Helper application in Python.

[kkennedy]

I am attempting to write a "helper application" in Python.  An
application that will help the browser process files with a specific
mime type and/or file extension.  I have managed to figure out (with
the help of this group - Thanks!) how to make the appropriate Windows
registry entries to make IE automatically pass files to my application
based on file extension, and also create a COM object so that I can
detect, via JavaScript, whether my application has been installed.

Now, I would like to make this work in Netscape 6.x/Mozilla.  I
thought it would be much more simple since Mozilla exposed an array
called "navigator.mimeTypes". I think this is a list of mime types
that will be handled either by Mozilla, a plugin, or a helper
application.  My problem is... How do I get my application
"registered" in Mozilla to handle a specific mime type or file
extension?

I am NOT trying to write a plugin.  My goals are this:
1. Be able to detect whether my application has been installed by
checking the mimeTypes array via JavaScript.

2. Be able to programmatically add my application to the list of
"helper apps" in the users browser of choice (Netscape 6.x/Mozilla
1.x/Phoenix 0.5/Firebird ?). I would also like to have the browser
automatically download the file, and hand it to my application without
the user having to answer the dialog question "Do you want to save
this file to disk, blah, blah, blah..."

3. [Ideally] I am working primarily on Windows, but I would like this
to work in Linux also.

If anyone has any ideas, I would appreciate them.

Thanks.