ASLR(address space layout randomization) appears to be apart of "kernel hardening" and seems to have been in the "pipeline" for some time. See link - linux audit: https://linux-audit.com/linux-aslr-and-kernelrandomize_va_space-setting/ As a result, any executable built on a computer will be done with the linking flag "-PIE" or Positional Independent Executable by default. fedora info indicates this was made default in F23: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Security_Features?rd=Security/Features#Exec-Shield ubuntu info states default established in 17.10: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/Features#Built_as_PIE debian info has been set going forward: https://wiki.debian.org/Hardening#DEB_BUILD_HARDENING_PIE_.28gcc.2Fg.2B-.2B-_-fPIE_-pie.29 Linux kernel made the flag available as of ver 4.4.26: https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.4.26 This changes the behaviour of how "file" reports the mime type of an executable. By extension, this affects how Thunar will handle that executable when the user attempts to execute what is thought to be an application. An application built with the "-PIE" flag will be seen as a "application/x-sharedlib" mime type unless the user explicitly uses the "-nopie" link flag. When attempting to open the application, Thunar will ask the user what application to use - even though it's an application. Personally, I think this is "security theatre" and "security by obfuscation", but this is what the kernel boffins have come out with. However, the problem remains... Thunar does not recognize nor respond as expected when attempting access Positional Independent Executable's.
Related to/duplicate of bug 13737.
I'm seeing this too for example given the output of "file" shader-mask: ELF 64-bit LSB pie executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked, interpreter /lib/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2, BuildID[sha1]=703feee0dbb803785df6c6b144e83c7461633bf7, for GNU/Linux 3.2.0, with debug_info, not stripped looking in a Thunar window I see "shared library" This means I am unable to execute this binary using thunar...
Closed as a duplicate. Thanks for pointing out ! *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 13737 ***