# How to open a graphics file on Windows using run()

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955
**Category:** Visualization
**Created:** [March 29, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955 "2017-03-29T18:42:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![cormullion](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/cormullion/32/49131_2.png) [@cormullion](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/cormullion)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/1 "2017-03-29T18:42:52Z")

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On macOS I can do this:

```julia
run(`open $(filename)`)

```

where `filename` might be `image.png` or `/tmp/test.pdf` or `/Users/me/test.svg`, and the file will open in Preview or Safari or whatever app you’ve decided to make the default for that type of image.

What’s the equivalent on Windows?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![greg\_plowman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/greg_plowman/32/8100_2.png) [@greg\_plowman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/greg_plowman)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/2 "2017-03-29T20:10:33Z")

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You could try:

```julia
run(`explorer $filename`)

```

Maybe want to ignore the return status:

```julia
run(ignorestatus(`explorer $filename`))

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![cormullion](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/cormullion/32/49131_2.png) [@cormullion](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/cormullion)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2017, 7:13am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/3 "2017-03-30T07:13:00Z")

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Thanks, Greg, I’ll try this.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lobingera](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lobingera/32/211_2.png) [@lobingera](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lobingera)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/4 "2017-03-30T12:34:43Z")

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What do you try to display?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![joa-quim](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/joa-quim/32/227_2.png) [@joa-quim](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/joa-quim)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/5 "2017-10-02T16:41:07Z")

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Hi,  
and please what is the version of this for Linux?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![cormullion](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/cormullion/32/49131_2.png) [@cormullion](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/cormullion)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/6 "2017-10-02T16:42:48Z")

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Perhaps `xdg-open` ?

```julia
run(`xdg-open $(filename)`)

```

?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![joa-quim](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/joa-quim/32/227_2.png) [@joa-quim](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/joa-quim)
#### Post date: [October 2, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-open-a-graphics-file-on-windows-using-run/2955/7 "2017-10-02T16:50:02Z")

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Thanks, I’m on Windows and have only Winbuntu that has no graphical x11 tools but it suggested me to install it. So it probably works.

I dis ask this because I want to cover the 3 OSs and lacked the linux version.