Linux by Sankar San

Needed to open MP3 files with XMMS by just double-clicking them in Nautilus, so I looked up on how to change file associations. The Fedora Forum rocks! I learnt its quite a task! Here's how (with mplayer as example):

-> /usr/share/applications/[application_name].desktop
This is the file where "defaults.list" will point to. One of the most important things inside this file is the entry "MimeType=".

E.g: vi /usr/share/applications/mplayer.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Movie Player
Comment=Play multimedia files and media
Icon=mplayer.xpm
Exec=mplayer %f
Terminal=false
MimeType=video/mpeg;video/x-msvideo;video/quicktime;video/x-ms-asf;video/x-ms-wmv
Type=Application
Categories=Application;AudioVideo;
Encoding=UTF-8

-> /usr/share/applications/defaults.list
This file contains the applications which cause a double-click success. All Mime types will point to a desktop file.

E.g: Separate multiple app names with ;'s.

video/x-ms-asf=mplayer.desktop
video/x-ms-wmv=mplayer.desktop

-> /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache
Contains information in similar form shown for file "defaults.list" in same directory. This file contains ALL associations given to a mime type. There is no need for a specified order of desktop files. E.g: Repeat above

To do the same for XMMS, replace realplayer.desktop with redhat-audio-player.desktop in all these files..

When I got FC3, I configured it to multi-boot, which caused a terrible problem to crop up later. I didn't want to risk it happening again, so I decided I'd explore the possibilities of installing FC4 without letting it affect my Windows hard drive.

There was only way I could leave the boot sector unchanged; Change the boot-up sequence in the BIOS and install GRUB and FC4 on my secondary hard drive. However, the kernel panicked while booting from the CD, saying "RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid ramdisk image starting at 0." It took me a while to find the fix.

I came across the usual network configuration issue next. I'm using a BSNL DataOne ADSL Internet connection now, with a Huawei SmartAX MT880. I had no idea how to configure it, until I stumbled upon this amazing client!

The next problem was accessing my Windows volumes; NTFS is not supported, as usual. I got that resolved in a jiffy, after which I started on MP3 support and XMMS download. The XMMS site didn't give me any leads for FC4 though.

Thats when I came across YUM, which I'll rate the best thing ever made to help Fedora users! This behaves like a charm unlike up2date, probably thanks to the BSNL PPPoE connection. All thats left now is to save my WinAMP EQF settings and import them, and I'll be up n' running on all cylinders..!

[Listening to Eric Clapton - Bell Bottom Blues]