| mime-support | shared-mime-info-spec/desktop-entry-spec | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| create a file type | global | by file extension: edit /etc/mime.types by magic: edit /etc/magic.mime by xml namespace: not possible | drop a file into $XDG_DATA_DIRS/packages and run update-mime-database |
| per-user | by file extension: edit ~/.mime.types by magic: not possible by xml namespace: not possible | drop a file into $XDG_DATA_HOME/packages and run update-mime-database | |
| file type metadata | description | not strictly possible; a description can be defined but it is defined at the level of a filetype+application association | included in the file type definition |
| translations | not possible | ||
| icons | not possible | not specified; some implementations (e.g., GNOME's Nautilus file manager) will load an icon with a name derived from the name of the filetype | |
| create an application+filetype association | global | edit /etc/mailcap (on Debian, drop a file into /usr/lib/mime/packages and run update-mime) | drop a file into $XDG_DATA_DIRS/applications run update-desktop-database (mentioned only in old versions of the spec) |
| create an application+filetype association | per-uer | edit ~/.mailcap | drop a file into $XDG_DATA_HOME/applications run update-desktop-database (mentioned only in old versions of the spec) |
| determine which filetype+application association to use | ? | a conflict resolution procedure is specified; however it is up to each desktop environment to maintain a list of the user's preferences in this regard | |