Use the File
Associations
preference tool to configure the following:
You can specify how files of various types are displayed and edited. For example, you can specify an icon to represent a particular type of file. For another example, you can specify that if a file is a plain text file, the file is launched in a text editor.
The file manager and other GNOME applications check the contents of a file to determine the type of a file. If the first lines do not determine the type of the file, then the application checks the filename.
A Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a string that identifies a particular location in a file system or on the Web. For example, the web address of a web page is a URI. A service is a protocol or task that a URI requests. For example, the http://www.gnome.org URI requests the http service.
You can associate an application with a service, so that the application performs the task required by the service. For example, you can associate your preferred web browser with the http service.
Table 10–3 describes the elements
on the File Associations
preference tool.
Element |
Description |
---|---|
Table |
To view the contents of a category of file types, click on the right arrow next to the category name. The category expands, and displays a description of each file type, and the file extension that is associated with the file type. To select a file type that you want to work with, click on the file type. |
Add File Type |
Click on this button to add a file type. For more information, see To Add a File Type. |
Add Service |
Click on this button to add a service. For more information, see To Add a Service. |
Edit |
To edit a file type, a service, or a file type category, select the item that you want to edit, then click Edit. |
Remove |
To delete a file type or a service, select the item that you want to delete, then click Remove. |
To add a file type, perform the following steps:
Start the File Associations
preference tool.
Click on the Add File Type button. The Add File Type dialog is displayed.
Enter the properties of the file type in the dialog. The following table describes the dialog elements on the Add File Type dialog:
Option |
Function |
---|---|
No Icon |
Choose an icon to represent the file type. To choose an icon, click on the No Icon button. An icon selector dialog is displayed. Choose an icon from the dialog. Alternatively, to choose an icon from another directory, click Browse. When you choose an icon, click OK. |
Description |
Type a description of the file type. |
MIME type |
Enter the MIME type for this type of file. |
Category |
Enter the category to which you want the file type to belong in this preference tool. Click on the Choose to choose a category from the Choose a file category dialog. |
Filename extensions |
Enter the file extensions to associate with the file type. Enter a file extension in the field on the left side, then press Return. To delete a file extension, select the file extension in the field on the right side, then click on the Remove button. |
Viewer Component |
Select the viewer component to use to display files of this type in the file manager. |
Default action |
Select the default application to use to open files of this type. |
Program to run |
Specify a program to associate with the file type. Enter the command to start the program in this field. Alternatively, to choose a command that you entered previously, click the down arrow button, then choose the command to run. You can also use the Browse button to choose a command to run. |
Run in Terminal |
Select this option to run the program in a terminal window. Choose this option for a program that does not create a window in which to run. |
Click OK.
To add a service, perform the following steps:
Start the File Associations
preference tool.
Click on the Add Service button. The Add Service dialog is displayed.
Enter the properties of the service in the dialog. The following table describes the dialog elements on the Add Service dialog:
Option |
Function |
---|---|
Description |
Type a description of the service. |
Protocol |
Enter the protocol for the service. |
Program to Run |
Information to be supplied in a future release. |
Program |
Specify the program to associate with the service. Enter the command to start the program in this field. Alternatively, to choose a command that you entered previously, click the down arrow button, then choose the command to run. You can also use the Browse button to choose a command to run. |
Run in Terminal |
Select this option to run the program in a terminal window. Choose this option for a program that does not create a window in which to run. |
Click OK.