def check_kde():
    return os.environ.get("KDE_FULL_SESSION", None) != None

def open_url(url):
    # We could use Python's webbrowser.open() here, but unfortunately,
    # it doesn't have the same semantics under UNIX as under other
    # OSes. Sometimes it blocks, sometimes it doesn't.
    if check_kde():
        os.spawnlp(os.P_NOWAIT, "kfmclient", "kfmclient", "exec", url)
    else:
        os.spawnlp(os.P_NOWAIT, "gnome-open", "gnome-open", url)