OS X - helper apps

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brucedath
Posts: 3
Joined: September 8th, 2006, 4:16 pm
Location: In or near Los Angeles

OS X - helper apps

Post by brucedath »

Can helper apps be configured in TB? Mail with .pdfs for example, is opened with "Preview (default)" displayed in a drop-down menu. This suggests that I might be able to add other helpers but I don't see any such topic iin help.

10.4.5 versus TB 1.5.0.5
Old Egidio
Posts: 0
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Post by Old Egidio »

TB uses what you have set as your default apps. It appears your Mac configuration has Preview as the default reader for PDFs. You make any changes in the Mac itself, not TB. Just select a PDF document, for example, do a get info. In that window, you'll that Preview is listed as the application to open PDFs. Click on the pull-down menu and select what application you want to be the default for that type of document. Then click "Change All" to make the setting apply globally. From that point on, the new app choice will open your PDF documents. You can do that with all types of applications.
bill2p
Posts: 4
Joined: September 9th, 2006, 8:48 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Doesn't work

Post by bill2p »

Sorry, but this method doesn't work. I've changed my default for pdf documents to Adobe Reader 7.0.8 on my Powerbook, but TB still gives me only one choice to open pdf attachments: Preview. Of course, it's impossible to make this change under Preferences as one might expect.

Strangely enough, I once solved this glitch with something someone recommended in a forum, but either I failed to note it or I lost the note. The TB on my desktop G4 now has pdf set to open with Adobe 5, even though the files actually open under Adobe Reader 7.0.8. Anyway, it works.

I remember the solution being something totally unexpected, like having to tweak something in Firefox for it to work in TB or something equally screwy.

This is driving me nuts, so if anyone can help....
Old Egidio
Posts: 0
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Post by Old Egidio »

Dear bill2p,

The method I described in my previous note does work on all 3 Macs I use with TB. Perhaps there are other things we are not considering here that could affect how TB handles those files. For example, have you checked the Thunderbird > Preferences > Attachments > Download Actions > View & Edit Actions? Perhaps you have a setting there that defaults to Preview. If that's the case, I'm inclined to believe that whatever you do with your attachments, TB will open them using that specific preference. In my settings, TB is set to "open with default application," which I set in the Mac preferences to be Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard. Though I also have Adobe Reader and Preview on my Macs, all PDF documents I get as attachments open as expected.

Hope this helps.
bill2p
Posts: 4
Joined: September 9th, 2006, 8:48 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Post by bill2p »

Hi Egidio,

Believe me, I've been through that "View and Edit Actions" window again and again. Currently only Word and Excel are listed there. Try as I might (I even tried to manually edit the mimetypes.rdf file) I can't even get pdf in there so I can change anything with it. When I download a pdf file, the window shows Preview as the default (despite the fact that I marked Acrobat Reader as the default in the finder) and gives me only that choice. I've been through the usual patooey they suggest at Mozilla Help as well - trashing mimetypes.rdf and forcing it to start again, etc.

Thanks for responding.


Bill
bill2p
Posts: 4
Joined: September 9th, 2006, 8:48 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Post by bill2p »

OK, I figured it out. It was staring me in the face, actually. You have to go through the dialogue and let TB take Preview as its default viewer for pdfs. Then you go into "View and Edit Actions" and CHANGE it to Acrobat. After that, it doesn't even stop to ask.
brucedath
Posts: 3
Joined: September 8th, 2006, 4:16 pm
Location: In or near Los Angeles

Post by brucedath »

Is "View and Edit Actions" documented anywhere?

Setting a .pdf doc to Adobe Reader and checking "apply to all" returns "This will apply to all Adobe docs with the extension .pdf" and has no effect on TBs behavior.

My original question still stands. TB displays a drop down menu, which suggests it could offer other applications, similar to what happens when I control click a document's title.
tomlev
Guest

I have the same issue

Post by tomlev »

Can't change the default app for .pdf's from Preview to Acrobat. Acrobat is the default app for .pdf's in my system settings. My workaround is to save the attachment to my desktop and open it from there (As soon as I save it there the icon changes to an Acrobat icon and I can double click it to open in Acrobat
bill2p
Posts: 4
Joined: September 9th, 2006, 8:48 am
Location: Berlin, Germany

Post by bill2p »

Go through the whole dialogue to make Preview your pdf app for ever and ever: "Do this everytime" etc etc I forget what it says exactly. Then go into Thunderbird/Preferences/Attachments/View and Edit Actions/ and CHANGE the action from Preview to Adobe. Easy once you figure it out. Until you give the pdf an Action, you can't change its application.
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