How do you change the default opening application?

[marc]

NoOp wrote:

> On 08/06/2009 12:10 PM, Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Tony Baldwin wrote:
>> 
>>> marc wrote:
>>> 
>>>>>>> Right click and select Properties|Open With|Add
>>>>>>> You can then add the application if it's not already there. Select
>>>>>>> 'Use Custom Command to put in the path of the app if it's not listed
>>>>>>> in your applications.
>>>>>> Yes, tes, I know, but this isn't what I'm asking.
>>>>>>
>>>>> Well you've got me there... Just what _are_ you asking then?
>>>> 
>>>> To change the default app when a filetype/mimetype doesn't exist. When
>>>> the system has no idea what the file is.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> Do YOU know what kind of file it is?
>>> Without that little tidbit, we can't tell you what application to use to
>>> open it.
>>> What is the file extension?
>> 
>> .chm - he did tell us that.
>> 
>> I know how to do this in KDE, but not Gnome.
>
> Well he still hasn't gotten past:
>
> <quote>
> I want to open the
> file with my application of choice. How do I change this application?
>
> The problem I have at the moment is that, somehow, the .chm reader
> application that I have installed has become the "fall back"
> application, which is not a good thing.
> </quote>
>
> He was given instructions for how to set the default, given information
> on how to add an unknown mime type. Yet he still hasn't provided
> information on 'reader'. So I'll take a stab at 'guessing':
>
> - his email domain is linked to this:
> http://www.auxbuss.com/
> - the filetype is .chm which is this:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Compiled_HTML_Help
> - a reader for .chm files (on Gnome) is:
> http://packages.ubuntu.com/jaunty/gnochm
>
> I installed gnochm, right clicked a .chm file, followed the instructions
> previously given (Properties|Open With) and gnochm popped right in as a
> possible viewer. Selected that 'CHM Viewer' and opened the .chm file
> without issues. I've always been curious on how to do this on Windows...
> come to find out that linux has an excellent application to do this :-)
>
> @marc: so are we close? Or do you think that you might be inclined to
> provide more details so that others don't have to keep guessing at what
> you are trying to accomplish?

I have descibed the issue in two diffrent ways. Fred and Derek
understand the issue, so I believe that I've communicated the problem
successfully.

Yes, I know that I can right-click file each file and select a default
app for a particular filetype. But this is not the issue.

The .chm reader is the random default that Gnome is using for unknown
filetypes, other than that, it is irrelevant to the issue; Gnome could
have "selectd" any app in that position, and presumably if I remove the
.chm reader package, it will select another seemingly randomly. It is
this package that I seek to control.

-- 
Best,
Marc

"Change requires small steps."