.

[Alexander Schuch]

"Could we register FileZilla as a URL handler for FTP, SFTP, and FTPES hyperlinks" -- #9833

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Note that modern Windows versions (7 upwards, possibly Vista upwards) expect a more Mac-style registration to give the user proper choice. You would no longer write or overwrite the following, which is bad practice as it robs users of choice:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\sftp]

The URL launch definition would still be defined, e.g.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\FileZilla.FTP]
; Same as HKCR; define the URL association here

Register FilezZilla as a program that can open files or URLs:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications]
"FileZilla"="SOFTWARE
FileZilla 3
Capabilities"

Then, report what FileZilla is capable of:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FileZilla 3\Capabilities]
; Describe the program using the values that go here

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FileZilla 3\Capabilities\URLAssociations]
; Define the associations from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CLASSES here, e.g.
"FTP"="FileZilla.FTP"

Windows will read this automatically as required and permit the user to choose a suitable application.

I notice that clients generally write their capability data under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients, inside subcategories like Mail (Hotmail, Outlook, Thunderbird) and StartMenuInternet (Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer), e.g. Firefox has:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\StartMenuInternet\Firefox-308046B0AF4A39CB\Capabilities\URLAssociations]
"ftp"="FirefoxURL-308046B0AF4A39CB"

A little bit more investigation is needed to be sure of what needs to be set. It’s just a matter of understanding quite what the correct practice is here, but it’s nothing too complicated from what I understand.

[CBComputerservice]

This Ticket gets much more important these days, as modern browsers no longer support FTP. But FileZilla still can't be set as default handler for FTP Protocol in Windows, which will lead to confusion when clicking FTP-Links.

So please, let FileZilla register as Protocol Handler for FTP.