Support the Recently Used spec for Linux systems

[bigntallmike]

It would be nice if recently exported images showed up in the 'recent' files list on Linux Gnome and KDE systems, both of which follow the specification linked below.

darktable would update the $HOME/.local/share/recently-used.xbel file when files are exported to make the GUI aware of recently created images for use in subsequent uploads/sharing scenarios.

The specification is here: Free Desktop Bookmark Specification

This could obviously be made opt-in for the user as well.

Sample included of an image taken by screenshot, then attached to an email:

  <bookmark href="file:///home/me/Pictures/gaming/errormessage.png" added="2026-02-12T20:15:33.787693Z" modified="2026-02-12T20:15:56.785833Z" visited="2026-02-12T20:15:33.787693Z">
    <info>
      <metadata owner="http://freedesktop.org">
        <mime:mime-type type="image/png"/>
        <bookmark:applications>
          <bookmark:application name="xfce4-screenshooter" exec="&apos;xfce4-screenshooter %u&apos;" modified="2026-02-12T20:15:33.787694Z" count="1"/>
          <bookmark:application name="Thunderbird" exec="&apos;net.thunderbird.Thunderbird %u&apos;" modified="2026-02-12T20:15:56.785831Z" count="1"/>
        </bookmark:applications>
      </metadata>
    </info>
  </bookmark>

[wpferguson]

This could/would(/should?) probably be done with a Lua script.

[TurboGit]

This could/would(/should?) probably be done with a Lua script.

You mean a script running post export to register it as recently used?

[wpferguson]

That was my thought, but I'd probably have to add another lua event to catch the export and then add a recently used entry each time the event fires. I did a quick look and the event will give me all the information I need.

[TurboGit]

Would be really nice indeed!

[wpferguson]

I just checked and it looks like I can user the existing intermediate-export-image event, so no changes to master 😄

[wpferguson]

Thinking more about this and workflows...

If I'm exporting JPGs then the image should have the shortcut associated with the system file viewer or the default image application since workflow wise those images are probably meant to go somewhere else and not be edited further in darktable.

We could also catch edited images in darkroom and make entries for them and associate darktable as the opening application. That way you could return to the last image you edited and have it open in darktable.

[wpferguson]

Here's a cut at it...

recent_bookmarks.zip

Make sure your mime type associations are up to date or the wrong application will try and open an edited image.

On export the recently used shortcut is set to the directory the images were exported to.