diff --git a/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/OpenerLauncher.java b/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/OpenerLauncher.java
index 8cba8cce..60242657 100644
--- a/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/OpenerLauncher.java
+++ b/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/OpenerLauncher.java
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ public class OpenerLauncher {
 					}
 				}
 			}
+			catch (UserErrorException e) {
+				throw e;
+			}
 			catch (Exception e) {
 				throw new UserErrorException("opener.failed", openerString);
 			}
diff --git a/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/TerminalLauncher.java b/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/TerminalLauncher.java
index dd861194..75dab7e5 100644
--- a/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/TerminalLauncher.java
+++ b/src/net/azib/ipscan/gui/actions/TerminalLauncher.java
@@ -15,22 +15,18 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
+import static java.util.Arrays.asList;
+
 /**
  * The cross-platform terminal launcher
  * 
  * @author Anton Keks
  */
 public class TerminalLauncher {
-	
 	static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger();
 	
-	private static final int UNKNOWN = -1;
-	private static final int XTERM = 0;
-	private static final int GNOME = 1;
-	private static final int XFCE = 2;
-	private static final int KDE = 3;
-	/** caches last working terminal type */
-	private static int workingTerminal = UNKNOWN;
+	/** caches last working terminal emulator */
+	private static String workingTerminal;
 	
 	/**
 	 * Launches the execString in the terminal.
@@ -39,75 +35,40 @@ public class TerminalLauncher {
 	 * @param workingDir the working directory (or null)
 	 */
 	public static void launchInTerminal(String execString, File workingDir) {
-
 		try {
 			if (Platform.WINDOWS) {
 				// generate a command file :-)
 				File batFile = File.createTempFile("launch", ".cmd");
 				batFile.deleteOnExit();
-				FileWriter writer = new FileWriter(batFile);
-				writer.write("@rem This is a temporary file generated by Angry IP Scanner\n" +
-						     "@start cmd /k " + execString);
-				writer.close();
-				
+				try (FileWriter writer = new FileWriter(batFile)) {
+					writer.write("@rem This is a temporary file generated by Angry IP Scanner\n" +
+							     "@start cmd /k " + execString);
+				}
+
 				Runtime.getRuntime().exec(batFile.getAbsolutePath(), null, workingDir);
 			}
-			else
-			if (Platform.MAC_OS) {
+			else if (Platform.MAC_OS) {
 				Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"osascript", "-e", "tell application \"Terminal\" to do script \"" + execString + "\""}, null, workingDir);
 			}
-			else { // assume Linux or other Unix
-				
-				if (workingTerminal == UNKNOWN) {
-					detectWorkingTerminal();
-				}
-				
-				// run detected terminal program
-				switch (workingTerminal) {
-					case GNOME:
-						Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"gnome-terminal", "-x", "bash", "-c", execString + ";bash"}, null, workingDir);
-						break;
-					case XFCE:
-						Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"xfce4-terminal", "-x", "sh", "-c", execString + ";sh"}, null, workingDir);
-						break;
-					case KDE:
-						Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"konsole", "-e", "bash", "-c", execString + ";bash"}, null, workingDir);
-						break;
-					default: // XTERM
-						Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"xterm", "-e", "sh", "-c", execString + ";sh"}, null, workingDir);
-				}
+			else { // assume Linux
+				if (workingTerminal == null) workingTerminal = detectWorkingTerminal();
+				String shell = System.getenv("SHELL");
+				if (shell == null) shell = "sh";
+				Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {workingTerminal, "-e", shell, "-xc", execString + ";" + shell}, null, workingDir);
 			}
 		}
 		catch (Exception e) {
 			// log and display the error
 			LOG.log(Level.WARNING, "openTerminal.failed", e);
-
-			// if this is the first time, fall back to XTERM
-			if (workingTerminal != XTERM) {
-				workingTerminal = XTERM;
-				launchInTerminal(execString, workingDir);
-			}
-			else {
-				// even XTERM doesn't work...
-				throw new UserErrorException("openTerminal.failed", execString);
-			}
+			throw new UserErrorException("openTerminal.failed", execString);
 		}
 	}
 
-	private static void detectWorkingTerminal() throws InterruptedException, IOException {
-		if (Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"pidof", "nautilus"}).waitFor() == 0) {
-			workingTerminal = GNOME;
-		}
-		else
-		if (Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"pidof", "xfce4-session", "xfwm4", "Thunar", "xfdesktop"}).waitFor() == 0) {
-			workingTerminal = XFCE;
-		}
-		else
-		if (Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {"pidof", "dcopserver"}).waitFor() == 0) {
-			workingTerminal = KDE;
-		}
-		else {
-			workingTerminal = XTERM;
+	private static String detectWorkingTerminal() {
+		for (String term : asList("x-terminal-emulator", "xdg-terminal", "gnome-terminal", "xfce4-terminal", "konsole", "xterm")) {
+			File file = new File("/usr/bin/" + term);
+			if (file.exists()) return file.getPath();
 		}
+		return "xterm";
 	}
 }