223333 - Create sensible default mimeTypes.rdf to automate opening of common file types

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Toolkit :: Downloads API, defect, P2)

Description

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

We want to automate the task of downloading and opening certain common file
types - as well as giving better pretty display names to certain file type
handlers (e.g. currently we list "CompressedFolder" as the default handler for
ZIP files on Windows XP, we'd rather customize that to list "Windows Explorer"
or some such). Also, we want to create some defaults for Mac - e.g. default
extract to desktop in Stuffit Expander etc as is the norm on that platform. This
bug is for creating default mimeTypes.rdf files for Windows, Mac and Linux for
common file types. The work to be done is:

1) Identify the common file types for each platform
2) Identify the best default action
3) Create the defaults files.

Comment 1

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

-> me, 0.8

Comment 2

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

Windows: 

All of these formats should have "default" handlers in mimeTypes.rdf set up to
auto-open the file in the "system default" application. 

- Microsoft Office Documents:
  - Microsoft Word (.doc, .rtf)
  - Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlw)
  - Microsoft Powerpoint (.ppt)
- Video formats
  - Video for Windows (.avi)
  - Quicktime (.mov)
  - Windows Media (.wmv)
  - Windows Media streaming (.asx/.asf)
  - MPEG (.mpg, .mpeg)
  - Real (.rm, .ram)
- Audio formats
  - Windows Audio (.wav)
  - MP3 (.mp3)
  - Real (.rm, .ram)
  - Windows Media (.wma)
  - Windows Media streaming (.asx/.asf)
  - Apple iTunes (.aac)

I'm going to leave .zip files with a prompt because CompressedFolder only exists
on Windows XP, and some people expect to download zip files on Windows (MacOS X
users expected compressed files to be expanded to the desktop). We can introduce
handling to extract zip files automatically to folders on the desktop but that's
somewhat risky and potentially annoying, so leaving the prompt for zip is good
enough for 1.0. 

What else do we need?

Comment 3

[Robert Parenton]

Ben,

That looks good, as most problems are posed by .wmv and .asf files, at least in
my experience.  However, I would recommend associating .pdf files with Acrobat
Reader because I have hit several sites that don't send the correct MIME type on
PDF files, and Acrobat is almost ubiquitous on Windows systems.

This will be a huge help for Windows users, as so many hosting providers do not
correctly configure their web servers to send the correct MIME types.  Thanks
for all the great work.

Comment 4

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

I added PDF as well. 

I've checked in a first cut for common windows and mac file formats. Marking FIXED. 

Comment 5

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

The mac file was identical to the windows one, except I added auto-open handlers
for Stuffit Expander (sit), Zip (zip), and compressed disk images (.gz) as well. 

Comment 6

[Kevin Gerich]

Could we add DMG (disk image) files for Mac?

Comment 7

[timeless]

not that i care but all the office formats and stuffit are risks for viruses.

Comment 8

[:deanis74]

Why no Zip on Windows?

Comment 9

[Jason Chu]

I really like the idea of having a better default mimtypes.rdf so that files are
opened with the appropriate programs but I don't agree with Firebird
automatically opening these file types.  I know if I am in the minority, I can
just go to the prefs and remove the associations but I think the user should
still be presented with a dialog and be given the choice to "automatically
perform this action" if desired.

Comment 10

[Robert Parenton]

With the exception of the Office file types, all of the file types listed
automatically open in the standalone app/or with a plugin when the server sends
the correct MIME type.  This is only to help for those sites that don't send the
correct MIME type.

Comment 11

[Matt Leidholm]

Chances are, if a user downloads a Office file, they want to save it to the
disk, not just open it from the cache.  Besides, opening up a .doc document is
just like opening up a binary file: the risk of virii is just too great.

Comment 12

[Tom Graham]

All look good Ben, I might add if this fixes FB's issues with WMV files that
would be great. They are almost never picked up, and FB attempts to display them
as text.

Comment 13

[Hussam Al-Tayeb]

Re  Comment #12 , I can confirm this, on build 20031208 with a new profile and
no extensions, WMV files still display as text ( even with media player plugin
installed)

Comment 14

[Tom Graham]

I'd also add bit torrents to this list; FB often has trouble working out what a
.torrent file is, displaying it as text rather than opening a download dialogue
window.