Quote:
Originally Posted by kovidgoyal
File associations on windows are an uholy mess. There are layers and layers of places in the registry where they can be setup. Historically, they were windows explorer specific, then some time IIRC Vista or 7 they were moved to a more global location in the registry, then, in 7 there was an entirely separate layer called "Default Programs" setup. And that's just in the backend.
The mess in the backend creates an even bigger mess in the frontend -- there are literally dozens of ways in which you can change the file association for files in windows. In windows world it is *common* for end user programs to change file associations both in installers and silently in the background. And I mean change the actual association, not just register themselves as capable of handling a format.
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At least on linux you just have to worry about the system default changing at random every time you rerun `update-desktop-database` on a software install/update.
But I am kind of envious that Windows now prompts you to select your own defaults rather than relying on one picked out of a hat.
I guess since Ubuntu is so user-friendly they have a curated list of user-friendly defaults and oblivious users don't have to deal with this garbage.
