Depending on desktop-file-utils for update-desktop-database

[Loïc Minier <lool+debian@via.ecp.fr>]

        Hi,

 Some packages rely on the update-desktop-database to register MIME
 types listed in their .desktop file.  However, most of them don't
 depend in any way (Depends, Recommends, or Suggests) on the
 desktop-file-utils package which encloses the update-desktop-database
 utility.

 I suggest we define what should be done to address this problem.


 It is a problem when a user expects a particular application -- for
 example a web browser or a file browser -- to open files based on their
 MIME types, but the MIME database is not up-to-date.

 I don't expect a new user to install the desktop-file-utils package
 himself, it's really not an easy guess that you need some MIME-enabling
 package, so either the MIME types providers or the MIME types consumers
 should depend or recommend the desktop-file-utils package (or both).

 The crowd seems to be on the side of "applications", ie MIME types
 providers, and there are less consumers, so it seems logical to place
 the burden on this side.

 Hence, my conclusion is in favor of requesting web browsers, file
 browsers, etc. which are aware of this MIME system to depend in some
 way on the desktop-file-utils package (I think Recommends is the
 correct type of dependency).


 I'd like to hear about others' thoughts on the subject.


    Statistics

 On my system, 34 installed packages list at least a MIME type in their
 desktop file:
 % grep -irl ^mime /usr/share/applications | wc -l
 34

 Currently, only 2 packages depend on desktop-file-utils, nautilus and
 gnome-gv:
 bee% grep-available -FDepends -FRecommends -FSuggests -sPackage
 desktop-file-utils
 Package: gnome-gv
 Package: nautilus


   Regards,

-- 
Loïc Minier <lool@dooz.org>
"Neutral President: I have no strong feelings one way or the other."