Linux: Thumbnailers and MIME Types (thumbnail / mimetype) - creating thumbnail images for file manager

Overview

  1. Set the system to detect the MIME type (probably by extension) as a unique file type
  2. Install thumbnail generator script or program
  3. Create a thumbnailer entry for the file manager to run the thumbnail generator script when it sees the unique MIME type

Detecting the MIME type of a file

  • Right-click properties within file manager
  • xdg-mime query filetype <filename>

    Mime-types are defined in xml files in subdirectory mime/packages under any of the following locations defined by environment variable $XDG_DATA_DIRS

    For example /usr/local/share would allow setting mime definitions in /usr/local/share/mime/packages

    References

  • file --mime-type <filename>

    This one isn't so useful within the world of MIME, it examines the file from the standpoint of the operating system rather than using the MIME definitions listed above.

Thumbnailing a defined MIME type

  • Thumbnailers are defined in

References

4 / 2025
thumbnailthumbnailerthumbnailersfile managermimemime typemimetypemime typesmimetypesfreedesktopgnome
Models
Techniques