Download history

[26F36DD]

I have a future request: Starting with FF 12 they put a download history in the history section. When you erase your downloads it does not clear that list.

There is an add-on to correct that but it doesn't work.

In a future update could you either make it actually delete it or just wipe out that stupid feature. As-is it is IMO a dumb privacy hole.

[Moonchild]

The download list is independent of your browsing history. If you want to clear your browsing history, you should do so through clearing your history. If privacy is an issue and you want your history cleared automatically (including the download list in there) then set up your privacy settings accordingly in preferences.

[26F36DD]

That is not what I meant. I want history to mean history and downloads to mean downloads. When I clear downloads I want it to clear downloads and not have another one hanging around. I want to clear my history when I want to do it and not have it have the wrong things hanging around.

What does it accomplish having one more of them around?

[Moonchild]

The panel based download manager uses history exclusively. That is why it was added to history as well in a separate category. Downloads are part of your browsing history (every URL visited is also a downloaded page, and every download is stored in your history as well, regardless, so it makes no difference if you don't clear your history) and Mozilla decided to make the panel downloader exclusively dependent on the history list (consolidating both into one storage place). In fact doing exactly what you prefer in terms of downloads/history.

If you use the panel download manager, you won't have a secondary download list. The goal of Mozilla was to migrate everyone over to the panel-based download manager, but it met with resistance, so they kept the classic toolkit UI in place as well - fallout of that is duplication of the download list to the categorized "downloads" part of your history when using the classic UI. If you want to clear your downloads, you'll have to click 2 buttons in that case, one on the classic UI, and one in the downloads category of your history (which won't clear any other browsing history).
There is no easy way to fix that on-the-fly, but I can see if it's feasible to have the classic download UI window button also clear downloads from the history.

[Blacklab]

@26F36DD: Another recent "Download history" topic has some links/bugs that might be of interest: http://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php ... 406#p13706

PS. A comment in bug #838681 shows how to turn off the new panel download manager's flashing green arrow - was this already common knowledge?

You can disable the animated arrows by going to about:config and creating a new boolean pref named browser.download.animateNotifications set to false

[moonlighting]

@26F36DD: Another recent "Download history" topic has some links/bugs that might be of interest: http://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php ... 406#p13706

PS. A comment in bug #838681 shows how to turn off the new panel download manager's flashing green arrow - was this already common knowledge?

You can disable the animated arrows by going to about:config and creating a new boolean pref named browser.download.animateNotifications set to false

Bingo! Was wondering about this myself! Thanks for the info, Moonchild.

[Blacklab]

A search finds bug #861613 "request for togglable download animation" - adding the "hidden" preference "browser.download.animateNotifications" to about:config. Status is RESOLVED FIXED but patch is so new (10 June 13) that the stated target release is Firefox 24. So meanwhile back to the currently available download panel tweaks discussed here: http://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php ... 671#p15099

However - an amusing exchange starting "Why this settings is hidden in about:config?" Bug 861613 Comment #23 onwards!

[Vitrbjorn]

In a future release, how about separating History and Downloads again? Personally I do not like opening my Downloads and having History in the same window just a click away. This is one thing PM does not need from Firefox.

[Moonchild]

In a future release, how about separating History and Downloads again? Personally I do not like opening my Downloads and having History in the same window just a click away. This is one thing PM does not need from Firefox.

You can switch to the classic download manager, see other posts for instructions to have the previous download manager reinstated.