xdg-mime(1)
NAME
xdg-mime - command line tool for querying information about file type handling and adding descriptions for new file types
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}
DESCRIPTION
The xdg-mime program can be used to query information about file types and to add descriptions for new file types.
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
application'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.
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 manual page.
--version
Show the xdg-utils version information.
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(1), xdg-desktop-menu(1), Shared MIME database specification[1], MIME applications associations specification[2]
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 follows.
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
AUTHORS
Kevin Krammer
Author.
Jeremy White
Author.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2006
NOTES
1. Shared MIME database specification
http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/shared-mime-info-spec/
2. MIME applications associations specification
http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/mime-apps-spec/
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