diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'manual/en/manual_014.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | manual/en/manual_014.xml | 155 |
1 files changed, 155 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/manual/en/manual_014.xml b/manual/en/manual_014.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..53164e6 --- /dev/null +++ b/manual/en/manual_014.xml @@ -0,0 +1,155 @@ +<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><chapter id="sylpheed-14"> + <title>Handling MIME types</title> + <section> + <title>How Sylpheed checks for Mime types </title> + <para> +When attaching a file to a message (composing a new message), the +MIME type of the attached file is choosen based on the file extension +from the mapping list defined in the <computeroutput>mime.types</computeroutput> file(s). +Sylpheed defines its MIME type mapping table by loading the +system wide MIME types file, then the user file. +The systeme file is <computeroutput>SYSCONFDIR/mime.types</computeroutput> (SYSCONFDIR can +be defined a compile time), or if it does not exist, <computeroutput>/etc/mime.types</computeroutput>. +The user file is <computeroutput>$HOME/.sylpheed/mime.types</computeroutput>. +</para> + <para> +A <computeroutput>mime.types</computeroutput> file consist of one MIME type definition per line, +each definition line starting with the name of the MIME type, followed by +a space separated list of the corresponding file extensions. +The file can contain empty lines, and comments start with the <guilabel>#</guilabel> +character and close at line's end. +</para> + <para> +Following is a typical <computeroutput>mime.types</computeroutput> file (an extract of mine): + +<literallayout> +# This file controls what Internet media types are sent to the client for +# given file extension(s). Sending the correct media type to the client +# is important so they know how to handle the content of the file. +# The Internet media type registry is at +# ftp://ftp.iana.org/in-notes/iana/assignments/media-types/. + +# MIME type Extension +application/mac-binhex40 hqx +application/mac-compactpro cpt +application/msword doc +application/pdf pdf +application/postscript ai eps ps +application/rtf rtf +application/x-bcpio bcpio +application/x-bzip2 bz2 +application/x-csh csh +application/x-gtar gtar +application/x-gzip gz tgz +application/x-kword kwd kwt +application/x-kspread ksp +application/x-kpresenter kpr kpt +application/x-kchart chrt +application/x-latex latex +application/x-sh sh +application/x-shar shar +application/x-shockwave-flash swf +application/x-tar tar +application/x-tcl tcl +application/x-tex tex +application/x-texinfo texinfo texi +application/x-troff t tr roff +application/x-troff-man man +application/zip zip +audio/mpeg mpga mp2 mp3 +audio/x-aiff aif aiff aifc +audio/x-wav wav +image/gif gif +image/ief ief +image/jpeg jpeg jpg jpe +image/png png +image/tiff tiff tif +text/plain asc txt +text/rtf rtf +text/sgml sgml sgm +text/xml xml +video/mpeg mpeg mpg mpe +video/x-msvideo avi +text/html html htm + +</literallayout> + +</para> + <para> +If the file can be found or has the wrong format, Sylpheed will assume +the default MIME type for all the attachments: <computeroutput>application/octet-stream</computeroutput>. +In such a case, the recipients mail client may not know what application +to use to view the attachment. +</para> + </section> + <section> + <title>How Sylpheed handles attachments (reception) </title> + <para> +When opening an attachment (select the attachment, right click and select +<computeroutput>Open</computeroutput>) Sylpheed uses one of the following methods to determine +the application to launch:</para> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + The attachment is an image: the application is the one defined by the + <computeroutput>mime_image_viewer</computeroutput> variable of the common preferences configuration + file (<computeroutput>$HOME/.sylpheed/sylpheedrc</computeroutput>). If no application is defined, or + if the format of the definition is not valid, the default application + command is <computeroutput>display</computeroutput> (ImageMagick viewer). + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + The attachment is a sound file: the application is the one defined by the + <computeroutput>mime_audio_player</computeroutput> variable of the common preferences configuration + file (<computeroutput>$HOME/.sylpheed/sylpheedrc</computeroutput>). If no application is defined, or + if the format of the definition is not valid, the default application + command is <computeroutput>play</computeroutput>. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + The attachment is a HTML file: the application is the one defined by the + <computeroutput>uri_cmd</computeroutput> variable of the common preferences configuration + file (<computeroutput>$HOME/.sylpheed/sylpheedrc</computeroutput>). This can also be changed in the + <computeroutput>Common preferences</computeroutput>, by changing the <computeroutput>Web browser</computeroutput> defined + in the <computeroutput>Other</computeroutput> tab. + </para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> + Any other attachment type: Sylpheed relies on <computeroutput>metamail</computeroutput> to use + the correct application (Sylpheed starts <computeroutput>metamail</computeroutput> giving it + the attachment file and the MIME type taken from the mail). + </para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + <para> +The binding of the applications to each MIME type is defined in the +<computeroutput>mailcap</computeroutput> file. The systeme wide file is <computeroutput>/etc/mailcap</computeroutput>, +while the user file is <computeroutput>$HOME/.mailcap</computeroutput>.</para> + <para> +In the mailcap file, there is one definition per line, big lines +can be broken by escaping the newline with a <computeroutput>\</computeroutput> character, +the first element of the line is the MIME type, then a semi-colon, +(<computeroutput>;</computeroutput>), and finally the application to launch. +The application part (right side of the semi-colon) can contain several +shell commands separated by an escaped semi-colon (<computeroutput>\;</computeroutput>) and +the <computeroutput>%s</computeroutput> string is replaced by the name of the file when +launching the command.</para> + <para> +Following is a typical <computeroutput>mailcap</computeroutput> file (an extract of mine):</para> + <literallayout> + +image/*; ee %s + +video/mpeg; gtv %s +video/*; xanim %s + +application/pdf; xpdf %s + +text/html; dillo %s + +</literallayout> + </section> +</chapter>
\ No newline at end of file |