"Choose Helper Application" dialogue doesn't offer access to /usr/bin/

[BrB]

Binary package hint: firefox

When clicking on a file link from Firefox (1.99+2.0rc2+dfsg-0ubuntu2) for which there is no automatic action (e.g. a pdf file), the "You have chosen to open" dialogue window comes up, stating the default application, and giving the user the option to open with that application, choose "Other...", or save to disk. However, the 'Other..." dialogue does not allow the user to select program files from anywhere outside of /home. There is another button (which I missed initially) at the top-left that allows the user to type in the path, though this was not immediately obvious. For example, if a PDF link is clicked on from Firefox the default action is to open PDF files with KGhostview. My preference for opening PDF files is KPDF. However, if I select the drop-down in the "Open With" dialogue and select "Other....", I have no access to choose any other application - all I can access is files in /home, which means no access to any applications installed in the default system folders, i.e., /usr/bin/. If I know the actual path, I can click on the 'Type a file name' icon and type in /usr/bin/kpdf, but I still have to know the actual binary name.

Ideally this dialogue should not require a user to know they need to find /usr/bin/kpdf -- most desktop users would not (and should not need to) know where the binary file is actually stored.

The "Other..." option should let the user choose what program they want from the K Menu (K Menu,This behaviour is not unique to Kubuntu, though; I assume it is tricky because Firefox is not a KDE program?

[Michael Broadbent (mikebro)]

Is this still an issue with Firefox 2?

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Is this still an issue for you? We are trying to trying sort out the older Mozilla issues and would like to know if this still happens.

I am unable to reproduce this in Edgy nor Feisty.

[BrB (brucebest)]

Hi, I just checked this again for Firefox 2.0.0.1 on Kubuntu Edgy, and
it seems to be the same as reported.

Example :
1. Remove automatic action for PDF files (Edit, Preferences, Content,
File Types, Manage..., remove action for PDF files if there is one)
2. Go to a web page that has a PDF file for download, e.g.,
http://www.pineridgeskiclub.ca/?q=day_skiing under the heading "Snow
School", and click on the link to the PDF file
3. The "Open" dialogue comes up. Choose "Open With ... Other...
4. Attached is a screenshot of the "Choose Helper Application" window
I see when I've selected "File System". The only folders that I see
are /home, /media, and /video, so I can't browse to /usr/bin/ to
select any programs installed system wide; this is slightly different
than as reported in the original bug, but only because I don't think I
had the /media or /video root folders at the time. I realized later
that I could get around this by clicking on the icon in the top-left
of the "Choose Helper Application" window and just type in
/usr/bin/kpdf or whatever, but that wasn't obvious - at first it just
looked as though I couldn't specify a program from /usr.

-- Bruce

On 2/16/07, John Vivirito <email address hidden> wrote:
> Is this still an issue for you? We are trying to trying sort out the
> older Mozilla issues and would like to know if this still happens.
>
> I am unable to reproduce this in Edgy nor Feisty.
>
> ** Changed in: firefox (Ubuntu)
> Status: Unconfirmed => Needs Info
>
> --
> "Choose Helper Application" dialogue doesn't offer access to /usr/bin/
> https://launchpad.net/bugs/66199
>

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[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Here are my screenshots of edgy and feisty's attempt to reproduce.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Feisty firefox: 2.0.0.2+1-0ubuntu1
Edgy firefox: 2.0.0.2+0dfsg-0ubuntu0.6.10

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Please update to latest ubuntu version of firefox for your version of ubuntu and if it is still like that use the back arrow at top should bring youu back to filesystem and should have it there. Im going to close this for now. If it is still a problem after trying what i said please reopen bug with screenshot and description of issue if differenet.