[SOLVED] How to set default application for opening PDFs on Firefox?

fofoni · 2015-09-16 10:23:11

Every time I download a PDF file in Firefox, it asks me if I want to save it, or open it with... Inkscape. Then, I have to select the "open with 'other'" option, and type /bin/okular to open it with okular.

In this post in Unix&Linux SE, I see that Firefox uses xdg-open to decide which is the default application, but I have already set it to use Okular, and restarted the system, so that Firefox would have the time to read the new config. Now, when I type 'xdg-open something.pdf' it does open the file with Okular, but Firefox still suggests that I open PDFs with Inkscape.

Also, this entry in Mozilla's support site is not what I want. It says how to bypass the javascript pdf viewer. I do want Firefox's javascript viewer, but I want it to suggest Okular in the occasion that I click the 'download' button.

Does any one know how to do this?

edit: if this makes any difference, I'm running awesome v3.5.6 and Firefox 40.0.3.

Last edited by fofoni (2015-09-17 23:59:52)

mauritiusdadd · 2015-09-16 13:04:14

Have you tried to add okular to the programs list in settings>applications?

Search for PDF, then choose Use other… from the drop-down menu in the Action section and add okular. You can also remove Inkscape from the list if you choose the Application details....

NOTE: there could be two entries for PDF files, one is for the preview and the other is for the download action.

Last edited by mauritiusdadd (2015-09-16 13:06:11)

fofoni · 2015-09-16 21:16:26

Yes, I have. The options are:
- Always ask
- Save file
- Use default
- Use other...

The selected option is already "always ask", as I want it to be. I do want Firefox to open the download dialog, so I can choose between opening it with an application or saving the file. What I would change is the application that Firefox suggests me to use when I choose to open the file.

Also, I can't find this "application details" you mentioned :\ But thanks anyway :)

Last edited by fofoni (2015-09-16 21:16:44)

mauritiusdadd · 2015-09-17 04:51:47

In order to let firefox suggest you to use okular, you need to add first the program to the list, so you should click on Use other..., then add the okular executable, and finally select back Always ask,

The Applications Details option is shown only if there is at least one program in the list,

fofoni · 2015-09-17 23:59:17

Your solution did work, to some extent. I did it, and then, when I opened a download dialog, it suggested "okular" as the first choice. But if I clicked the drop-down menu, the second choice was still "Inkscape (default)", in boldface, and this was bugging me hehe.

I solved it completely by editing /usr/share/applications/mimeinfo.cache AND /etc/xdg/mimeapps.list . I don't know which of these was the one I needed. I hope it's mimeapps.list, because (if I understood it correctly) mimeinfo.cache gets automatically rewritten all the time, hehe. I also had to restart the system. Now, I deleted the "/bin/okular" entry in Application Details, because it's no longer needed: the first option shown by Firefox is "Okular (default)", in boldface :)

Thanks again!

Arch Linux

#1 2015-09-16 10:23:11

[SOLVED] How to set default application for opening PDFs on Firefox?

#2 2015-09-16 13:04:14

Re: [SOLVED] How to set default application for opening PDFs on Firefox?

#3 2015-09-16 21:16:26

Re: [SOLVED] How to set default application for opening PDFs on Firefox?

#4 2015-09-17 04:51:47

Re: [SOLVED] How to set default application for opening PDFs on Firefox?

#5 2015-09-17 23:59:17

Re: [SOLVED] How to set default application for opening PDFs on Firefox?

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