I downloaded a web browser that is not available via apt, and put it in a folder. I created an entry for it in the Mate Menu and can run and use it, but whenever another program wants to open a website, Firefox opens. So I opened Preferences - Preferred Applications, only to see that Firefox is the only choice that I have in the web browser dropdown menu. I don't see any custom options there. How to make custom applications that are not installed system-wide the default?
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What is the browser?
Add in the user's .bashrc the line, export BROWSER=/usr/bin/mynewbrowser then logout, login, this env variable should be set. Whatever program tries to call a browser, it should follow what the $BROWSER points to. For system wide, there is /etc/environment or /etc/profile
It's a bit deeper than that. To resolve his issue in a capacity where he can select from preferred applications he should either copy /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop under a different name and modify it so the browser he wishes to use opens, or make it open x-www-browser and install into update-alternatives his preference for x-www-browser so he can execute using that.
Alternatively MATE should be able to see there is no application to open .html files after he uninstalls Firefox, which then if he makes and saves a blank .html document he will be prompted for which browser is to open .html files and MATE should use the binary he chooses, that which is his browser to open webpages and browse the web. But that's just a theory which worked for opening .pdf files in my browser.
Having similar issues with the Pale Moon browser so I feel your pain and just wanted to let you know you are not alone!
Going to try the bashrc suggestion as soon as I get some time to crank up the laptop.