BUB File

What are BUB files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BUB file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BUB files.

What is a BUB file?

A .BUB file is an Ergo!pro BubbleGEM Help file.

Ergo!pro BubbleGEM Help files store the help or tooltip text that BubbleGEM displays in the GEM (Graphics Environment Manager) user interface when application developers attach context-sensitive hints to buttons or interface elements. These help texts are managed as part of the ergo!pro development environment on Atari ST systems, allowing developers using GFA-Basic, Pure C or similar tools to bundle BubbleGEM help data with their applications.

BubbleGEM is a resident helper program originally by Thomas Much that enables short messages ("help bubbles") to be shown when the user hovers over UI components and presses a trigger (often the right mouse button) in programs that support BubbleGEM. The ergo!pro environment includes a facility to build or export these help bubbles as data files so the running application can load and display the correct hint text at runtime.

Files in this format are created by ergo!pro and are used by programs built with it to provide BubbleGEM-based help. The help system expects the application to reference specific identifiers or messages in these files so that, at execution time, BubbleGEM can look up the matching hint and render it in a bubble. These files are auxiliary data, not executables or standard documents.

Internally the file begins with a distinctive ASCII signature: at offset zero the header reads "#ergo!pro BubbleGEM-HelpV ", which helps tools or the BubbleGEM loader recognize the file as one meant for the ergo!pro help-bundle.

How to open BUB files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BUB file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BUB file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the app ourselves yet, our users have suggested a single BUB opener which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of BUB files. Remember, different programs may use BUB files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about BUB file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.