Windows
Linux
File Management
File System
Windows assoc / ftype (file extension to program) equivalent in Linux
Views or changes which application opens files of a particular type.
Windows
→
assoc / ftype (file extension to program)
Linux equivalents
xdg-mime
xdg-mime
xdg-mime
Overview
What this command does
Views or changes which application opens files of a particular type.
Migration tip: On desktop Linux, file associations are managed through
xdg-mime. Most users prefer to change them through the file manager GUI (right-click → Open With → Set as Default).Practical tasks
Common use cases
Manage file type associations
Views or changes which application opens files of a particular type.
xdg-mime query default application/pdf
See what opens PDFs
xdg-mime default okular.desktop application/pdf
Set default PDF viewer
file myfile
Detect actual file type from content
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
xdg-mime query default application/pdf
xdg-mime default okular.desktop application/pdf
file unknownfile
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: assoc .pdf or ftype pdffile
xdg-mime query default application/pdf
evince.desktop
# Change default PDF viewer to Okular:
xdg-mime default okular.desktop application/pdf
# What type is this file?
file unknownfile # ELF 64-bit / ASCII text / JPEG etc.Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
xdg-mime query default application/pdf | See what opens PDFs |
xdg-mime default okular.desktop application/pdf | Set default PDF viewer |
file myfile | Detect actual file type from content |
xdg-open file.pdf | Open file with its default app |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | xdg-mime |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | xdg-mime |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | xdg-mime |
Same command on this distribution. |
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