Re: linking binfmt_misc with mime-types

[Brian May <bam@snoopy.apana.org.au>]

In article <[🔎] 19991005151655.F295@ulysses.dhis.org> you write:
>Mmh. I like to think of the file utility as the standard reference. I didn't
>knew about any other such databases. That apache uses file extensions is
>bad, but it's reasonable for a browser which only serves a well defined set
>of files.

Any program that reads multiple file formats does some sought of
automatic file type detection. Some of these are so deeply engrained (eg
gcc), that I doubt they will ever be changed.

eg:
- gcc looks at the file extension to determine what type the input file is.
- gimp does the same.
- magicfilter (do I need to say more?)
- can't remember what xv does.
- lots more - I am not wide awake at the moment ;-)

Currently, the file extension is used for a lot of things, but
I think the filename should be for user identification of the
file, and not for system identification.
-- 
Brian May <bam@snoopy.apana.org.au>