Adding Helper/Viewer Applications

Web browsers can be configured to start viewer/helper applications automatically when accessing a document (e.g. sound, MS Word, Movies) that can't be displayed directly by the browser. It does this by mapping file name suffixes to Document/MIME types and mapping MIME types to the Application.

Configuring Mosaic Clients to use the correct viewer/helper:

See Viewers and Document types and Viewer/Helpers for some general information. The MIME types page has a list of common MIME types and default configurations for several browsers. You can test your config. at the Test/Demo Page

MS Windows: Instructions for adding Helpers to Netsape, in their handbook. There is list of recommended additions below.

Some combinations of browsers and applications may not recognize when there is a copy of the application already running and report "Can't start two copies of the same application." In this case it may be better to set your browser to just download the file. (Thanks to sdr for this tip)

See also instructions for Configuring Viewers at Spry , at Netsape, at Adobe

Viewers are avaiable at:

Some viewers have been downloaded to the webpages directory on DesktopC and under collabor/pub/Carl Silva/kits/netscape on DesktopC. See the notes there.

Return to Installing a Client

X Windows / UNIX: edit /usr/local/lib/mosaic/mime.types and .mailcap See: Extension Map Files and Mailcap Files

Macintosh: 

     (See Notes at Netscape Comm. Corp and Notes at Adobe)
      and Recommended Mac Helpers for Bellcore.
    Note: There is a preconfigurd preference file with the recommended helper
    applications on the PCSC server in the PCSC zone.

    Select "Preferences" under the "Options" menu.
    Click on the popup menu at the top and select "Helper Applications"
    Press the New... button 
       Enter MIME type  (e.g. application)
       and MIME subtype (e.g.msword)
    Click in the Extensions text field  and enter the file name extension
        (e.g. doc)
        
    Click the Browse button to select an application. 
         Choose the application's default file type from the File Type pop-up menu. 
        
        Select Save, Launch Application, Use Netscape as VIewer, or Unknown
       Unknown: Prompt User to designate the action performed by the helper
                application
          Save: produces a dialog box for saving a file to disk after the file is downloaded. 
        Launch Application: opens the selected application using the downloaded file as its document. 

  Note: If an application is already open when a document is downloaded
Netscape 1.0 will open a dialog box asking you to select the file it
has just downloaded and put in the directory specified in preferences
or the System Folder (default).




MS Windows Full List of recommended Additions Apps. 
 You may be able to locate an application by looking in C:\windows\win.ini
The Viewer may something like one of the following:
   L:\public\appmeter\winword.exe %ls  (for Desktop systems)
   C:\MSOFFICE\WINWORD\WINWORD.EXE  (for Laptops)

Desktop Apps:
 MIME Type/Subtype          Extension     Viewer
application/msword            .doc,.dot  c:\msoffice\winword\winword.exe
application/vnd.framemaker    .frm,.fm3,.fm4,.mk  c:\maker4\frame.exe
application/vnd.mif           .mif       c:\maker4\frame.exe
application/vnd.ms-excel      .xls,.xlc  c:\msoffice\excel\excel.exe
application/vnd.ms-powerpoint .ppt       c:\msoffice\powerpnt\powerpnt.exe
application/vnd.ms-project    .mpt,.mpp  c:\winproj\winproj.exe
application/x-notes           .ntf,nsf   c:\NOTES\bcrnotes.exe
application/x-organizer       .or2       c:\org2\organize.exe
application/x-coreldrw        .cdr       coreldrw.exe
text/x-sgml                   .sgm,.sgml  C:\..\panorama.exe
application/SGML-Open-Catalog

Common Internet Doc Types:
 See the notes on Viewers on Desktopc.

application/pdf              .pdf      ACROREAD.EXE   (Acrobat Reader)
application/winhlp           .hlp      C:\windows\winhelp.exe
application/zip              .zip      EXPANDER.EXE  (StuffIt Expander)
application/x-suffit         .sit      EXPANDER.EXE
application/x-arc            .arc      EXPANDER.EXE
application/octet-stream     .exe      none. save to file.
image/tiff                   .tif      C:\windows\pbrush.exe
video/x-msvideo              .avi      C:\windows\mplayer.exe
video/quicktime              .qt,.mov
 

Spry Defaults you may want to change:
                                        Default     Alternative
video/mpeg                   .mpg      dmfw         vmpegwin.exe  (VMPEG Lite)
application/postscript       .ps,.eps  ghostscript   Send to Printer
audio/basic                  .au,.snd  wplany.exe   WHAM.EXE
audio/wav change to x-wav   .wav      C:\windows\mplayer.exe
       x-wav is the default on NCSAs server

Other Spry Defaults:
image/jpeg                   .jpg      C:\air\bin\imagevw.exe
                                    or O:\commun\air3\bin\imagevw.exe 
image/gif                    .gif      imagevw.exe
image/x-win-bmp              .bmp      imagevw.exe




10/18/94. Send comments and updates to itc-is-support@cc.bellcore.com