I'm happy to report that using open with (and then remember application association) from KDE's dolphin file browser did work to reset the open behavior from iceweasel's download panel. I used this to reset both pdf and directory associations.
After this exercise the ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list, which previously did not exist, was present and contained [Added Associations] application/pdf=kde4-okular.desktop; inode/directory=kde4-dolphin.desktop; Apparently iceweasel pays attention to this file, even though KDE didn't need it to open the right applications. I still don't know where iceweasel was getting its original file associations. Joe (below) mentioned that iceweasel has its own database; this is true, but is not where the associations were coming from (see my original post for details). Thanks everyone for your help. Ross On Sat, Sep 19, 2015 at 1:21 AM, Joe <j...@jretrading.com> wrote: > On Sat, 19 Sep 2015 07:36:43 +0200 > <to...@tuxteam.de> wrote: > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > Hash: SHA1 > > > > On Fri, Sep 18, 2015 at 07:28:29PM -0700, Jimmy Johnson wrote: > > > On 09/18/2015 07:11 PM, Ross Boylan wrote: > > > >When I download a pdf in iceweasel and click on the download icon > > > >to open the list of downloaded files, and click on a pdf file, > > > >gimp starts. > > > > > > > >I want okular to be used instead. How can I do that from the > > > >download panel? (I know I can open the file independently). > > > > > > > >Also, when I open the containing folder (from the same download > > > >panel) gwenview starts. I want a regular file browser. > > > > > > > >I can't figure out where this is set. The pdf application > > > >association in iceweasel has "always download"; I think these are > > > >settings for embedded content on web pages, and don't control file > > > >associations from the download pane. > > > > > > > >I'm running under KDE; it lists okular as the top file > > > >association for pdf, though gimp is an alternate. > > > > > > Hi! > > > > > > Right click on a .pdf file, choose open with, other, drop down box > > > choose Okular. Done. > > > > Explanation: there is a system global "database" which associates the > > MIME type of a file with the preferred application(s) to open it (with > > many kludges inherited from Windows, alas). > > > > Indeed, but Iceweasel (and possibly other browsers) has its own > independent database, which allows an application to be selected, or > the user asked at download time. Open Preferences, then Application. > > > For some strange reason The Gimp has been associated to > > "application/pdf". Now every user has to correct that to some > > sensible PDF viewer. > > > > Not in my sid, which has Evince, now known as 'Document Viewer' set for > pdfs. I must find another PostScript viewer, as Evince is also set for > that, and it's rubbish at displaying the few PS files it can open > without crashing... > > -- > Joe > >
