xdg-mime
command line tool for querying information about file type handling and adding descriptions for new file types
see also :
xdg-icon-resource - xdg-desktop-menu
Synopsis
xdg-mime query
{filetype | default} ...
xdg-mime default
application mimetype(s)
xdg-mime install
[--mode mode]
[--novendor]
mimetypes-file
xdg-mime uninstall
[--mode mode]
mimetypes-file
xdg-mime
{--help | --manual |
--version}
add an example, a script, a trick and tips
examples
xdg-mime query filetype /tmp/foobar.png
Prints the MIME type of the file /tmp/foobar.png, in this case
image/png
xdg-mime query default image/png
Prints the .desktop filename of the application which is
registered to open PNG files.
xdg-mime install shinythings-shiny.xml
Adds a file type description for "shiny"-files. "shinythings-" is
used as the vendor prefix. The file type description could look
as folows.
shinythings-shiny.xml:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<mime-info
xmlns='http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/shared-mime-info'>
<mime-type type="text/x-shiny">
<comment>Shiny new file type</comment>
<glob pattern="*.shiny"/>
<glob pattern="*.shi"/>
</mime-type>
</mime-info>
An icon for this new file type must also be installed, for
example with:
xdg-icon-resource install --context mimetypes --size 64
shiny-file-icon.png text-x-shiny
description
The
xdg-mime program can be used to query information
about file types and to add descriptions for new file
types.
options
--mode
mode
mode can be user
or system. In user mode the file is (un)installed for
the current user only. In system mode the file is
(un)installed for all users on the system. Usually only root
is allowed to install in system mode.
The default is
to use system mode when called by root and to use user mode
when called by a non-root user.
--novendor
Normally, xdg-mime checks
to ensure that the mimetypes-file to be
installed has a proper vendor prefix. This option can be
used to disable that check.
A vendor prefix
consists of alpha characters ([a-zA-Z]) and is
terminated with a dash ("-"). Companies and
organizations are encouraged to use a word or phrase,
preferably the organizations name, for which they hold a
trademark as their vendor prefix. The purpose of the vendor
prefix is to prevent name conflicts.
--help
Show command synopsis.
--manual
Show this manualpage.
--version
Show the xdg-utils
version information.
commands
query
Returns information related to file types.
The query option is for use inside a desktop session only.
It is not recommended to use xdg-mime query as root.
The following queries are supported:
query filetype FILE: Returns the file type of FILE
in the form of a MIME type.
query default mimetype: Returns the default application
that the desktop environment uses for opening files of type
mimetype. The default application is identified by its
*.desktop file.
default
Ask the desktop environment to make application the
default application for opening files of type mimetype. An
application can be made the default for several file types by
specifying multiple mimetypes.
application is the desktop file id of the application and
has the form vendor-name.desktop application must already
be installed in the desktop menu before it can be made the
default handler. The aplication's desktop file must list support
for all the MIME types that it wishes to be the default handler
for.
Requests to make an application a default handler may be subject
to system policy or approval by the end-user. xdg-mime query can
be used to verify whether an application is the actual default
handler for a specific file type.
The default option is for use inside a desktop session
only. It is not recommended to use xdg-mime default as root.
install
Adds the file type descriptions provided in mimetypes-file
to the desktop environment. mimetypes-file must be a XML
file that follows the freedesktop.org Shared MIME-info Database
specification and that has a mime-info element as its document
root. For each new file type one or more icons with name
type-subtype must be installed with the
xdg-icon-resource command in the mimetypes context.
For example the filetype application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text
requires an icon named application-vnd.oasis.opendocument.text to
be installed (unless the file type recommends another icon name).
uninstall
Removes the file type descriptions provided in
mimetypes-file and previously added with xdg-mime
install from the desktop environment. mimetypes-file
must be a XML file that follows the freedesktop.org Shared
MIME-info Database specification and that has a mime-info element
as its document root.
copyright
Copyright © 2006
environment variables
xdg-mime honours the following environment variables:
XDG_UTILS_DEBUG_LEVEL
Setting this environment variable to a non-zero numerical value
makes xdg-mime do more verbose reporting on stderr. Setting a
higher value increases the verbosity.
XDG_UTILS_INSTALL_MODE
This environment variable can be used by the user or
administrator to override the installation mode. Valid values are
user and system.
exit codes
An exit code of 0 indicates success while a non-zero exit code
indicates failure. The following failure codes can be returned:
1
Error in command line syntax.
2
One of the files passed on the command line did not exist.
3
A required tool could not be found.
4
The action failed.
5
No permission to read one of the files passed on the command
line.
see also
xdg-icon-resource ,
xdg-desktop-menu
authors
Kevin
Krammer
Author.
Jeremy
White
Author.