From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.misc

Running Debian Bookworm, Firefox 141.0 (64-bit).

When I try to download a file from a web site, it always
winds up in my Downloads folder. I want to be able to
specify where it goes every time. In Settings I've set
"Always ask you where to save files", and under Applications
and "What whould Firefox do with other files?" I've set
"Ask whether to open or save files". These settings have
no effect; Firefox stubbornly insists on saving my files
in Downloads. I've searched the web and found many pages
related to this issue; nearly all of them say to set the
checkboxes I've already set. A few mention more obscure
options under about.config, such as

browser.download.alwaysOpenInSystemViewerContextMenuItem browser.download.alwaysOpenPanel browser.download.always_ask_before_handling_new_types

These are all set to "true". An additional option, browser.download.useDownloadDir, is set to "false".

Firefox really doesn't want to let me save files where I want.
Is this just a quick of my combination of OS and browser version,
or is there something else afoot?
--
/~\ Charlie Gibbs | Growth for the sake of
\ / <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> | growth is the ideology
X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | of the cancer cell.
/ \ if you read it the right way. | -- Edward Abbey
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From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.misc

On 2026-05-07, Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> wrote:

Running Debian Bookworm, Firefox 141.0 (64-bit).

When I try to download a file from a web site, it always
winds up in my Downloads folder. I want to be able to
specify where it goes every time. In Settings I've set
"Always ask you where to save files", and under Applications
and "What whould Firefox do with other files?" I've set
"Ask whether to open or save files". These settings have
no effect; Firefox stubbornly insists on saving my files
in Downloads. I've searched the web and found many pages
related to this issue; nearly all of them say to set the
checkboxes I've already set.

<snip>

Dammit, no sooner do I post the above when I come across
the answer myself. It turns out that under "Applications"
there's an entry for PDF files (which is what I'm downloading)
and its action was set to "Use system default application" -
which is taken to mean "put it in Downloads and open it with a
PDF viewer". This overrides any other settings. I went through
the entire Applications list and set all actions to "Always ask".
Finally I got what I was after. (Still too damn much work, IMHO.)

In the words of Emily Litella, "Never mind."
--
/~\ Charlie Gibbs | Growth for the sake of
\ / <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> | growth is the ideology
X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | of the cancer cell.
/ \ if you read it the right way. | -- Edward Abbey
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From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.misc

On Thu, 07 May 2026 04:56:35 GMT, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

I went through the entire Applications list and set all actions to
"Always ask". Finally I got what I was after. (Still too damn much
work, IMHO.)

I think all these settings are saved in your prefs.js file. You could
quit Firefox, do a global edit on that, then launch it again. Save a
lot of GUI rigmarole.
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From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.misc

On Thu, 7 May 2026 05:39:52 -0000 (UTC), I wrote:

I think all these settings are saved in your prefs.js file.

Actually, I think the actions for various file types are defined in handlers.json.
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From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.misc

On 2026-05-07, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:

On Thu, 7 May 2026 05:39:52 -0000 (UTC), I wrote:

I think all these settings are saved in your prefs.js file.

Actually, I think the actions for various file types are defined in handlers.json.

And in previous levels of the codebase, in mimeTypes.rdf.

Also, while reading this thread, it occurred to me that at least the
"previous location used to save files" can be domain-specific, I wonder
if the "always save to fixed directory" setting (which probably *is* in prefs.js) can be made domain-specific too?
--
Nuno Silva
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