https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=425154
Bug ID: 425154
Summary: Setting an application to open
application/octet-stream has unexpected behavior
Product: systemsettings
Version: 5.19.4
Platform: Archlinux Packages
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: normal
Priority: NOR
Component: kcm_filetypes
Assignee: fa...@kde.org
Reporter: adam.m.fontenot+...@gmail.com
CC: plasma-b...@kde.org
Target Milestone: ---
SUMMARY
If you (intentionally or inadvertently) associate a program with the
application/octet-stream mimetype, every binary file will also be associated
with the program and files not associated with any other program will start
opening with it by default. This is unexpected and hard for users to understand
and debug.
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Open the file associations KCM
2. Set KWrite to open the application/octet-stream file type
OBSERVED RESULT
KWrite has been added to most other file associations, e.g. video/mp4, which it
can't actually open.
EXPECTED RESULT
KWrite is only shown under the application/octet-stream association in the KCM,
and only opens binary files of unknown type, not every file.
SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux: 5.7.12
KDE Plasma Version: 5.19.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.72.0
Qt Version: 5.15.0
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This is actually a pretty common program users have run into in the past, but I
don't think it's been reported before. For example [1] and [2] are user reports
just for LibreOffice, which was also affecting me (along with KWrite and
Okular). This was probably not reported because it's not at all obvious to
users that the application/octet-stream association would have this effect.
(Notably, neither of the users in the forums I linked solved their problem.)
I suspect what might be happening is that Firefox adds an association to
mimeapps.list when a file is opened with a program for the first time, and many
users are opening files with types not recognized by Firefox using common
programs.
I think the best solution to the problem would be what I suggested above, i.e.
to only use the application/octet-stream association to open files with that
mimetype (or possibly an unknown mimetype), and not use it as a fallback
association for every other mimetype.
[1]
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php/69391-LibreOffice-Keeps-Reassociating-With-File-Types
[2]
https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/5bnchz/question_about_file_associations/
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