HOW TO: Fix JavaScript/C MIME type problem with GNOME

[Samjiman]

Problem
Your JavaScript files (application/x-javascript) are incorrectly identified as C source code files (text/x-csrc)
by your GNOME system.

Cause
This is caused because your system is set to identify C source code files by looking for C-style comments
(/* */ and //) in your JavaScript and therefore 'deciding' your files are C source code.

Solution

DISCLAIMER: Follow this solution with caution - I in no way claim responsibility if your system breaks.

Luckily, the solution to the problem is quite straightforward, open a terminal and enter the following
at the prompt (#).

# cd /usr/share/mime/packages


Then

# ls


You are now displaying the contents /usr/share/mime/packages, which will look something like this

apt.xml
brasero.xml
freedesktop.org.xml


Now enter

# sudo gedit freedesktop.org.xml


(Of course, you may use any text editor installed on your system which you can access with root, rather than gedit)

When prompted, enter your administrator password, the file should then display in your text editor of choice.
In freedesktop.org.xml, locate this line of XML markup

<comment>C source code</comment>


When you have located that, scroll further down until you locate these lines

<match value="/*" type="string" offset="0"/>
<match value="*/" type="string" offset="0"/>
<match value="//" type="string" offeset="0"/>


These are the lines that are causing the problem, so let's comment them out with XML comments like so

<!--
<match value="/*" type="string" offset="0"/>
<match value="*/" type="string" offset="0"/>
<match value="//" type="string" offeset="0"/>
-->


Next we need to located this line

<comment>JavaScript program</comment>


Scroll up until you find this line

<alias type="application/x-javascript"/>


Change the line to this

<alias type="application/javascript"/>


Scroll up until you find this line

<mime-type type="application/javascript">


Change the line to this

<mime-type type="application/x-javascript">


Save the file and close the text editor.

In the terminal enter

# sudo update-mime-database /usr/share/mime


Log out of the system and log in again, the change should now be visible as JavaScript files
will be correctly identified. :)

[aiserv]

me@desktop:~$ sudo update-mime-database /usr/share/mime
Segmentation fault (core dumped)
And now JavaScript files displays as MATLAB script/function :confused:

[Samjiman]

Hmmm... I don't know what to suggest until I can see what you've done in your freedesktop.org.xml file. A small mistype perhaps.

I'll see if I can get it fixed for you over MSN Messenger.