Opening files/links downloads them?

Discussions for the Apple Mac OS builds of Pale Moon

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back2themoon
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Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by back2themoon » 2015-06-16, 14:50

This could be a MacOS thing, but here it goes: when I select an MP3 file link for example, and choose Open with (VLC), the file is opened and played but I also see it fully downloaded in the Desktop (it's my default download location but 'Always ask me where to save files' is enabled). Also, quite often various random .part files appear in the Desktop (like dfgwr.part - random characters as file name) which I think is related to the same issue.

ikar-us

Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by ikar-us » 2015-06-16, 14:56

And what's the issue?
The file must be downloaded and stored to be played.
While it is being downloaded, there is a .part file.
What else would be expected?

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back2themoon
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Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by back2themoon » 2015-06-16, 15:29

In Windows at least, the file is downloaded in some out-of-the way Temp folder. The request is to open the file/link, not download it permanently. Same goes for .part files which (even more so) should disappear immediately, not store themselves permanently in the Desktop.

I now remembered another instance of this on the Mac. I use the web interface of a sat receiver, which has links for .m3u playlist files, each corresponding to the various TV channels. Every time I select a channel to view it on VLC (thus opening the link, not downloading it), I also get a stream.m3u file on the Desktop, and they soon add up. Not happening on Windows.

ikar-us

Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by ikar-us » 2015-06-16, 16:23

I see, the .part files should disappear immediately, of course. Didn't get the point that they are staying.

As for the complete files, I'd like this behaviour, because I dislike downloading them multiple times...

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back2themoon
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Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by back2themoon » 2015-06-16, 18:10

Is this a MacOS file system thing? Do you know if all Mac browsers behave this way?

Jazoray

Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by Jazoray » 2015-07-05, 16:57

I have observed this on palemoon too.

you try to start a download, but the download seems to never start. There is no location selection dialog. instead, there is a random characters.part file in the downloads folder. Its size is approximately what you can download in one second.

I have observed save file dialog windows never appearing on Windows too. So it's definitely a PaleMoon issue.
The issue seems to be on opening the save file location dialog.

My workaround has always been to use a download manager like downthemall or wipe the browser profile.

HarmonicResonance

Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by HarmonicResonance » 2015-07-07, 11:47

Hmm. I just tested this on 25.4 (0b3), and I don't see the behavior. If I download something, the dialog box appears asking what to do with the file, and if I choose to save it, another dialog box appears asking where. I wonder if there's a particular filetype/preference that causes the behavior y'all are seeing, because it doesn't seem to be a general thing. Other Mac apps that download don't keep the part files around (for example, Transmission).

Jazoray

Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by Jazoray » 2015-07-07, 14:12

HarmonicResonance wrote:Hmm. I just tested this on 25.4 (0b3), and I don't see the behavior. If I download something, the dialog box appears asking what to do with the file, and if I choose to save it, another dialog box appears asking where. I wonder if there's a particular filetype/preference that causes the behavior y'all are seeing, because it doesn't seem to be a general thing. Other Mac apps that download don't keep the part files around (for example, Transmission).
Indeed. it's not a generic thing. during one time before i wiped my profile, when i encountered this problem very freequently, most downloads worked exactly as designed. Others didn't. But i could reproduce it very reliably.

Most downloads worked, but all downloads from my school website didn't, most downloads using > save image as didn't work. most notably, downloading the big google banner from the google homepage.

>why did you need to download the google banner?
that was the download that very reliably didn't work. And it was always available and never changes, so i used that to test and troubleshoot the issue.

Are the failures of the downloads this reliable for you too? As in: if one download of a certain file from a certain source works, it will always work. if one download of a certain file from a certain source doesn't work, it will always not work.
if that is the case, it should be easy to pinpoint the source of the problem

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back2themoon
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Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by back2themoon » 2015-07-07, 18:33

Well, my issue was not about selecting Download, but about selecting Open (which results in an unwanted download).

HarmonicResonance

Re: Opening files/links downloads them?

Unread post by HarmonicResonance » 2015-08-02, 21:10

I misread that back there. :o I also see the file downloaded that I requested to be opened, but no part file. Seems like OS X is using the download folder as the temp folder. Given that this doesn't happen on Windows, where is this behavior coming from? Does it work this way on *NIX builds (I am assuming that most of the Mac code base derives from there)? Though it doesn't bother me personally, I agree that it unexpected behavior and it shouldn't work this way.

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