Re: Firefox now saves files that I only wanted to open
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I just learned some good news: Firefox 103 users can switch the case (B) to case (A) using a setting. Could you make this change, turn off the extension(s), and test again? Here's how you can check on that: (A) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click...

Hey guys

Today I got so annyed by firefox’s default behaviour of downloading each and every PDF file to my disk that I went searching for a solution until I had the problem fixed. And it seems like I have finally found it. I have linked the solution but here is the explanation in short:

Firefox determines what kind of file type it is based on the content-type header it receives from the server. Another header is the content-disposition header with which the server specifies how the file should be handled. The two most important options here are attachment and inline.

  • inline is the default if not otherwise specified, and means the browser will handle the file according to the behavior set in the browser settings.
  • attachment means to always download the file

It is therefore possible that some pdf files are downloaded by force and others are handled according to the behavior specified in the settings. To force the latter in any case, you can proceed as follows:

  1. go to about:config
  2. change browser.download.open_pdf_attachments_inline to true

Thank you jscher2000 for the solution!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/9785046

  • @assa123
    6•1 year ago

    After watching other comments I wonder why some people don’t get that this was a bug or at the very least, undocumented behavior outside of the Settings GUI. I had to deal many times with file (4).pdf on my Downloads dir. A BIG thank you, OP.

      • PropaGandalfOP
        1•1 year ago

        I know now why some people may not have this problem. It really depends on the server and if it marks the content-disposition header as attachment forcing the files to be downloaded. I edited my post now so that this is clear.