How do I determine which app xdg-open will use for a file?
 

Ok so got a question about xdg-open I can't figure out

When I xdg-open a text file it uses less.

If I check `xdg-mime query default text/plain` it tells me gedit.desktop, which I don't even have.

xdg-open is a shell script that behaves differently depending on the used DE. In Enlightenment, it will first try invoke enlightenment_open before resorting to its open_generic function based on xdg-mime output.

Ok that's interesting its a script, I'm trying to follow it now. Although it seems it only uses that enlgightenemnt_open for web urls....

when I use enlightenment_open on a text file, it tries to open it in vim, which I dont have, so I get a command not found. So it seems that's not in fact what xdg-open is using on text, and I should try to follow that xdg-open script a bit and figure it out still... but you got me on the right path...

Ok update, it was not vi, it was less! That was my mistake cuz to get out I had to :q so figured vi.

and I think its using it from run-mailcap --action=view

For such puzzlers I always find it helpful to get more information about the command executed - either 'man command' or 'command --help' or just 'command'. And next about the package the command belongs to.

And yes, many programs are "just" scripts and can be inspected.

To get out you had to 'q', not ':q'.