This is the README for Unknown.N.bs.tar.gz [Download] [Browse] [Up]
Unknown is a no-op application when launched but its existence in the application search path causes a number of new icons to be defined for file types that don't already have them. For example, it defines icons for the '.c', '.h', etc. files in place of the default text document icon, however launching these documents still invokes the Edit application. The Unknown application defines icons for the binary '.o', '.a', etc. files also, but launching them will no longer invoke the text editor--invoking these will now bring up the Unknown icon and quit. Adding icons for files has some other side effects as well--it makes it possible to select '.c', '.h', etc. files in the 'View>Filter..' window of the Workspace Manager. INSTALLATION To use the program, put the Unknown application in the /LocalApps, or your personal ~/Apps, directory and then either use the 'Utilities>Find Applications' Workspace Manager menu item or logout and login to see the additional icons. ADDING ICONS & MAPPINGS To add your own icons and 'owner' application mapping, create an appropriate (48x48) tiff file whose name is the same as a file extension and add it to the /tiff subdirectory of the Unknown source directory. Then, edit the file Unknown.icondata and add an entry of the form 'extension<TAB>application<NL>', the file has several examples. Then do: make files # To generate the Makefile.preamble and Unknown.iconheader files make # To rebuild the Unknown application itself make install # To add the program to /LocalApps make clean # To clean up afterwards SUBMITTING ICONS This is only a preliminary release of the Unknown application. I hope the icons increase and change (as others who are more artistically inclined get interested). People with potential additions should send me mail. MISC In theory, if one were to extract Macintosh icons and add them in as well and keep files on the NeXT (or any NFS mounted Unix host) via aufs using standard file extensions, one could view Macintosh directories from either the Macintosh or NeXT file browser (in icon mode) and see the same view. I don't plan to pursue this, however. - Christopher Lane(lane@sumex-aim.stanford.edu) 9/1/89 - revised for 1.0 10/9/89 - cdl
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Netfuture.ch.