diff --git a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
index c1cd0f2f..c3473723 100644
--- a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: rclconfig.cpp,v 1.5 2005-01-31 14:31:09 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: rclconfig.cpp,v 1.6 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <iostream>
 
@@ -67,3 +68,28 @@ RclConfig::RclConfig()
     m_ok = true;
     return;
 }
+
+// Look up an executable filter.
+// We look in RECOLL_BINDIR, RECOLL_CONFDIR, then let the system use
+// the PATH
+string find_filter(RclConfig *conf, const string &icmd)
+{
+    // If the path is absolute, this is it
+    if (icmd[0] == '/')
+	return icmd;
+
+    string cmd;
+    const char *cp;
+    if (cp = getenv("RECOLL_BINDIR")) {
+	cmd = cp;
+	path_cat(cmd, icmd);
+	if (access(cmd.c_str(), X_OK) == 0)
+	    return cmd;
+    } else {
+	cmd = conf->getConfDir();
+	path_cat(cmd, icmd);
+	if (access(cmd.c_str(), X_OK) == 0)
+	    return cmd;
+    }
+    return icmd;
+}
diff --git a/src/common/rclconfig.h b/src/common/rclconfig.h
index 0dcadfa3..f59a06d2 100644
--- a/src/common/rclconfig.h
+++ b/src/common/rclconfig.h
@@ -1,29 +1,41 @@
 #ifndef _RCLCONFIG_H_INCLUDED_
 #define _RCLCONFIG_H_INCLUDED_
-/* @(#$Id: rclconfig.h,v 1.3 2004-12-17 13:01:01 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
+/* @(#$Id: rclconfig.h,v 1.4 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
 
 #include "conftree.h"
 
 class RclConfig {
     int m_ok;
-    string confdir; // Directory where the files are stored
-    ConfTree *conf; // Parsed main configuration
-    string keydir;  // Current directory used for parameter fetches.
-    // Note: this will have to change if/when we support per directory maps
-    ConfTree *mimemap;
-    ConfTree *mimeconf;
+    string   confdir; // Directory where the files are stored
+    ConfTree *conf;   // Parsed main configuration
+    string keydir;    // Current directory used for parameter fetches.
+    
+    ConfTree *mimemap;  // These are independant of current keydir. We might
+    ConfTree *mimeconf; // want to change it one day.
+
+    // Parameters auto-fetched on setkeydir
+    string defcharset;   // These are stored locally to avoid 
+    string deflang;      // a config lookup each time.
+    bool   guesscharset; // They are fetched initially or on setKeydir()
+
  public:
-    // Let some parameters be accessed directly
-    string defcharset; // These are stored locally to avoid a config lookup
-    string deflang;    // each time.
-    bool   guesscharset;
 
     RclConfig();
     ~RclConfig() {delete conf;delete mimemap;delete mimeconf;}
+
     bool ok() {return m_ok;}
+
+    string getConfDir() {return confdir;}
     ConfTree *getConfig() {return m_ok ? conf : 0;}
-    ConfTree *getMimeMap() {return m_ok ? mimemap : 0;}
-    ConfTree *getMimeConf() {return m_ok ? mimeconf : 0;}
+
+    /// Get generic configuration parameter according to current keydir
+    bool getConfParam(const string &name, string &value) 
+    {
+	if (conf == 0)
+	    return false;
+	return conf->get(name, value, keydir);
+    }
+    /// Set current directory reference, and fetch automatic parameters.
     void setKeyDir(const string &dir) 
     {
 	keydir = dir;
@@ -33,19 +45,13 @@ class RclConfig {
 	conf->get("guesscharset", str, keydir);
 	guesscharset = ConfTree::stringToBool(str);
     }
-    bool getConfParam(const string &name, string &value) 
-    {
-	if (conf == 0)
-	    return false;
-	return conf->get(name, value, keydir);
-    }
-    const string &getDefCharset() {
-	return defcharset;
-    }
-    const string &getDefLang() {
-	return deflang;
-    }
+    ConfTree *getMimeMap() {return m_ok ? mimemap : 0;}
+    ConfTree *getMimeConf() {return m_ok ? mimeconf : 0;}
+    const string &getDefCharset() {return defcharset;}
+    const string &getDefLang() {return deflang;}
+    bool getGuessCharset() {return guesscharset;}
 };
 
+std::string find_filter(RclConfig *conf, const string& cmd);
 
 #endif /* _RCLCONFIG_H_INCLUDED_ */
diff --git a/src/index/indexer.cpp b/src/index/indexer.cpp
index 08016a8d..fadc3a82 100644
--- a/src/index/indexer.cpp
+++ b/src/index/indexer.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: indexer.cpp,v 1.2 2005-02-01 17:20:05 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: indexer.cpp,v 1.3 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: indexer.cpp,v 1.2 2005-02-01 17:20:05 dockes Exp
 #include "indexer.h"
 #include "csguess.h"
 #include "transcode.h"
-#include "mimehandler.h"
 #include "debuglog.h"
+#include "internfile.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ bool DbIndexer::index()
     return true;
 }
 
+
 /** 
  * This function gets called for every file and directory found by the
  * tree walker. It checks with the db if the file has changed and needs to
@@ -97,40 +98,17 @@ indexfile(void *cdata, const std::string &fn, const struct stat *stp,
 	return FsTreeWalker::FtwOk;
     }
 
-    string mime = mimetype(fn, me->config->getMimeMap());
-    if (mime.empty()) {
-	// No mime type ?? pass on.
-	LOGDEB(("indexfile: (no mime) [%s]\n", fn.c_str()));
-	return FsTreeWalker::FtwOk;
-    }
-
-    // Look for appropriate handler
-    MimeHandler *handler = getMimeHandler(mime, me->config->getMimeConf());
-    if (!handler) {
-	// No handler for this type, for now :(
-	LOGDEB(("indexfile: %s : no handler\n", mime.c_str()));
-	return FsTreeWalker::FtwOk;
-    }
-
-    LOGDEB(("indexfile: %s [%s]\n", mime.c_str(), fn.c_str()));
-
     // Check db up to date ?
     if (!me->db.needUpdate(fn, stp)) {
-	delete handler;
+	LOGDEB(("indexfile: up to date: %s\n", fn.c_str()));
 	return FsTreeWalker::FtwOk;
     }
 
-    // Turn file into a document. The document has fields for title, body 
-    // etc.,  all text converted to utf8
     Rcl::Doc doc;
-    if (!handler->worker(me->config, fn,  mime, doc)) {
-	delete handler;
+    if (!internfile(fn, me->config, doc))
 	return FsTreeWalker::FtwOk;
-    }
-    delete handler;
 
     // Set up common fields:
-    doc.mimetype = mime;
     char ascdate[20];
     sprintf(ascdate, "%ld", long(stp->st_mtime));
     doc.mtime = ascdate;
@@ -161,13 +139,13 @@ bool ConfIndexer::index()
     // Group the directories by database: it is important that all
     // directories for a database be indexed at once so that deleted
     // file cleanup works 
-    vector<string> tdl; // List of directories to be indexed
+    list<string> tdl; // List of directories to be indexed
     if (!ConfTree::stringToStrings(topdirs, tdl)) {
 	LOGERR(("ConfIndexer::index: parse error for directory list\n"));
 	return false;
     }
 
-    vector<string>::iterator dirit;
+    list<string>::iterator dirit;
     map<string, list<string> > dbmap;
     map<string, list<string> >::iterator dbit;
     for (dirit = tdl.begin(); dirit != tdl.end(); dirit++) {
diff --git a/src/internfile/mh_html.cpp b/src/internfile/mh_html.cpp
index 993c5748..7c3c51d0 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mh_html.cpp
+++ b/src/internfile/mh_html.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ bool MimeHandlerHtml::worker(RclConfig *conf, const string &fn,
     return worker1(conf, fn, otext, mtype, docout);
 }
 
-bool MimeHandlerHtml::worker1(RclConfig *conf, const string &fn, 
+bool MimeHandlerHtml::worker1(RclConfig *conf, const string &, 
 			     const string& htext,
 			     const string &mtype, Rcl::Doc &docout)
 {
@@ -63,10 +63,10 @@ bool MimeHandlerHtml::worker1(RclConfig *conf, const string &fn,
     //   what we started with, we abort and restart with the parameter value
     //   instead of the configuration one.
     string charset;
-    if (conf->guesscharset) {
-	charset = csguess(htext, conf->defcharset);
+    if (conf->getGuessCharset()) {
+	charset = csguess(htext, conf->getDefCharset());
     } else
-	charset = conf->defcharset;
+	charset = conf->getDefCharset();
 
     LOGDEB(("textHtmlToDoc: charset before parsing: %s\n", charset.c_str()));
 
diff --git a/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp b/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp
index 19e4f173..e5fd1071 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp
+++ b/src/internfile/mimehandler.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: mimehandler.cpp,v 1.6 2005-02-01 17:52:06 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: mimehandler.cpp,v 1.7 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
 
 #include <iostream>
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ using namespace std;
 #include "smallut.h"
 #include "html.h"
 #include "execmd.h"
+#include "pathut.h"
 
 class MimeHandlerText : public MimeHandler {
  public:
@@ -34,10 +35,10 @@ bool MimeHandlerText::worker(RclConfig *conf, const string &fn,
     // fields The charset guesser really doesnt work well in general
     // and should be avoided (especially for short documents)
     string charset;
-    if (conf->guesscharset) {
-	charset = csguess(otext, conf->defcharset);
+    if (conf->getGuessCharset()) {
+	charset = csguess(otext, conf->getDefCharset());
     } else
-	charset = conf->defcharset;
+	charset = conf->getDefCharset();
     string utf8;
     LOGDEB1(("textPlainToDoc: transcod from %s to %s\n", charset, "UTF-8"));
 
@@ -70,11 +71,15 @@ class MimeHandlerExec : public MimeHandler {
 bool MimeHandlerExec::worker(RclConfig *conf, const string &fn, 
 			     const string &mtype, Rcl::Doc &docout)
 {
-    string cmd = params.front();
+    // Command name
+    string cmd = find_filter(conf, params.front());
+    
+    // Build parameter list: delete cmd name and add the file name
     list<string>::iterator it = params.begin();
     list<string>myparams(++it, params.end());
     myparams.push_back(fn);
 
+    // Execute command and store the result text, which is supposedly html
     string html;
     ExecCmd exec;
     int status = exec.doexec(cmd, myparams, 0, &html);
@@ -83,6 +88,8 @@ bool MimeHandlerExec::worker(RclConfig *conf, const string &fn,
 		status, cmd.c_str()));
 	return false;
     }
+
+    // Process/index  the html
     MimeHandlerHtml hh;
     return hh.worker1(conf, fn, html, mtype, docout);
 }
@@ -109,26 +116,26 @@ MimeHandler *getMimeHandler(const std::string &mtype, ConfTree *mhandlers)
     }
 
     // Break definition into type and name 
-    vector<string> toks;
+    list<string> toks;
     ConfTree::stringToStrings(hs, toks);
-    if (toks.size() < 1) {
+    if (toks.empty()) {
 	LOGERR(("getMimeHandler: bad mimeconf line for %s\n", mtype.c_str()));
 	return 0;
     }
 
     // Retrieve handler function according to type
-    if (!stringlowercmp("internal", toks[0])) {
+    if (!stringlowercmp("internal", toks.front())) {
 	return mhfact(mtype);
-    } else if (!stringlowercmp("dll", toks[0])) {
+    } else if (!stringlowercmp("dll", toks.front())) {
 	return 0;
-    } else if (!stringlowercmp("exec", toks[0])) {
+    } else if (!stringlowercmp("exec", toks.front())) {
 	if (toks.size() < 2) {
 	    LOGERR(("getMimeHandler: bad line for %s: %s\n", mtype.c_str(),
 		    hs.c_str()));
 	    return 0;
 	}
 	MimeHandlerExec *h = new MimeHandlerExec;
-	vector<string>::const_iterator it1 = toks.begin();
+	list<string>::const_iterator it1 = toks.begin();
 	it1++;
 	for (;it1 != toks.end();it1++)
 	    h->params.push_back(*it1);
@@ -146,3 +153,21 @@ string getMimeViewer(const std::string &mtype, ConfTree *mhandlers)
     mhandlers->get(mtype, hs, "view");
     return hs;
 }
+
+/** 
+ * Return decompression command line for given mime type
+ */
+bool getUncompressor(const std::string &mtype, ConfTree *mhandlers, 
+		     list<string>& cmd)
+{
+    string hs;
+
+    mhandlers->get(mtype, hs, "");
+    list<string> tokens;
+    ConfTree::stringToStrings(hs, tokens);
+    if (stringlowercmp("uncompress", tokens.front())) 
+	return false;
+    list<string>::iterator it = tokens.begin();
+    cmd.assign(++it, tokens.end());
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/internfile/mimehandler.h b/src/internfile/mimehandler.h
index 48597003..1b4b82ae 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mimehandler.h
+++ b/src/internfile/mimehandler.h
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef _MIMEHANDLER_H_INCLUDED_
 #define _MIMEHANDLER_H_INCLUDED_
-/* @(#$Id: mimehandler.h,v 1.4 2005-02-01 17:20:05 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
+/* @(#$Id: mimehandler.h,v 1.5 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
 
 #include <string>
+#include <list>
 
 #include "rclconfig.h"
 #include "rcldb.h"
@@ -22,13 +23,14 @@ class MimeHandler {
  * Return indexing handler class for given mime type
  * returned pointer should be deleted by caller
  */
-extern MimeHandler *getMimeHandler(const std::string &mtype, 
-				   ConfTree *mhandlers);
+extern MimeHandler *getMimeHandler(const std::string &mtyp, ConfTree *mhdlers);
 
 /**
  * Return external viewer exec string for given mime type
  */
-extern string getMimeViewer(const std::string &mtype, 
-			    ConfTree *mhandlers);
+extern std::string getMimeViewer(const std::string &mtyp, ConfTree *mhandlers);
+
+bool getUncompressor(const std::string &mtype, ConfTree *mhandlers,
+		     std::list<std::string>& cmd);
 
 #endif /* _MIMEHANDLER_H_INCLUDED_ */
diff --git a/src/lib/Makefile b/src/lib/Makefile
index db95483d..4400c3aa 100644
--- a/src/lib/Makefile
+++ b/src/lib/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ all: $(LIBS)
 
 OBJS = conftree.o csguess.o debuglog.o \
      execmd.o \
-     fstreewalk.o html.o htmlparse.o indexer.o \
+     fstreewalk.o html.o htmlparse.o indexer.o internfile.o \
      mimehandler.o mimeparse.o mimetype.o myhtmlparse.o pathut.o \
      rclconfig.o rcldb.o readfile.o smallut.o \
      textsplit.o transcode.o \
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ OBJS = conftree.o csguess.o debuglog.o \
 SRCS = ../utils/conftree.cpp ../index/csguess.cpp ../utils/debuglog.cpp \
      ../utils/execmd.cpp \
      ../utils/fstreewalk.cpp ../common/html.cpp ../common/htmlparse.cpp \
-     ../index/indexer.cpp \
+     ../index/indexer.cpp ../common/internfile.cpp \
      ../common/mimehandler.cpp ../utils/mimeparse.cpp ../index/mimetype.cpp \
      ../common/myhtmlparse.cpp ../utils/pathut.cpp \
      ../common/rclconfig.cpp ../common/rcldb.cpp ../utils/readfile.cpp \
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ htmlparse.o : ../common/htmlparse.cpp
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $<
 indexer.o : ../index/indexer.cpp 
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $<
+internfile.o : ../common/internfile.cpp 
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $<
 mimehandler.o : ../common/mimehandler.cpp 
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $<
 mimeparse.o : ../utils/mimeparse.cpp 
diff --git a/src/qtgui/recollmain.ui.h b/src/qtgui/recollmain.ui.h
index cc4e1322..bf23033c 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/recollmain.ui.h
+++ b/src/qtgui/recollmain.ui.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "mimehandler.h"
 #include "pathut.h"
 #include "recoll.h"
+#include "internfile.h"
 
 void RecollMain::fileExit()
 {
@@ -145,28 +146,14 @@ void RecollMain::reslistTE_clicked(int par, int car)
 	
     // Go to the file system to retrieve / convert the document text
     // for preview:
-
-    // Look for appropriate handler
-    MimeHandler *handler = 
-	getMimeHandler(doc.mimetype, rclconfig->getMimeConf());
-    if (!handler) {
-	QMessageBox::warning(0, "Recoll",
-			     QString("No mime handler for mime type ") +
-			     doc.mimetype.c_str());
-	return;
-    }
-
     string fn = urltolocalpath(doc.url);
     Rcl::Doc fdoc;
-    if (!handler->worker(rclconfig, fn,  doc.mimetype, fdoc)) {
+    if (!internfile(fn, rclconfig, fdoc)) {
 	QMessageBox::warning(0, "Recoll",
-			     QString("Failed to convert document for preview!\n") +
-			     fn.c_str() + " mimetype " + 
+			     QString("Can't turn doc into internal rep ") +
 			     doc.mimetype.c_str());
-	delete handler;
 	return;
     }
-    delete handler;
 
     string rich = plaintorich(fdoc.text);
 
diff --git a/src/utils/smallut.cpp b/src/utils/smallut.cpp
index 23bfa636..cfad866b 100644
--- a/src/utils/smallut.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/smallut.cpp
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 #ifndef lint
-static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: smallut.cpp,v 1.1 2005-01-31 14:31:10 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
+static char rcsid[] = "@(#$Id: smallut.cpp,v 1.2 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $ (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes";
 #endif
-
 #ifndef TEST_SMALLUT
 #include <string>
-#include "smallut.h"
-
 #include <ctype.h>
 
+#include "smallut.h"
+
 #define MIN(A,B) ((A)<(B)?(A):(B))
 
 int stringicmp(const string & s1, const string& s2) 
diff --git a/src/utils/smallut.h b/src/utils/smallut.h
index 6bc7aa3f..9129f37c 100644
--- a/src/utils/smallut.h
+++ b/src/utils/smallut.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef _SMALLUT_H_INCLUDED_
 #define _SMALLUT_H_INCLUDED_
-/* @(#$Id: smallut.h,v 1.1 2005-01-31 14:31:10 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
+/* @(#$Id: smallut.h,v 1.2 2005-02-04 09:39:44 dockes Exp $  (C) 2004 J.F.Dockes */
 #include <string>
 
 using std::string;
@@ -9,5 +9,4 @@ extern int stringicmp(const string& s1, const string& s2);
 extern int stringlowercmp(const string& alreadylower, const string& s2);
 extern int stringuppercmp(const string& alreadyupper, const string& s2); 
 
-
 #endif /* _SMALLUT_H_INCLUDED_ */