mime type handling

English Applications
#1

I installed the x64 propitiatory foxit reader, it came in a binary installer, I installed it as an ordinary user so no system files wore changed,
that bugger set it self as an application capable of opening all file types or better said it added it self to the dolphin menu for every possible file type not only pdf
that blob created (as it wasn’t already present) the file
~/.config/mimeapps.list
with the content

[Default Applications]
application/ppdf=FoxitReader.desktop
application/x-pdf=FoxitReader.desktop
application/pdf=FoxitReader.deskto
application/octet-stream=FoxitReader.desktop

that last line was bothering me so I removed it.
it remained in the right click for every file type, I deleted ~/.config/mimeapps.list and rebooted, the open with Foxit reader was still there
does plasma 5 (or dolphin) cache file types?
is there another way an ordinary user can change the mime handling except by editing ~/.config/mimeapps?
here’s a screen shot
http://i.imgur.com/3aRYjZZ.png

#2

so I did a bit of thinking and the issue is a badly thought off desktop file
the FoxitReader.desktop file in ~/.local/share/applications/

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Foxit Reader
Comment=View pdf documents
Keywords=pdf;octet-stream;
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Office;Viewer;X-Red-Hat-Base;
MimeType=application/pdf;application/octet-stream;
Icon=FoxitReader
Exec=/home/<me>/opt/foxitsoftware/foxitreader/FoxitReader.sh %F

the MimeType=application/octet-stream; is the cause of my issues removing it and rebooting fixes things

#3

Systemsettings5 (“Configure Desktop”)->Applications->File Associations.

Unfortunately this only writes to ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list in Plasma 5.5, which was the old location.
~/.config/mimeapps.list is the new freedesktop.org standard.

The “problem” with 5.5 is that the KDE Frameworks do follow the (new) standard already, so ~/.config/mimeapps.list takes precedence over ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list (which is still respected for compatibility if the new one doesn’t exist).

A workaround would be to create one as a symlink of the other.

This has been fixed in Plasma 5.6, the KDE config module now does write to ~/.config/mimeapps.list.

#4

tanks wolfi but this is a serous bug in Foxit’s thinking, setting the reader as the default application for every file types is beyond dumb, I wrote in their forums asking them to stop and “fix” their desktop file and their application should stop writing


[Default Applications]
.
.
.
application/octet-stream=FoxitReader.desktop

in the mimeapps.list, I hope they fix it.

#5

Sure.
I just wanted to answer your question how an ordinary user could “fix” it, i.e. modify the file associations in ~/.config/mimeapps.list without editing it manually in a text editor. :wink:
Though that probably isn’t obvious either…