[macOS] Dump/restore custom file type associations (eg. duti, SwiftDefaultApps, swda, etc) #5

Use https://github.com/moretension/duti to dump/restore custom file type applications, though it seems as though it may not be maintained anymore:

• Maintained alternative to duti? moretension/duti#46

brew install duti

# Read
⇒  duti -x md
# Xcode.app
# /Applications/Xcode.app
# com.apple.dt.Xcode

duti -x html

⇒  duti -x mp4
# VLC.app
# /Applications/VLC.app
# org.videolan.vlc

# Write

# Find the application bundle identifier
⇒  mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app
# kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier = "com.sublimetext.4"

# Extract the bundle identifier in a crude automation friendly way to make it scriptable
⇒  mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app | awk '{ gsub(/"/, "", $3); print $3}'
# com.sublimetext.4

# Extract the bundle identifier in a much better/simpler automation friendly way to make it scriptable
⇒  mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier -raw /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app
# com.sublimetext.4%

duti -s com.sublimetext.4 .txt all
duti -s com.sublimetext.4 .md all

# Confirming that it was set correctly
⇒  duti -x md
# Sublime Text.app
# /Applications/Sublime Text.app
# com.sublimetext.4

See also:

• https://github.com/tsonglew/dutis

  • A command-line tool to select default applications

Could also use something like https://github.com/Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps to make it easier to configure in general, though it seems to have it's own issues too:

• Opening SwiftDefaultApps on Monterey makes it so you have to force quit System Preferences Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps#52
• System Preference pane crashes immediately Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps#39
• Request: Add option to import/export settings. Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps#22
• Running commands through MDM Lord-Kamina/SwiftDefaultApps#29

brew install --cask swiftdefaultappsprefpane

• This will seemingly install both the prefpane and the CLI binary.

Seemingly it also includes a CLI tool swda.

swda -h

swda getUTIs | grep public.

• https://aporlebeke.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/configuring-a-macs-default-apps-for-different-file-types/

  • SwiftDefaultApps includes two tools: a command-line binary (swda) and a preference pane. If your intent is only to set or maintain certain administrative defaults, the command-line tool is sufficient. The preference pane is only needed if you want to also provide a user-friendly interface for handling these changes.

Or we could just take a more manual/lower level approach:

• https://superuser.com/questions/273756/how-to-change-default-app-for-all-files-of-particular-file-type-through-terminal
• https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/9866/programmatically-script-atically-changing-the-default-open-with-setting
• https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/49532/change-the-default-application-for-a-file-extension-via-script-command-line
  • https://ss64.com/osx/mdls.html

    • List the metadata attributes for a specified file.

  • mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app
  • mdls -name kMDItemContentType -name kMDItemContentTypeTree ~/Desktop/foo.txt
  • defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices LSHandlers -array-add '{ LSHandlerContentType = \"public.plain-text\"; LSHandlerRoleAll = \"com.sublimetext.4\"; }'
  • /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/Current/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/Current/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
    • https://eclecticlight.co/2019/03/25/lsregister-a-valuable-undocumented-command-for-launchservices/
    • https://ss64.com/osx/lsregister.html
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9172226/how-to-set-default-application-for-specific-file-types-in-mac-os-x
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Type_Identifier
• https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundation/userdefaults
• https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/terminal/apda49a1bb2-577e-4721-8f25-ffc0836f6997/mac
• https://ss64.com/osx/defaults.html

  • Preferences are stored in a set of files under ~/Library/Preferences, however using the defaults command is much safer than manually editing a .plist file. The cfprefsd daemon manages and caches updates to preference files. If you modify the file directly, the changes will not propagate through the cache managed by the daemon.

  • A long list of preferences that can be set in macOS and macOS applications can be found over in the How-to section.

    • https://ss64.com/osx/syntax-defaults.html
• https://macos-defaults.com/
• https://github.com/kevinSuttle/macOS-Defaults/blob/master/REFERENCE.md

See Also

• Explore backing up/restoring macOS application config (tape, lra, etc) #24