Location of mimeapps.list file in .config folder

[ceres]

Location of mimeapps.list file in .config folder causes plasmashell, dolphin and panel problems

Hi,
The problem is appeared here:

KDE Plasma kickstart issue: loop message "Applications updated."

Since the stable update of 2020-11-04; the problem of a kickstart appeared again in the menu, this kickstart interrupts the use of the menu, with a message that says: “Applications updated.” [image] I exhausted all my previous tricks that allowed me to correct it, delete the folders: /home/abc/.local/share/applications /home/abc/.local/share/flatpak This problem is repeated in 2 PCs, one with nvidia graphics card and one with intel. I found some tricks but no luck kbuildsycoca5 --noincrem…

I thought this need a separate conversation.
The default location of mimeapps.list file is $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/mimeapps.list accordng to here, This user file overriders others. However it causes several problems when it located there, namely ~/.config folder.

Problems are:

• high cpu (100%) for plasmashell
• slow and unreponsive dolphin actions.
• “applications updated” error message loop in applications widgets on panel. (so, cannot start apps)
• appearing and sudenly disappearing “Add Panel” entry in context menu (right click) on panel and desktop.

Moving the mimeapps.list file to ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list, I assume deprecated $XDG_DATA_HOME/applications/mimeapps.list, fixes the issues. However, new associations made (for example using system settings app) creates mimeapps.list file in .config folder again, and problems occur.

But why? Thanks in advance for your answers to satisfy my curiosity.

[merlock]

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_MIME_Applications#mimeapps.list

[ceres]

Thank you.
But I cannot find my way to understand or solve the issue with the link, sorry.

[merlock]

Did you read the “Tip”?

[ceres]

Yes, but the problem is not the lack of the mimeapps.list file in ~.local/share/applications folder, but being exist in ~/.config folder. I gave a try to symlinkng the file. It could not solve the issue.

[linux-aarhus]

It is not a bug - your issue is typical for KDE - they do everything a lot of things different.

As far as I know there is several deprecated locations for the file.

XDG_CONFIG_HOME is $HOME/.config and as such the correct location.

So if this is creating issues for KDE then it is a KDE problem - not an xdg problem.

• XDG MIME Applications - ArchWiki

Please note the following quote from the above link

Applications are free to ignore or only partially implement the XDG standard.

Which may exactly be the issue here - KDE are implementing their own interpretation which is overridden by the XDG specification which is implemented by Arch based systems.

[oegb91]

I am experiencing the same problem, with no apparent solution other than getting rid of the file in ~/.config.
Out of curiosity, could it be related to the content of the file? my mimeapps.list in ~/.local/share/applications is empty, and the one in ~/.config only contains an entry for my email client (mailspring).

[ceres]

Before this issue arise, I also has an empty mimeapps.list file in ~/.local/share/applications folder and a regular mimeapps.list file in ~/.config folder. I couldn’t state when and how the issue started, when I realize that, I tried to, first, remove the empt file, then just move the ~/.config/mimeapps.list file in the place of it. I think the content is not important. My system doesn’t want the file to be in .config folder, if there is one, uses it, but doesn’t like.

[ceres]

@linux-aarhus

Which may exactly be the issue here - KDE are implementing their own interpretation which is overridden by the XDG specification which is implemented by Arch based systems.

I am trying to understand: That means KDE and XDG conflicts on the issue but no one override over other one? The file did its job being in both locations.

[linux-aarhus]

@linux-aarhus

Applications are free to ignore or only partially implement the XDG standard.

Which means KDE probably ignores it and uses the

~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

[ceres]

mimeaps.list file do its work wherever it is. I mean, if I have one mimeapps.list file only in .config folder, kde can use it properly, and also “writes” only on it from system setting app for exmple.

[Error404]

Seems like the problem lies in kservice-git package.
I am quite sure it was pulled by installation via manjaro architect. No idea why are kf5-git packages pulled in by default insead of regular ones…

After removing the package and installing non-git version, the issue does not seem to return anymore.

sudo pacman -Rdd kservice-git ktextwidgets-git kwallet-git

And install back regular package version:

sudo pacman -S kservice ktextwidgets kwallet

Edit:

• ksycocoa did not do any unnecessary file updates for about an hour now.
• no need to delete mimeapps.list anymore.

[ceres]

I’ll try that. You may want to note that here:

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=429593

[Error404]

Ok, good idea. I will update the bugreport.
But shouldn’t manjaro architect install regular packages instead the weird ones ?

I see the regular version is older than git one, so either it will be fixed in meantime or the problem will be back with next update.
extra/kservice 5.76.0-1
community/kservice-git 5.77.0.r835.g0374b4e-1

[ceres]

Yes, replacing git versions fixes the issue.

But shouldn’t manjaro architect install regular packages instead the weird ones ?

Well, I have no idea how that must be It’s reasonable, thogh.

[navobravo]

Thanks for this^
Relatively new linux user here and I figured writing the following into a script…
mv ~/.config/mimeapps.list ~/.local/share/applications/
…would just be duct-tape on the issue. I put your solution into place, rebooted, and all is well now!

cheers!