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 fix in short:

  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

    • QuazarOmega@lemy.lol
      191·
      1 year ago

      Because you don’t always want to permanently save to the drive the PDFs you find on the internet, often you just need to skim them and that’s it, just like a webpage

    • krigo666@lemmy.world
      131·
      1 year ago

      It keeps being downloaded as a regular download to the default download folder, filling up disk space and the file needs to be deleted by explicit command. With the change it’s a temporary download and is erased when cache is purged.

    • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
      103·
      1 year ago

      PDFs are particularly annoying like that. On one hand most browsers offer to open them in the browser, but on the other hand it’s a “file” rather than a document. Imagine if your browser decided to download all the HTML webpages that you visit to your download folder, instead of the temporary cache. That’s how PDFs are handled.

      To make it more complicated, sometimes you’ll want that and other times you don’t.

      It’s also really annoying in terms of GDPR compliance, because some users gather a lot of PDFs in their download folder without even realising it. I empty my download folder daily, just like the trashcan, just to be sure that I’m not keeping things that I’m not supposed to keep. This is only/mainly due to the browsers handling of the PDF format.

        • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
          21·
          1 year ago

          All of it, if the PDF contains personal information. Anything that can identify a person is personal information and can only be kept if the person has constented to you keeping it.

          It does not matter in which format or where. That includes files in your download or trash can folders.

          • GentriFriedRice@lemmy.world
            2·
            1 year ago

            Respectfully, that’s not true. GDPR Article 2(2)©:

            1. This Regulation does not apply to the processing of personal data: © by a natural person in the course of a purely personal or household activity;