FF2.0b2 - file opening dialog was changed? Or else, WTF?

[Thumper]

It seems martnber has found a regression then. It was originally designed to only force .exe to be saved and no other file type that comes to mind.

I'm pretty sure that this is incorrect. It should be doing so on any file served as application/octet-stream; there's additional blacklisting for certain file extensions but this might not have any actual effect any more.

I am currently trying to open PDF-files and I get this dialog asking if I want to save or cancel. I want to open directly!

Can you provide a link to one of these files? Did it always ask you with 1.5.0.6, as in it ignored the "always do this action" box?

this is reason enough for me to change to IE.

You'd switch browsers because a beta didn't behave like you expected?

- Chris

[the-edmeister]

I just ran into a PDF file in an email at Comcast webmail that used the dialog in the first image in Renegades' first post, which previous to BE 2.0beta2 would have been able to be opened as in image 2. The Comcast webmail page showed that the attachment was of the (application/octet-stream) encoding.
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 13#2462513

That email was automatically forwarded from the original recipient email address of mine, where the same PDF file displayed the second (image) dialog when I attempted to view it, but that webmail page didn't state the encoding.

Same file with inconsistent results when clicking the hyperlink.

I was unable to view what MIME Type was attached to the file because both webmail interfaces use a hyperlink to the file which obfuscates any data attached to the file. The only helper I have installed is the Page Info Button.

It looks to me that this 'new' dialog and action-less feature is a regression which doesn't act uniformly and/or consistently.


Ed

[kamisamanou]

I too find the new dialog box for downloading in Firefox 2.0b2 very annoying. I liked the old design. Do us all a favor and don't pull a winamp3 on us.

[kfleong]

I like the old behavior. Leaving the choice to *ME*, not FF. This is more so since most of the sites are sending wrong MIME types, i.e. .PDF as application/octet-stream.

To revert to the old behavior, look for the file nsHelperAppDlg.js in "c:\program files\bon echo\components" for nightly builds, or "c:\program files\mozilla firefox\components" for 2.0b2.

Use an editor or Notepad to edit the file. Search for:

Code: Select all

hide feature

You will see the code as per below:

Code: Select all

...
if (shouldntRememberChoice && noDefaultApp) {
        // hide featured choice 
        this.mDialog.document.getElementById("normalBox").collapsed = true;
        // show basic choice
...

Change the true to false & save the file. Re-start ff / bon echo.

HTH.

[oldtimer]

Same file with inconsistent results when clicking the hyperlink.

I was unable to view what MIME Type was attached to the file because both webmail interfaces use a hyperlink to the file which obfuscates any data attached to the file. The only helper I have installed is the Page Info Button.

It looks to me that this 'new' dialog and action-less feature is a regression which doesn't act uniformly and/or consistently.

Thank you, Ed. I ran into this on hyperlinks and do not have the tools to find the MIME type that Thumper has found. I do remember in the Trunk builds though someone suggesting an easy way to discover this information - was it 'View Source' or 'DOM Inspector'? Or possibly some addon I can't even think of right now. Page Info also came to mind but I don't ever remember it being able to determine the MIME type of a target.

And, well, Thumper, I only jumped to call it a regression b/c I remember specifically reading last November when this occurred that it was going to affect .exe file types only as a security precaution. No mention of the open radio button being disabled due to the MIME type of a file being application/octet-stream. And since that day, if I hear if it is affecting any other file type by graying out the open option then wouldn't that constitute a regression?

The only scenario when it wouldn't was if this was by design and I don't believe it was.

So, while honestly I haven't experienced the new dialog for myself, that's not what I'm complaining about. I just know for sure this was applied to .exe and no other file types. Maybe the bug or regression we're seeing is that some file types are getting mistakenly pathed as application/octet-stream by either the browser's own doing or the server sending the wrong mime type? But it can't be the server b/c it worked for him on the same webmail in 1.5.0.6.... So, octet-stream is only used for exe's, right?

Thanks for confirming the blacklisting, Thump. I too had seen this mentioned somewhere by devs but had also thought the functionality for this carried no real effect nowadays.

[Thumper]

No mention of the open radio button being disabled due to the MIME type of a file being application/octet-stream. And since that day, if I hear if it is affecting any other file type by graying out the open option then wouldn't that constitute a regression?

Could we all stop using the word "regression" to mean "any UI change I don't approve of"? The word in this context means "a formerly-fixed bug which resurfaces in the future". This is not a regression.

The extension blacklisting is more recent than the MIME type blacklisting. The MIME type blacklisting has been there for years.

So, octet-stream is only used for exe's, right?

No. application/octet-stream is a catch-all term for "this is a bag of bits". The issue is that the majority of the Web today is served by Apache. Apache uses a file called mime.types to determine how to serve a file, based on its extension. Due to some brain-dead ivory tower decisions on Apache's behalf, certain files which are commonly used on the web (the most common being wmv) are treated by Firefox as being application/octet-stream by default, and most server admins never bother changing anything so this never gets fixed server end.

As I've stated previously, there are no known -actual- regressions as regards actually figuring out what MIME type applies to a file since 1.5.0.6. The last guy who claimed to have one later said he was mistaken. If someone can reliably reproduce a file which Firefox guesses the MIME type wrongly for in 2.0 but not in 1.5 they should post an example.

- Chris

[RenegadeX]

Add MP3's to the list.. "Save" or "Cancel".*

* Ok.. that was an MP3 file I was downloading from Rapidshare -- but it is an MP3 file nonetheless.
An MP3 file I found elsewhere opened in the page in Quicktime player.
Edit: let me check this out a little more - I'll give links in a minute

I consider this a BUG.
I consider this a regression.

I could file a Bug but I have no idea what MIME types are let alone ocet-streams or whatever is going on behind the scenes that is the actual issue. So if someone would be so kind..

[BenBasson]

I consider this a regression.

You don't appear to know what a regression is. See Thumper's definition above.

[RenegadeX]

That's because that's not the only correct definition of the word. A regression is what you have when something that was previously working now is not. My dictionary defines it as "to go back to an earlier or primitive state".

As I said in an earlier post, the new dialog looks like something from 1993, and acts like it - not giving me any options. Therefore, it is a regression.

[BenBasson]

A regression in terms of software development is the definition you should use, otherwise you're only going to confuse matters. It really doesn't matter which one you think is better, if you posted it in Bugzilla, you'd be called on this immediately. Just trying to give you a heads-up.

[Thumper]

I could file a Bug but I have no idea what MIME types are let alone ocet-streams or whatever is going on behind the scenes that is the actual issue. So if someone would be so kind..

The MIME type is the thing the web server sends Firefox to tell it what kind of file it's giving it. text/html, Firefox displays it as a web page. image/gif, Firefox draws it. application/pdf, Firefox either hands it to the Acrobat plugin or pops up a box. RFC 2616 says that if a MIME type is not supplied, Firefox should treat files as text/plain.

application/octet-stream means "this could be anything, it's just a bunch of 1s and 0s as far as I'm concerned". In an ideal world, this would only happen for truly random binary blobs. Because Firefox hasn't got any information to rely on to decide what kind of file this is, it always asks.

Nearly 100 moons ago, the people behind necko (Mozilla's networking code) made the decision to treat anything sent with application/octet-stream with kid gloves. necko hackers very rarely post on MozillaZine. They are not prone to changing their minds based on MozillaZine forum posts.

For more information, search the forums for "application/octet-stream". I've explained this a good dozen times over the years.

- Chris

[RenegadeX]

Alright, here we go:
MP3 file - "testfile.mp3", 188KB, 12seconds of an annoying repeating beep.
I uploaded it to Rapidshare.de free file hosting (follow the "Free" link on the following page to get to the download page):
http://rapidshare.de/files/32207265/testfile.mp3.html

FF1.5.0.6 - brand new Profile:
(gives the user a choice of which player to Open it in, or to Save it or Cancel it)


FF2.0b2 - brand new Profile:
(no Open choice - it's Save or Cancel).


Now, compare the above 'whatever the heck it is you guys are inspecting' to this (apparently a streaming MP3):
A random page found on Google - scroll down the page until you see "Click here to try playing a test mp3 file":
http://wahiduddin.net/troubleshooting/trouble_sound.htm

For me at least, on the same brand new Profile in FF1.5.0.6 and in FF2.0b2, this plays in the (a new) page as a Quicktime file.

Regardless, when downloading a non-streaming file, not having the choice to open it in any player on my system is a step backwards and various other words which if I used would be sure to insult someone.

[BenBasson]

FYI: There's a separate bug open on supporting streaming to media players. I can't find a link off-hand.

[Scarlettrunner20]

Regardless, when downloading a non-streaming file, not having the choice to open it in any player on my system is a step backwards and various other words which if I used would be sure to insult someone.

I get the old dialog box in Fx 2.0 beta 2 brand new profile and Fx 1.5.0.6 when downloading that MP3 file you uploaded.

I only see the crappy new dialog box when downloading an exe.file. (I don't know about PDF files as I don't have Acrobat Reader on this virtual machine where I have 2.0 beta 2 installed).

[Thumper]

(no Open choice - it's Save or Cancel).

"Do this automatically" is greyed out. application/octet-stream. Bug. fixed-2.0

not having the choice to open it in any player on my system is a step backwards

Were that file a .exe file labelled "My Computer.exe" and you use the default Windows setting of hiding file extensions, that "step backwards" might very well have saved you your bank account, big client deal and marriage.

FYI: There's a separate bug open on supporting streaming to media players. I can't find a link off-hand.

It's a necko issue which is irrelevant to the application/octet-stream case.

- Chris