Xdg (or Gnome 3) default applications

I want to change the default applications for certain files as determined by xdg, in this case under cinnamon/gnome 3 but I want it to apply across all DEs implementing freedesktop.org standards.
I have emacs and gvim installed. They both have .desktop files in /usr/share/applications/ which specify their mimetype associations. I happen to have installed emacs after vim, and now I have /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache which seems to be generated from the other files, with lines like, for example:
text/plain=emacs.desktop;gvim.desktop;
Which I assume causes emacs to be selected as the default plain text editor (as indeed it is by xdg-mime query default text/plain shows).
I have three questions:
1. How can I change the default text editor without editing mimeinfo.cache (I assume it is auto-(re)generated) and without removing emacs' mime types (which are correct and should stay)?
2. How do I regenerate mimeinfo.cache?
3. Is there a GUI that allows me to do this stuff (ideally without having to find a file of a particular type to open first - I have tried in Gnome 3: 'System Settings > Details > Default Applications' and there are only a few default 'application types' there, not mime types, and none of them is text editor)?

With reference to: http://standards.freedesktop.org/deskto … 01s07.html
In answer to 1:
It seems the preferences are handled 'externally', and although it doesn't make it clear where it seems to be in /usr/share/applications/defaults.list, I edited min
[Default Applications]
x-scheme-handler/spotify=spotify.desktop
text/plain=gvim.desktop
(in answer to 2:)
I then ran 'sudo update-desktop-database'
And now:
$ xdg-mime query default text/plain
gvim.desktop emacs.desktop
But I'm still interested in the answer to 3, in particular a tool that would change groups of supported mime types and allow you to pick and choose from the lists defined per applications would be useful...

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thunderbird is not a calendar application unless you tune it up with an extension. therefore it shouldn't be in there
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In April the XDG standards regarding Association between MIME types and applications was updated, and the changes are quite significant. For example, to specify default applications you should now list them in the [Default Applications] section of a mimeapps.list; placing them in the [Added Associations] section is no longer sufficient. Also, mimeapps.list files may now also be located in the $HOME/config ($XDG_CONFIG_HOME) and /etc/xdg ($XDG_CONFIG_DIRS) directories. The file defaults.list is confirmed as deprecated, as well as a mimeapps.list file in $HOME/.local/share/applications ($XDG_DATA_HOME/applications).
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Edit: There is a worked example, but there seems to be a mistake in this - $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS should come before $XDG_DATA_HOME according to the standard.
Also, the Default applications page on the Wiki is going to need a substantial revamp.
Edit2: Overview of main changes
Last edited by ninian (2014-06-18 23:27:39)

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Using MIME types and desktop entries
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Gnome Default Application for Blank DVD [SOLVED]

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[SOLVED] pcmanfm lost default applications settings for office docs

I'm not sure if it was the Libreoffice recent update or not, but I no longer have any application settings for office documents (ppt, doc, xls, ods, odp, odt, etc.). When I right click to choose an application, none are listed. I tried the suggestion from the wiki to install gnome-menus but the situation was no better after a logout/login.
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I fixed this. I just had to figure out the correct mimetypes and re-add them. I still believe this used to be down automatically, but not a big deal. Part of my problem was trying to use xdg-mime to set defaults for "application/ppt" when it's really "application/powerpoint."
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There are also listings for the correct mimetypes for .odt, .ods, and .odp. In the end, my ~/.local/share/applications/defaults.list looks like this:
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txt/application=emacs.desktop
tex/application=emacs.desktop
application/powerpoint=libreoffice-impress.desktop
application/msword=libreoffice-writer.desktop
application/excel=libreoffice-calc.desktop
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How to change default application associated with some mime types?

When we install some new program, for example GIMP, I assume the newly installed program is added to some mime type database, and the /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache file is automatically generated.
Using my example, GIMP will be the default application for all its registered mime types, even application/pdf. I surely don't want this to happen, and I surely don't want to create all kinds of files that GIMP registered and right click on them and choose Properties and then change it in the Open with... tab. I want to systematically de-prioritize GIMP so that it will not override my previously assigned default applications.
I wrote a script to modify the mimeinfo.cache file, and it seems to work great. However, after a reboot or upgrade or something I didn't notice, the default application of application/pdf is reconfigured to GIMP. I think the cache suffix of the file indicates that it is just a cache and may be changed by system unnoticed. So I am looking for a new way to change the default applications.
As far as I know or guess from the phenomena, there should be some system utility that generates the mimeinfo.cache file, it seems to parse all the *.desktop files under /usr/share/applications and register them to certain mime types accordingly. The sequence of the *.desktop files get parsed seems to be related to the time the application is installed, and the newly installed applications seems to be parsed later and inserted in the front of the application list or be parsed earlier and appended to the application list. Is there some place I can change the sequence of the parsing? Or is there some place I can change the behavior of the system utility?
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Last edited by AugustePop (2010-05-14 05:47:15)

Ah, right. Don't know what DE you are on, but in Gnome: right-click a (e.g. pdf) file -> Preferences -> Open with.
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errgrh...
I surely don't want to create all kinds of files that GIMP registered and right click on them and choose Properties and then change it in the Open with... tab. I want to systematically de-prioritize GIMP so that it will not override my previously assigned default applications.
I guess what I am trying to propose is this: "de-prioritize" GIMP in its .dekstop file for the types you dont want it to be associated with, and manually add it back in through "Open With" for the file types you want it to be an option. Not sure if this is solving anything for you though
Last edited by hokasch (2010-05-14 10:28:57)

How can I change the default application for a content type?

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Last edited by s0lid7 (2012-11-10 12:42:22)

I tried to change by opening nautilus as root, right click on file, click on properties, open with tab but when i changed it nautilus closed...
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Unable to initialize DBus connection: The connection is closedcannot connect to the session bus: The connection is closed (g-io-error-quark, 18)
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Thanks, tawan.
But I can not set my default application correctly.
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method return sender=:1.10 -> dest=:1.9 reply_serial=2
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[SOLVED]epiphany, default applications

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Last edited by metalfan (2009-02-16 23:01:53)

I have the same problem. From what I can see, it's because gimp is listed before evince in /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache:
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OR
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Xdg (or Gnome 3) default applications

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