1

With latest Firefox versions (98, 99, 100, 101) download mechanism changed radically.

Currently, if I decide to open a file using a system application, Firefox downloads it in the $DOWNLOAD folder.
In the past versions, Firefox downloads it (certainly) but in $TEMP folder; that's makes it invisible to user...

How can I revert the mechanism back?

example: I want to open this [1] PDF with my favourite document viewer: Evince; I open the URL and Firefox prompts me a window with available options (see screenshot below) FF-download

at this point I click OK and Evince shows me the PDF. The result is exactly what I want!
BUT
the abovementioned PDF has been downloaded into my ~/Download folder, too!

and here is the issue: I asked for Firefox to just open (Open with) the file, not download it (Save File).

The expected (and previous) behaviour is to download the PDF in a TEMP folder, like /tmp, and open it.

[1] https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tests/xhtml/testfiles/resources/pdf/dummy.pdf

Improve this question
5
  • Have you tried selecting what you want along with checking the box for Do this automatically for files like this from now on.? It's important to remember that default options and configurations for software are going to change.
    – Nasir Riley
    Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 19:27
  • If you change the default download location, will it work for you?
    – Artem S. Tashkinov
    Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 19:44
  • @NasirRiley it does not change the behaviour
    – mattia.b89
    Commented Jun 6, 2022 at 15:30
  • @ArtemS.Tashkinov changing default location simply "does not work" in that new location... it uses new location as well
    – mattia.b89
    Commented Jun 6, 2022 at 15:32
  • I don't understand your last comment. Your files could be downloaded to e.g. /tmp by default and you say this does not work. How and why doesn't this work for you?
    – Artem S. Tashkinov
    Commented Jun 6, 2022 at 15:37

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

Make true the variable browser.download.start_downloads_in_tmp_dir (accessed from about:config).

Credit is due to an answer provided by a user named xanthonin the discussion forum http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3097140

Improve this answer
0

Go to Preferences and change the default download location to /tmp. Then change the option to "Ask where to download each file" (I'm not sure of exact English name of the option, as I'm using a non-English locale, but you will have no problem to find out, as there are only two options in the download section).

Seems a bit counter-intuitive, but will work as needed. Ie. all files that you choose to open in your PDF viewer will be downloaded to /tmp and opened from there. When you choose to download the file, Firefox will ask you to select a directory where you want to download it.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .