diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Platform.java b/app/src/processing/app/Platform.java
index 3e9797ff6..64ec2e584 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Platform.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Platform.java
@@ -64,7 +64,12 @@ public class Platform {
    * @throws Exception Just like I said.
    */
   public void setLookAndFeel() throws Exception {
-    UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
+    String laf = Preferences.get("editor.laf");
+    if (laf == null || laf.length() == 0) {  // normal situation
+      UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
+    } else {
+      UIManager.setLookAndFeel(laf);
+    }
   }
 
 
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/linux/Platform.java b/app/src/processing/app/linux/Platform.java
index d102dd756..2a5415b82 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/linux/Platform.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/linux/Platform.java
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@
 
 package processing.app.linux;
 
-import javax.swing.UIManager;
+import java.io.File;
 
 import processing.app.Base;
+import processing.app.Preferences;
 
 
 public class Platform extends processing.app.Platform {
@@ -48,81 +49,64 @@ public class Platform extends processing.app.Platform {
   }
 
 
-  // TODO Need to be smarter here since KDE people ain't gonna like that GTK.
-  //      It may even throw a weird exception at 'em for their trouble.
-  public void setLookAndFeel() throws Exception {
-    // Linux is by default even uglier than metal (Motif?).
-    // Actually, i'm using native menus, so they're even uglier
-    // and Motif-looking (Lesstif?). Ick. Need to fix this.
-    //String lfname = UIManager.getCrossPlatformLookAndFeelClassName();
-    //UIManager.setLookAndFeel(lfname);
-
-    // For 0120, trying out the gtk+ look and feel as the default.
-    // This is available in Java 1.4.2 and later, and it can't possibly
-    // be any worse than Metal. (Ocean might also work, but that's for
-    // Java 1.5, and we aren't going there yet)
-    UIManager.setLookAndFeel("com.sun.java.swing.plaf.gtk.GTKLookAndFeel");
+  public void openURL(String url) throws Exception {
+    if (openFolderAvailable()) {
+      String launcher = Preferences.get("launcher");
+      if (launcher != null) {
+        Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { launcher, url });
+      }
+    }
   }
 
 
-//  public void openURL(String url) throws Exception {
-//    if (openFolderAvailable()) {
-//      String launcher = Preferences.get("launcher");
-//      if (launcher != null) {
-//        Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { launcher, url });
-//      }
-//    }
-//  }
-//
-//
-//  public boolean openFolderAvailable() {
-//    if (Preferences.get("launcher") != null) {
-//      return true;
-//    }
-//
-//    // Attempt to use xdg-open
-//    try {
-//      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "xdg-open" });
-//      p.waitFor();
-//      Preferences.set("launcher", "xdg-open");
-//      return true;
-//    } catch (Exception e) { }
-//
-//    // Attempt to use gnome-open
-//    try {
-//      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "gnome-open" });
-//      p.waitFor();
-//      // Not installed will throw an IOException (JDK 1.4.2, Ubuntu 7.04)
-//      Preferences.set("launcher", "gnome-open");
-//      return true;
-//    } catch (Exception e) { }
-//
-//    // Attempt with kde-open
-//    try {
-//      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "kde-open" });
-//      p.waitFor();
-//      Preferences.set("launcher", "kde-open");
-//      return true;
-//    } catch (Exception e) { }
-//
-//    return false;
-//  }
-//
-//
-//  public void openFolder(File file) throws Exception {
-//    if (openFolderAvailable()) {
-//      String lunch = Preferences.get("launcher");
-//      try {
-//        String[] params = new String[] { lunch, file.getAbsolutePath() };
-//        //processing.core.PApplet.println(params);
-//        /*Process p =*/ Runtime.getRuntime().exec(params);
-//        /*int result =*/ //p.waitFor();
-//      } catch (Exception e) {
-//        e.printStackTrace();
-//      }
-//    } else {
-//      System.out.println("No launcher set, cannot open " +
-//                         file.getAbsolutePath());
-//    }
-//  }
+  public boolean openFolderAvailable() {
+    if (Preferences.get("launcher") != null) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // Attempt to use xdg-open
+    try {
+      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "xdg-open" });
+      p.waitFor();
+      Preferences.set("launcher", "xdg-open");
+      return true;
+    } catch (Exception e) { }
+
+    // Attempt to use gnome-open
+    try {
+      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "gnome-open" });
+      p.waitFor();
+      // Not installed will throw an IOException (JDK 1.4.2, Ubuntu 7.04)
+      Preferences.set("launcher", "gnome-open");
+      return true;
+    } catch (Exception e) { }
+
+    // Attempt with kde-open
+    try {
+      Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "kde-open" });
+      p.waitFor();
+      Preferences.set("launcher", "kde-open");
+      return true;
+    } catch (Exception e) { }
+
+    return false;
+  }
+
+
+  public void openFolder(File file) throws Exception {
+    if (openFolderAvailable()) {
+      String lunch = Preferences.get("launcher");
+      try {
+        String[] params = new String[] { lunch, file.getAbsolutePath() };
+        //processing.core.PApplet.println(params);
+        /*Process p =*/ Runtime.getRuntime().exec(params);
+        /*int result =*/ //p.waitFor();
+      } catch (Exception e) {
+        e.printStackTrace();
+      }
+    } else {
+      System.out.println("No launcher set, cannot open " +
+                         file.getAbsolutePath());
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt b/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt
index ef913798f..4654b8b48 100755
--- a/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt
+++ b/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt
@@ -204,6 +204,19 @@ editor.untitled.suffix=yyMMdd
 # http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=283
 #editor.untitled.suffix=MMMdd
 
+# Set the default look & feel on Linux to something other than 
+# the 'native' platform default, which is usually Metal (yuck!)
+# GTK isn't for everyone (and KDE users will get Metal or some
+# such anyway, so this is now broken out as an option
+# Linux is by default even uglier than metal (Motif?).
+# Actually, i'm using native menus, so they're even uglier
+# and Motif-looking (Lesstif?). Ick. Need to fix this.
+# For 0120, trying out the gtk+ look and feel as the default.
+# This is available in Java 1.4.2 and later, and it can't possibly
+# be any worse than Metal. (Ocean might also work, but that's for
+# Java 1.5, and we aren't going there yet)
+editor.laf.linux = com.sun.java.swing.plaf.gtk.GTKLookAndFeel
+
 
 # !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
index 271881eb1..c1d540328 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
@@ -3005,7 +3005,12 @@ public class PApplet extends Applet
   public void link(String url) {
 //    link(url, null);
     try {
-      Desktop.getDesktop().browse(new URI(url));
+      if (Desktop.isDesktopSupported()) {
+        Desktop.getDesktop().browse(new URI(url));
+      } else {
+        // Just pass it off to open() and hope for the best
+        open(url);
+      }
     } catch (IOException e) {
       e.printStackTrace();
     } catch (URISyntaxException e) {