<div>On 11/09/2007, Peter Garrett <<a href="mailto:peter.garrett@optusnet.com.au">peter.garrett@optusnet.com.au</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> On Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:04:13 +1000 "Andre Mangan" <<a href="mailto:andremangan@gmail.com">andremangan@gmail.com</a>> wrote: > It makes no difference which version of Firefox I use.  In version 1.5, the > file associations are in "Edit - Preferences - Downloads" and in version 2, > they are in "Edit - Preferences - Content.  The only file displayed there is > an SPL file to be opened with Shockwave Flash. > > If I reset the midi file association to Firefox I get 83 new tabs opening > (totally out of control) but no music. > > Is there a way to add files to the "helper file" box? > > I am going grey trying to work this one out - even with the detailed help > from you, Peter. I'm already grey so it's too late for me :) I am using Ubuntu 7.04 with Firefox version : Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:<a href="http://1.8.1.6">1.8.1.6</a>) Gecko/20061201 Firefox/2.0.0.6 (Ubuntu-feisty) That's pasted from the "About" dialogue. With a completely "Vanilla" profile of FF ( I made a new profile to be sure I hadn't tweaked anything that might interfere with debugging this ), I see in "Edit-Preferences-Content-File Types-Manage" a series of associations with mplayerplugin. One was evidently MID ( which I have now changed to my wrapper script ) This may be the key to your problem - i assume you are not using mplayerplugin, and thus have no entries in that box to "Remove" or "Change". Notice that there is *no* button to "Add" . This came up on the ubuntu-users list some time ago, and I had a to-and-fro with the user concerned. We concluded that Mozilla have made it practically impossible to *Add* anything in that dialogue. The work-around involves opening about:config from the location field, and fiddling with app associations there. It's a major pain. I don't remember the exact procedure, unfortunately... Ah, It could be this about:config entry browser.download.hide_plugins_without_extensions  boolean  false (which is what I now have in my "default" profile for FF - a profile which has undergone much change ;-) ) *cough* it doesn't exist by default, so you are expected to know to add the entry - or Mozilla just don't want you to ... ========================================= OK - I just set that value in my "Totally Vanilla" profile that has no tweaks at all, and suddenly all kinds of files and mime types appear in the dialogue on re-opening it.</blockquote><div> Changing this value put a new perspective on the puzzle: browser.download.hide_plugins_without_extensions  boolean  false Bullseye, there they are, lots of entries but the significant ones are these two - one shows a symbol for mid but states 'midi audio' - open with timidity. The other shows a different symbol for a mid, also states 'midi audio' but there is no 'open with'. In both instances, extensions are given as (NONE). I do not know how to create a separate profile for FF but I am keeping a record of what changes I am making - in any case, FF is replaceable. This is looking promising. Cheers, Andre </div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">However, if you have no existing Firefox association for midi files, you *should* get a popped-up question dialogue ... (sounds of hollow laughter... ) ... asking whether to save the file, or play it. If so, you simply insert the path to the wrapper script as your "helper" app. I seem to recall that the chap who was trying to work this one out with me before ended up deleting a whole bunch of entries, so as to be able to make his own choices - nasty. I suggest making a new profile and running the experiments on that: firefox -profilemanager & "Create ..." name it "experiment" or something... Good luck :)  I am frankly more and more disillusioned with Mozilla and Firefox. This sort of thing should be simple to change! Peter </blockquote></div> -- <a href="mailto:andremangan@gmail.com">andremangan@gmail.com</a>