knowit 0.10 - wrong file association / konqueror fails

[nhtrader]

Reporting odd behavior with file associations.

Noticed that there are three methods regarding installing a package.
1. via Adept Manager: kstart | system | adept manager
2. via Kstart|Add/Remove Programs
3. via terminal mode: sudo apt-get install knowit

Installed knowit 0.10 using method 2 -ok

Software works fine. No other abnormal behaviors.
I created a "knowit" file: my.kno

Creating file assocations also has multiple methods.
a. via kcontrol
type in terminal: kdesu kcontrol
b. via mouse: click kstart | click Run Command | type: kdesu kcontrol
click KDE components | File Associations | type: htm | click + (text)
click html
c. right click file (my.kno) | click Open With | other | type knowit
checkbox enabled: Remember application association for this type of file
d. via konqueror: open konqueror | click Settings | click File Associations


Side note = first inconsistency noted is this ...
kstart | click System Settings | click Default Applications
This doesn't contain heading: File Associations whereas kcontrol's Default Applications Menu does.


Moving on. I created a file association to this file via method 'c'

Clicked on file and file opens in 'knowit' - ok

Now open konqueror and click on any hyperlink and warning appears:
"save", "open with knowit", or "cancel"

Konqueror is now useless. Can't navigate via hyperlinks.

So I checked the file associations for htm via kcontrol- ok.
Still tagged to konqueror (kfmclient_html)

So I uninstalled "knowit" via method 1 (adept).
Tried konqueror again. Problem still exists.

Then I opened konqueror to myhomepage (google)
clicked Settings | Configure Konqueror | File Associations
Find filename pattern: type: htm
click + (expand text)
click html

Here Application Preference Order has been altered:
knowit
Konqueror

Select knowit | Click "Move Down"

Konqueror now works
deleted all references to knowit that I could find b/c I uninstalled software.

Round 2:
Reinstalled "knowit" using method 1
created file association using method 2

Now click on my.kno (knowit file) and konqueror executes.
Close window.

Now right click on my.kno and select open with
Now knowit appears. Select it and file opens properly.

The problem is that the file association still isn't correct.

The purpose here is to:
1. introduce other newbies to the various methods I've discovered to create file associations and how to manipulate them.
2. summarize the various methods to install software.
3. report to those responsible that these problems exist.
4. understand that strange behaviors may be due to incomplete propagation and inappropriate file associations.
5. file associations are still a work in progress.

6. The application of a file association for "knowit" is still problematic.

In this case, "knowit" and Gutsy don't play nice. How many other apps are non-compliant? Why did Gutsy alter konqueror's application order? Why was knowit's file type associated to html? These certainly aren't the application's fault as kde is responsible for file associations, not knowit.

PS - I like knowit's implementation of an outline. Simple, easy to use. What other similar software is out there besides Tuxcards and knowit?

Lastly, this took 3 hours to debug, document, and learn. That's why many avoid any linux distro.

[nhtrader]

Re: knowit 0.10 - wrong file association / konqueror fails

Part 2

As noted in part 1, I still don't have a properly working file association b/c when I click on knowit file (my.kno), konqueror opens it, not knowit.

So I went into kcontrol's File associations and manually inserted an entry.

I added .kno to the category/text
select kno
added file pattern .kno
LEFT click the image next to pattern and select new icon
(why this isn't a right click, I don't know)
insert Description: knowit file
Application preference order: added knowit

click Apply
Close

Click my.kno and konqueror still opens the knowit file.


For newbie's there's still one more step toward manually configuring a file association.

After you add "knowit" to Application Preference Order select it.
Now select Edit.
The new window present 4 tabs: General, Permissions, Application, Preview
Select Application Tab
The command entry appears as this: knowit -caption %c %i %m

As a newbie myself, I don't know if these commands are correct, but I also don't know what to change them to since the file association still doesn't work.

Tried reading "man knowit". This didn't offer any clues.
Tried changing the line to just: knowit
This didn't work either.

[nhtrader]

Re: knowit 0.10 - wrong file association / konqueror fails

Part 3

Got it. Solved this one.

Apparently, there are 2 methods to changing file associations.
1. via kcontrol
2. via konqueror

At first you'd think that these two programs share this information because the File association sections look quite similar, if not identical.

In part 2, I manually created a "kno" entry in kcontrol.
This didn't work.

So I opened konqueror |Settings | Configure Konqueror | File Associations

I looked at the text section of known types and noticed that "kno" was missing! I once again manually created a text entry for "kno" and this time it worked.

Why the file associations in kcontrol don't work is beyond me, but the file associations changed in konqueror do work.

I'm guessing kcontrol has been demoted and it functions have been forked.
Some are in konqueror (file associations) and some are in "System Settings". But for now in Gutsy, kcontrol's file associations do not propagate to konqueror. And konqueror doesn't check kcontrol's properties.

Problem solved. But...

I will now only use konqueror to change file associations.
DO NOT USE KCONTROL.

However, this still doesn't explain why konqueror's application order was originally altered when using the right click option "open with" action.
Secondly, it still doesn't explain why the modifications associated with the "open with" action aren't properties that are shared with konqueror.

In the end, I had to manually create a File Association. The right click "open with | other | remember application association for this type of file" sequence/action doesn't appear to share these changes to the programs that need this information.

In this case, "knowit" wasn't linked to "kno" and konqueror's behavior was inappropriately linked to "kno". This bug needs squashing.

Total Time 5 hours.