Please test the following 2 related updates:
kde-cli-tools-5.6.2-2
xdg-utils-1.1.1-3
Rex, thanks!
The error using xdg-settings is resolved. I tested with both the copy provided by chrome and that provided by xdg-utils and both are now working; so
guessing whatever changed in kde-cli-tools fixed it. In fact, I believe on my forth try I had picked up kde-cli-tools-5.6.2-2 so that was why my chrome defaults