"Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith at ieee.org> wrote: > The OpenOffice.org installer should setup file associations > in GNOME and KDE. If you haven't noticed, UNIX systems _always_ set file associations in the GUI, not the kernel/UNIX executive subsystem. This is a security/safety issue. Windows _always_ ties associations to the Windows executive. That's why if you sent a .jpg file to the Windows executive thinking it will launch Photoshop, but it begins with "MZ", Windows will run it as an .exe. This is a core, inherent design flaw to Windows itself and if Microsoft changes it, about 98% of Windows programs out there will break.** Furthermore, most UNIX GUIs and programs do _not_ trust extensions, but check the "file magic" (i.e., internal file format) instead. Especially when it comes to Internet programs. E.g., Mozilla Thunderbird and Ximian Evolution trust _neither_ the MIME Type declared _nor_ the extension of the file. They will immediately tell you what the true format of the file is (if it is known). So although Windows has a serious security design flaw in its executive that can't be changed for compatibility, at least by using Windows programs (like Mozilla Thunderbird) which test for "file magic" tremendously help the situation. File magic is also why most Freedomware-based SMTP gateways actually prevent executables and other trojan horses from entering the network, whereas about 80% of the Exchange SMTP gateway scanners stupidly trust MIME Type and/or extension. It's gotten batter in the case of the latter in the last 1-2 years. But I less than 2 years ago being at 2 Fortune 100 companies that had scanning systems easily bypassed by simply changing the declared MIME Type or extension allowed me to bypass the scanning. -- Bryan **NOTE: Does anyone know who I can _shoot_ for creating the WINE service/kernel .exe support so the Linux kernel/executive automatically launches WINE when it gets an .exe? Someone should absolutely be _shot_ for doing that, let alone packagers for allow it to be turned on by default upon install. I know they do it for "compatibility," but _stupid_ "compatibility" be damned, I don't want it if I merely install the WINE package. -- Bryan J. Smith | Sent from Yahoo Mail mailto:b.j.smith at ieee.org | (please excuse any http://thebs413.blogspot.com/ | missing headers)