Firefox cannot open some PDF files

Bug #230627 reported by Nikolaus Rath
24
This bug affects 4 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
firefox (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: firefox

Firefox for some reason distinguishes between two "types" of PDF documents: a file can be either a "PDF document" or a "PDF file". Both these distinct types are also visible under Preferences -> Applications.

However, I am only able to open "PDF file" type files directly using e.g. the document viewer. When I try to do the same with a "PDF document" type file, firefox complains that it cannot open the helper application (see screenshot).

I am using Hardy.

Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :

Interestingly enough, when I look at Preferences -> Applications, I find that no program is registered for the "PDF Document" content type. However, there is a second type called "PDF File" which is registered for "Document Viewer" and acroread.

Revision history for this message
Alexander Sack (asac) wrote : Re: [Bug 230627] Re: firefox wants to open PDF file with itself

On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 07:54:11AM -0000, Nikolaus Rath wrote:
> Interestingly enough, when I look at Preferences -> Applications, I find
> that no program is registered for the "PDF Document" content type.
> However, there is a second type called "PDF File" which is registered
> for "Document Viewer" and acroread.
>

Please open about:plugins as location in firefox and see what is
registered there as pdf viewer. You probably have to uninstall that
plugin to get the option to use applications.

 status incomplete

 - Alexander

Changed in firefox:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote : Re: firefox wants to open PDF file with itself

There is no plugin for PDFs. The only plugins are:

GCJ Web Browser Plugin (using IcedTea) 1.0
Totem Web Browser Plugin 2.22.1
Helix DNA Plugin: RealPlayer G2 Plug-In Compatible (compatible; Totem)
VLC Multimedia Plugin (compatible Totem 2.22.1)
Windows Media Player Plug-in 10 (compatible; Totem)
DivX® Web Player
QuickTime Plug-in 7.2.0
Shockwave Flash
iTunes Application Detector
Default Plugin
Demo Print Plugin for unix/linux

and none of those is registered for a PDF mime type either.

Changed in firefox:
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Alexander Sack (asac) wrote : Re: [Bug 230627] Re: firefox wants to open PDF file with itself

On Mon, Jun 09, 2008 at 05:35:22PM -0000, Nikolaus Rath wrote:
> There is no plugin for PDFs. The only plugins are:
>
> GCJ Web Browser Plugin (using IcedTea) 1.0
> Totem Web Browser Plugin 2.22.1
> Helix DNA Plugin: RealPlayer G2 Plug-In Compatible (compatible; Totem)
> VLC Multimedia Plugin (compatible Totem 2.22.1)
> Windows Media Player Plug-in 10 (compatible; Totem)
> DivX® Web Player
> QuickTime Plug-in 7.2.0
> Shockwave Flash
> iTunes Application Detector
> Default Plugin
> Demo Print Plugin for unix/linux
>
> and none of those is registered for a PDF mime type either.

You have a test link?

 status incomplete

 - Alexander

Changed in firefox:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote : Re: firefox wants to open PDF file with itself

I just had a test link one one of my own servers. Unfortunately the link is only accessible over SSL with a valid username. Therefore I tried to debug it myself. First I wanted to see the HTTP headers, so I connected with http over ssh instead of https and ran wireshark. Surprisingly enough, the file opened fine this time. So I switched SSL back on and it stopped working again. Then I loosened the restrictions on the URL in question so that it can be accessed without a valid username -- and it worked again. When I turned on the authentication again, it even continued to work, but I am very sure that all settings are exactly as they were at the beginning. Now I am no longer able to reproduce it with this link.

This seems to be quite an elusive problem. I'll get back as soon as I find another example.

Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :

Another addendum: With the updated firefox 3 that has recently been uploaded to hardy, the file is now opened with the document viewer. However, now I get the error message that "The application couldn't be started".

Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :

Ok, finally here is a test link:

https://www.rath.org/~nikratio/roundup.cgi/tracker/file134/vers.pdf

I am not able to open this PDF file with firefox, I can only save it.

Changed in firefox:
status: Incomplete → New
description: updated
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Andreas Moog (ampelbein) wrote : Reassigning issue to firefox-3

Thank you for your bugreport. Since this seems to be an issue with
version 3 of the firefox browser, I'm reassigning the package.

 affects ubuntu/firefox
 status invalid

 affects ubuntu/firefox-3.0
 status new

Changed in firefox:
status: New → Invalid
Revision history for this message
Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

We were wondering if this is still an issue for you. Can you try with the latest Ubuntu release? Thanks in advance.

Changed in firefox-3.0:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :

Yes, this is still an issue in Hardy. No, unfortunately I cannot test with intrepid.

Changed in firefox-3.0:
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Micah Gersten (micahg) wrote :

Thank you for the continued updates. Would you be able to provide a little more information, please, to help with debugging?
Can you paste the result of:
apt-cache policy evince
apt-cache policy acroread
apt-cache policy firefox-3.0

Changed in firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :

Here is an update of this bug.

It is still present in Jaunty and can be reproduced with the Jaunty LiveCD. An updated test link is www.rath.org/output.pdf

The crucial trigger for the bug seems to be that the server delivers the PDF document as application/x-download. I guess that this causes firefox to try guess the actual content type, which it gets only halfway right ("PDF document" instead of the working "PDF file).

Here are the requested debugging information (note that the bug appears without acroread installed):

[0] vostro:~$ apt-cache policy evince
evince:
  Installed: 2.26.1-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 2.26.1-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 2.26.1-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.26.0-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
[0] vostro:~$ apt-cache policy acroread
acroread:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 9.1.0-7jaunty2
  Version table:
     9.1.0-7jaunty2 0
        500 http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Packages
[0] vostro:~$ apt-cache policy firefox-3.0
firefox-3.0:
  Installed: 3.0.11+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.04.1
  Candidate: 3.0.11+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.04.1
  Version table:
 *** 3.0.11+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.04.1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty-updates/main Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com jaunty-security/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     3.0.8+nobinonly-0ubuntu3 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages

Changed in firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Micah Gersten (micahg) wrote :

Thank you for continuing to give us updates. I tried your link on Jaunty and was prompted to open the file with Document Viewer. Since you can see the option in Preferences -> Applications, can you select Document Viewer for the PDF Document type?

Changed in firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Nikolaus Rath (nikratio) wrote :

Yes, I am prompted to open the file with the Document Viewer as well. But have you tried to actually open it? This is when it fails.

Changed in firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Micah Gersten (micahg) wrote :

I was able to duplicate this with a new profile. The default Document Viewer fails, but if I select evince, it opens up.

Changed in firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Adolfo Jayme Barrientos (fitojb) wrote :

firefox 3 is obsolete, firefox 19 includes a pdf reader

no longer affects: firefox-3.0 (Ubuntu)
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