How to stop auto-download

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Spudozo

How to stop auto-download

Unread post by Spudozo » 2019-04-25, 10:12

Hello,

Some time (and another version) ago I found that documents (including pdf's) were downloading despite my selecting 'view'. I got this sorted by a change to a line in the 'about:config' window which stopped this auto-downloading.

However being a Twit I forgot to make a note of what I did and now have the same problem! Any ideas please?

History: System recently had a clean install (including /Home) for Linux Mint 19.1

Thanks.

Spudozo

Re: How to stop auto-download 'SOLVED'

Unread post by Spudozo » 2019-04-29, 15:04

Well no response - too difficult for you eh? ;)

Anyway after more investigation I found that downloaded items were vanishing too but I then found that they were
going into my /tmp folder. How on earth that was happening I really don't know seeing as under preferences
the 'Download' folder was selected and that fact was also reflected within 'about:config'!!

So I decided to reinstall. I do regular backups with FEBE but decided to wipe the slate totally clean apart from Bookmarks which I exported to HTML.

Looking at the Linux Mint repo's via Synaptic the only Pale Moon displaying was the 'i386' version so I downloaded direct from Steve's repo. and now everything is just dandy.

I am assuming that the 'i386' is indicative of something but I'm just a 'user' not a programmer so really have no idea about that.

Bye.

Lucio Chiappetti
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Re: How to stop auto-download

Unread post by Lucio Chiappetti » 2019-04-29, 16:17

Spudozo wrote:
2019-04-25, 10:12
Some time (and another version) ago I found that documents (including pdf's) were downloading despite my selecting 'view'. I got this sorted by a change to a line in the 'about:config' window which stopped this auto-downloading.
If you find the option in about:config please let us know.
IF there is a solution. I have the impression that files getting downloaded instead of viewed may be due to the originating site issuing the wrong MIME type (e.g. application/force-download or application/binary) or perhaps Content-Disposition ? Wrong for you ... THEY say what you should do with their files. I have some entry "Adobe Acrobat Document (application/force-download)" in Preferences->Applications but can't remember how I was able to set them up the first time. Actually I loathe the way PM (it is not PM's fault, it's inherited from FF and Mozilla) handle the "application handlers", I'd very much liked they'd honour .mailcap and mime.types.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (G.B. Shaw)

Spudozo

Re: How to stop auto-download

Unread post by Spudozo » 2019-04-29, 20:59

Hi Lucio,

I am still having problems after an initial success after reinstalling etc.

I have a feeling that the Firejail sandboxing app is playing a part in this. Outside of Firejail PM downloads more or less work depending on whether I select 'Ask every time' or Save'.

Trouble is the files (i.e. the server they are located on) that I have been after seem to be having their own issues with time-outs so the puzzle may be a little more complicated.

When I get time :coffee: I will try other browsers in and out of Firejail to try and pin the actual problem/s down.

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moonbob69
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Re: How to stop auto-download

Unread post by moonbob69 » 2019-05-01, 00:46

If you want to "view" something, how do you expect to do so?
The default PM does display html, but not pdf.
When displaying an html page, it is downloading it to a temporary file. Fortunately, it does seem to start displaying the page before it has the entire html, but then as more elements are downloaded in other (js or jpg) files, the page display changes. But it still has to have it locally.

On PM for Linux, there is a setting Tools->Preferences->Applications->Content-Type:pdf->Action
where you can say to save, view with a specific viewer, or ask every time for pdf files.
If you say to save, then it saves it where you told it to. But if you say to view, it saves it as a temporary file (where your system says to) and then deletes it afterwards.

Checking the box for "ask every time" will stop auto-download, but if you want to view something, you have asked for the download, somewhere.

Spudozo

Re: How to stop auto-download

Unread post by Spudozo » 2019-05-03, 14:42

moonbob69,

Thanks for the response.

Good point about default PM not having a PDF viewer however that is not the issue.

Despite having PDF's designated as: 'Ask every time' they download anyway!

If I want to display then I can view with Evince or some other suitable 'app' but these items download and do not arrive in the Downloads folder.

As I said previously I think the failure to reach the Downloads folder may relate to the Firejail sandbox and I have a query about that on the Firejail 'forum'.
I believe 'moonchild' said in a post some time ago that PM requires a special set-up in Firejail (not verbatim) but I have always found it to work 'out of the box'
so the issue is still with the auto-download that is happening regardless of options set under preferences.

I cannot reproduce this on any other browser hence the request for ideas. Don't get too technical either as I am just a bog-standard user. :thumbup:

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therube
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Re: How to stop auto-download

Unread post by therube » 2019-05-03, 17:26

So to be clear, you do not view pdf's (embedded) in your browser?

URL of a pdf "page" where, where what happens?
You go to that page & you are prompted to download the pdf?
And regardless of whether you download (or "open with" type of thing), or dismiss the dialog, the pdf still ends up in %TMP%?
(That may not be unusual.)

Or do you tell PM to download the file, yet it does not end up in your "/Downloads/" directory, instead only ending up in %TMP%?


In order to "view" a file, that file has to be "somewhere".
Viewing a file "online", or embedded in a browser window, still has to be somewhere, local. Be it in /cache/ or %TMP% or...

Theoretically, you would expect a program that writes to %TMP% to clean up after itself, but that will not always be the case.

Spudozo

Re: How to stop auto-download

Unread post by Spudozo » 2019-05-08, 14:20

therube
So many questions ;)
So to be clear, you do not view pdf's (embedded) in your browser?
No.
URL of a pdf "page" where, where what happens?
Various but all confidential so no URL's
You go to that page & you are prompted to download the pdf?
Correct.
And regardless of whether you download (or "open with" type of thing), or dismiss the dialog, the pdf still ends up in %TMP%?
(That may not be unusual.)
Correct, however I believe that all downloads go into a tmp folder anyway so no issue with that as such.
Or do you tell PM to download the file, yet it does not end up in your "/Downloads/" directory, instead only ending up in %TMP%?
In some instances pdf files that are clicked (on the web page concerned) download without any option to do otherwise. So some will download automatically while others even with the option 'open with' specified still download.

So yes the file has to be somewhere but also as you say the tmp entries get deleted upon closing PM - as would be expected if that is how PM works.

Anyway after more playing around I have decided that Firejail is the cause although why this has just started recently I do not know.

If some one can advise how to mark this closed - I will leave it there and start a new thread (if necessary) once I get some feedback from the Firejail community.

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