Earlier quoted context omitted.
No they do not, what in the world gave you that impression? UNIX desktop environments indirectly rely on /etc/magic to decide what to do with files. If you are using a desktop which actually maintains a database of file extensions and you also think that that is okay and that that is how things should work, you are on a wrong operating system, and Microsoft Windows or even MS-DOS is a much better fit for how you expe…
> No they do not, what in the world gave you that impression? Using desktop environments. If I click on a text file in KDE, it opens in kate. Same with every other linux desktop I've used and same one mac. You're yet to say a single thing that doesn't apply equally on windows and unix.
How does your KDE handle file types when you are logged into a headless server, without any kind of graphics hardware, and your console is a serial port? How does the UNIX kernel handle file types when you're on a headless server with no graphics hardware, and your output is stdout on a teletype terminal or a nullmodem cable on a serial port?
I guess you missed the point of everything I've written so far. Did you read the links I provided?