---
name: "File::MimeInfo::Rox"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-file-mimeinfo"
version: "0.37-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/File::MimeInfo::Rox"
---

# File::MimeInfo::Rox(3pm)

Open files by mimetype "Rox style"

## NAME

File::MimeInfo::Rox - Open files by mimetype "Rox style"

## SYNOPSIS

```
  use File::MimeInfo::Magic;
  use File::MimeInfo::Rox qw/:magic/;
  # open some file with the appropriate program
  mime_system($somefile);
  # more verbose version
  my $mt = mimetype($somefile)
    || die "Could not find mimetype for $somefile\n";
  mime_system($somefile, $mt)
    || die "No program to open $somefile available\n";
```

## DESCRIPTION

This module tries to mimic the behaviour of the rox file browser \<http://rox.sf.net\> when "opening" data files. It determines the mime type and searches in rox's `"Choices"` directories for a program to handle that mimetype.

See the rox documentation for an extensive discussion of this mechanism.

## EXPORT

The methods `"mime_exec"` and `"mime_system"` are exported, if you use the export tag `":magic"` you get the same methods but File::MimeInfo::Magic will be used for mimetype lookup.

## ENVIRONMENT

The environment variable `"CHOICESPATH"` is used when searching for rox's config dirs. It defaults to `"$ENV{HOME}/Choices:/usr/local/share/Choices:/usr/share/Choices"`

## METHODS

- mime\_system($file)

  - "mime\_system($file, $mimetype, @\_)"

  Try to open `$file` with the appropriate program for files of it's mimetype. You can use `$mimetype` to force the mimetype. Also if you already know the mimetype it saves a lot of time to just tell it.

  If either the mimetype couldn't be determined or no appropriate program could be found `"undef"` is returned. If the actual system fails an exception is raised.

  All remaining arguments are passed on to the handler.

- mime\_exec($file)

  - "mime\_exec($file, $mimetype, @\_)"

  Like `mime_system()` but uses exec instead of system, so it **never returns** if successful.

- suggest\_script\_name($mimetype)

  Returns the list `"($dir, $file)"` for the suggested place to write new script files (or symlinks) for mimetype `$mimetype`. The suggested dir doesn't need to exist.

## AUTHOR

Jaap Karssenberg \<pardus@cpan.org\> Maintained by Michiel Beijen \<mb@x14.nl\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2003, 2012 Jaap G Karssenberg. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2013-2026 Michiel W. Beijen. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

## SEE ALSO

File::MimeInfo, File::MimeInfo::Magic, \<http://rox.sourceforce.net\>