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

[Toralf Lund <toralf procaptura 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).
Yes, but "File types and programs" also has an "Internet Services" 
section, which specifies how different protocols (not file types) are 
handled. Isn't a "preferred web browser" the same thing as an "internet 
service handler" for http, or possibly the "Unknown service types" one?

 - Toralf