PDF files won't open

[Wuxin]

I have been researching this question to death but I can't find an answer! Why is it I cannot open a pdf file in SeaMonkey? If I receive an email with a pdf attachment I cannot open it on my Linux laptop. There has to be a way to do this--I've just been unable to figure out how. Anyone know what to do about this? Thank you!

[barbaz]

install pdf.js

[therube]

> I receive an email with a pdf attachment I cannot open it

So you double click on the attachment (or however it might work in Mail) & (since it does not, except perhaps with extension [above]) open within SeaMonkey (or Mail), it still does not open externally in Okular or Adobe Reader or something like that?

If that is the case, then it could be a mime-type issue or something like that?

[Wuxin]

Thank you. I installed that and all I get now is a blank page. At the lower left-hand corner of the screen it says "stopped." But no image. The computer said the installation was complete so that's not the problem.

[Wuxin]

How would you open an attachment "externally"? There must be a way to get Adobe to work with it, but I can't seem find the connection to make that happen.

[barbaz]

sorry, I think I misunderstood the question.
Can you save the attachment to disk first, then open it?

[therube]

PPS: Bug 977822 - pdf.js can't display SeaMonkey mail attachments
PPS: Bug 803832 - Wrong Mime-Type text/plain for PDF attachments

[Wuxin]

If indeed this is a bug in SeaMonkey...that is a pretty big bug! Not to have access to pdf files is a real liability today! Should I plan to ditch SeaMonkey?

[Wuxin]

No, I am unable to save to disk--I gave that a try.

[barbaz]

What happens if you try to save the attachment?

[Wuxin]

Nothing. I'm not even given the option to save it. I just have a blank page with a cryptic series of letters for the file name. That is on "Download Page." So I really don't have an option to do much of anything.

[Lemon Juice]

Nothing. I'm not even given the option to save it. I just have a blank page with a cryptic series of letters for the file name. That is on "Download Page."

If you've gone to a blank page or a "download page" then I suppose you are doing too much - probably by double clicking the attachment. Instead, right click on the attachment and then in the popup menu you'll have an option to save it.

[Wuxin]

No, that doesn't do it either. I've tried it. For some reason the program is unable to connect with Adobe Reader, even though it is clearly installed on my computer. Didn't one of the posts above include a link saying that this was a bug in SeaMonkey?

[Lemon Juice]

No, that doesn't do it either. I've tried it. For some reason the program is unable to connect with Adobe Reader, even though it is clearly installed on my computer.

Well, this last sentence above indicates you haven't really tried it. Because saving files has nothing to do with SeaMonkey connecting or not with Acrobat Reader. I've tried it on Linux and indeed, SM will not open pdf attachments but it will save them without any problems. Describe in detail in which step you encounter an error: you right click on the pdf file in the "Attachments:" box and there are these items in the menu: Open, View Source, Save As, Detach, Delete, Save All, Detach All, Delete All. Obviously, you select Save As. Choose location for the file, e.g. Desktop. You double-click the file on the desktop and it opens in your default pdf viewer (Acrobat). Which of these steps doesn't work and what errors do you see?

Didn't one of the posts above include a link saying that this was a bug in SeaMonkey?

No, one of the bugs is about pdf.js, which is an extension for SM/Fx, not being able to open pdf attachments - this is not really the same as opening pdf attachments in a default application on your system - this may be somehow related to your problem but it's not exactly that. The second bug is about composing messages, which is completely unrelated. None of these bugs are about saving pdf attachments.

[Wuxin]

I tried what you are suggesting but it does not work. I tried to copy and paste the flag that came up but it would not highlight. It was something about "Adobe Reader does not recognize this file or it was damaged (as in opening an attachment from a file) or improperly decoded." Not the exact words but something like that. The file was transferred to the desktop but was not then recognized by Adobe. It also transferred as a folder, not just a file. There were several unintelligible files within that folder. Sorry this is getting complicated but I'm simply reporting what's going on here.