How to install an external VFS script

+ +

Related to extfs installation there are two major versions of Midnight +Commander. Older versions before 4.7.something use extfs.ini +configuration file. Newer versions simply allow to drop a VFS script to +$HOME/.mc/extfs.d directory. One can distinguish these versions by +looking up the file extfs.ini; run the following command from the +command line:

+locate -b \\extfs.ini
+

(I use GNU locate conventions; adapt the command line to your system; +the simplest variant is just locate extfs.ini.)

Usual places for extfs.ini are /etc/mc/extfs/extfs.ini, +/usr/lib/mc/extfs/extfs.ini, /usr/share/mc/extfs/extfs.ini or +/usr/local/share/mc/extfs/extfs.ini.

Older versions - extfs.ini

On the system where there is a file extfs.ini a VFS script has to be +installed the following way. Put the script into the system extfs +directory - /usr/share/mc/extfs/ or /usr/local/share/mc/extfs/. +Make the script executable. Edit extfs.ini - add a line naming the +script; for example, if one's installing xml VFS one has to do something +like:

+cd /etc/mc/extfs
+echo xml >>extfs.ini
+

To use the installed VFS one also has to edit $HOME/.mc/mc.ext to assign +the VFS to file extension(s) or type(s).

To enable file types add or change the following configuration option in +ini file in section [Midnight-Commander]:

+use_file_to_guess_type=1
+

This has to be done using text editor - mc doesn't allow editing the +option in its configuration editor.

Newer versions - $HOME/.mc/extfs.d

For newer versions just drop a VFS script to $HOME/.mc/extfs.d or +$HOME/.local/share/mc/extfs.d/ directory (verify directory by running +mc -F). Make the script executable. Edit mc.ext. Enable file types +guessing (see above).

See my http://phdru.name/Software/dotfiles/mc/mc.ext.html for examples.