Re: "File types and programs" vs "Preferred Apps"

[Alexander Larsson <alexl redhat com>]

On Mon, 2003-08-25 at 22:43, Toralf Lund wrote:
> I'm a bit confused about "File types and programs" and "Preferred Apps" 
> under Preferences, as the functionality of the config tools seems to 
> overlap a lot. While they don't set exactly the same preferences, the 
> distinction between e.g. between "Default Web Browser" and "http 
> protocol handler" (or should I say the "unknown" one - I think you get 
> my point in any case) is not clear to me, at least.
> 
> What exactly is the idea behind each of these tools? Should there 
> perhaps have been *one* preference utility for these settings?

Basically, one (file types and programs) handles mime type preferences,
i.e. what app to open for a file of some specific mimetype, whereas the
other (prefered apps) handles things on a higher level: What app to
launch for all http: uris (indepenedent of the type of file the uri
points to), and what terminal, email tool etc to launch when some app
needs one (e.g. when launching an app that has run-in-terminal=true).

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Alexander Larsson                                            Red Hat, Inc 
                   alexl redhat com    alla lysator liu se 
He's a suicidal arachnophobic gentleman spy on his last day in the job. She's 
a blind belly-dancing fairy princess from aristocratic European stock. They 
fight crime!