Firefox on intelmac won't open pdf's in browser
 

I inadvertently hijacked a thread which dealt with Firefox and opening pdf files. The original poster using FF 2.0.0.8 on os 10.4.10 was having trouble getting his FF to download pdf files to then open in Adobe Reader.

In his thread, I mentioned that I couldn't get FF to open a pdf in a tab, but that it always downloaded the file and asked me with which app I'd like to use to open it. That was where the thread became hijacked, as subsequent posts dealt with my problem. As I'm beginning to create this new thread, the OP from that other thread hasn't again posted in it. I'm not sure if his problem is solved, but I'm not going to keep posting in that thread. If someone is interested, that thread is:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=79779

So, regarding my question. I'm trying to get pdf files in Firefox 2.0.0.8 on our macbook pro, running os 10.4.10, to open in a tab, just like they would if I were using Safari.

Among the options mentioned in that other thread, was this plug-in, PDF Browser which works just fine for my FF on my PPC G4 mini. However, PDF Browser is only written for PPC machines.

I had also tried PDF Downloads, another suggestion from that other thread, but I think it's more of a solution for that thread's original poster. It didn't seem to change FF's behavior. FF again just downloaded the pdf.

Is anyone aware of a way to get FF on an intelmac to open a pdf within the browser? As mentioned above, it's 10.4.10, FF 2.0.0.8, and Adobe Reader is v8. Adobe Reader v7 has known issues regarding pdf files on 'Gecko' based browsers.

My wife (SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED) is using the mbp, and I'm trying to have her use the mac apps rather than the vmwin apps via parallels. She's trying to view the bank statement pdf files on our online banking site. I'd like to have her stop saying, "it opens just fine in internet explorer." We had started using FF, because historically Safari does poorly on banking sites. It might turn out that Safari will be better than FF for this one.

I had the same issue with Safari asking what application to open the PDF with, maybe the solution is the same. Open Adobe Reader from an admin account (the preference won't be enabled otherwise), go to Preferences > Internet and uncheck the Display PDF in browser using: item under the Web Browser Options.

Just tried it again on the mbp. Still, just downloads the file, then offers to let me choose with what to open it. Thanks though. :o

(disclaimer: I apologize in advance for all the screenshots, and the length of this post, but by God, I will get this problem fixed for John yet lol. What I have included is basically step by step, as long as you have PDF download already installed. If not, you need to go redownload it. As noted at the end, you need the Adobe Reader Plugin as well, a completely different animal. I don't say that because I think you are an idiot cause that is NOT the case, I just want to ensure there are no tiny errors to throw a wrench in the whole works of what should be a simple matter of following along with the pictures.)

I finally got it, John. I did not see in your post that you ever tried changing PDF Download extension Preferences. Go to Tools>Addons, click on the PDF Download extension in the list. There you will have three buttons, Preferences, Disable, and Uninstall. If you select preferences, you get this:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...references.jpg

If you make the selections exactly as I have them in the picture above, when you try to view a PDF file, you should get this:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/opanapdf.jpg

From there, select "Open PDF" and if you set the extension preferences as shown above, this is what you will get:
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...6/pdfinuse.jpg

and from my understanding, what you want, to be able to view your PDF files inside its own Firefox tab, right? And since th extension in question is not restricted to PPC Macs, as long as you have the adobe PDF viewer plugin installed (not the same thing as the actual program. You need this too. http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

As you can see, the dropdown lists the various flavors of OS X, so maybe we got you sorted out. Good luck, man, it should work just fine.

MM, you're a trip! I see that the time of your post is 3:51am MDT here in the US. From where are you posting?

When I get out of work, and then home from my son's team's last home match and supper celebration, I'll try your suggestion. Might not post back until Saturday.

Thank you for all the effort you have put in. I take it that you are running FF on an intelmac and are able to view pdf's in a tab?

And I know that the Adobe PDF viewer plug-in is present, as yesterday I found it in the bin and replaced it into the internet plug-ins folder. Directly after that I tried FF again. Same behaviour.

I'm looking forward to trying your suggestions.

Be well.

I'm posting from Las Vegas, but I tend to keep strange hours sometimes, cause my grandkids are sleeping at that time, and I am actually able to get things done. I am using a PPC Mini, , but I followed through the instructions for making the same procedure work on an IntelMac (or at least, whats supposed to work, the procedure is pretty much the same, you just need the right software for your architecture) and I am trying to learn as much about Macs as I know about PC's, so any excuse I have to try to figure things out, I will keep hammering at until I get it to work. Stubbornness, maybe. OCD, maybe that too, but basically its just a matter of wanting to learn. Sorry you get to be a lab rat in that learning process lol but I also hope I'm able to help out. As I mentioned in another post, because of many years of Windows/DOS I may approach things from a different angle as a longtime Mac user, but I wish to get to the end (where everything works) all the same.

Sigh. I believe I followed your very nicely detailed instructions well.

Below is a screenshot of PDF Download general preference, from Firefox's Tools Add-ons menu.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/5...eraljs1.th.png

I'm using imageshack to upload my screenshots and assign a url to paste in here. I wish I knew a way to make the images larger. I've tried imageshack's upload resizing to no avail. Clicking on these images will launch a window with a larger image.

Here's the next screenshot, of the PDF Download opening preference, where I've checked what you've had in yours.
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2...ningmv3.th.png

I then went to the banking web page which has the pdf statements. Clicking on a statement file just calls up the dialog as shown in the next screenshot. It's the same thing that's been happening all along.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2...sionao4.th.png

If I click on choose, the pdf file downloads to the desktop, and then opens in either Adobe Reader, or Preview, whichever I had chosen.

I have assured that the Adobe Reader plug-in is in Library/Internet Plug-Ins. I've also tried removing from that folder, the PDF Browser plug-in, in case that was disrupting the process. Then I've also tried as one poster above suggested, opening Adobe Reader's preferences and unticking the option for Display PDF in Browser.

Unfortunately, the same thing keeps happening.

I'm writing this not from the intelmac, but from my G4 mini. I've just looked in my Library/Internet Plug-Ins folder, and that Adobe Reader plug-in isn't here. Yet Safari views pdf files in a new tab. And, with PDF Browser plug-in, Firefox on this machine views pdf files in a new tab.

Maybe I should try removing that Adobe Reader plug-in from the Library/Internet Plug-Ins folder on the mbp?

Wish I had better news.

Same problem
 

I'm having the exact same issue on a similar rig: Intel MB running 10.4.10. Firefox doesn't recognize the presence of Adobe's "AdobePDFViewer.plugin" (I checked using about:plugins) whereas Safari loads PDF's in-browser just fine. Can anyone confirm that they've been able to get Firefox to load PDF's (otherwise maybe it's just a Firefox issue).

The Abobe plugin does not work with FireFox.

I still haven't had success getting Firefox on the macbook pro to open a pdf in a new tab. It still just downloads and can be opened in either Reader or Preview, just as when I posted previously.

Firefox on my G4 mini, same os 10.4.10, and same FF 2.0.0.8, will open pdf files in a new tab, as the plug-in called 'PDF Browser plug-in', will only work for ppc macs, not intel macs.

Oh well. Perhaps the next version of Firefox will allow our intel mac to view the pdfs in a new tab, rather than having to download. I see that 2.0.0.9 is available, but I haven't had a chance to try.

Firefox won't open pdfs with Adobe Reader
 

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/view...ernalId=333545

The above link has all the answers. Look under system requirements.

This little issue wasted so much of my time and when I found out that the functionality was blocked . . . well, let's just say I'm not very happy:confused::mad::(.

sincerely,

mib

Perhaps if you set the "Open in Rosetta" option in Firefox's Get Info window, you can use the PDF Browser plugin.

Yes, I see where it says "Acrobat/Reader 8 supports viewing PDF files inside Safari windows on Mac OS X, and will only run on Mac OS X 10.4.3 and later. It does not support any other browser (such as Firefox and Opera)."

There are plugins which enable Firefox on the powerpc to view PDFs in a tab, but they don't work on the Intel macs.

Maybe someday. Meanwhile, I've given up. I just use Safari now as we've found that it works fine on our banking website. There was a time when we had to use Firefox for it. Thankfully, more sites are now set up so that Safari can be used. But I still have to use Firefox for my online employee benefits site, and to renew my PT license or renew our MVD stickers. I expect that this may change over time as well.

Thanks mib.

Get the Edit MIME extension
 

Hi John, I found your post whilst searching the Internet regarding the same problem I was having getting PDF files to open directly from Firefox 2.0.0.11 on OS X 10.5.1. After some further searching I found the answer to the issue... you need to download the Firefox MIME Edit extension.

With this extension I was able to edit the "application/pdf" MIME-type by going to "Tools" -> "MIME Edit" -> "Edit". You can then modify the MIME-type so that it always launches Adobe Reader anytime you try to access a PDF file with Firefox.

Regards

Thaks Dryvlyne, I'll check it out later. I suspect from the way you worded your post, that modifying the MIME-type so that it always launches Reader, isn't quite what I was looking for, unless it opens Reader within a new Firefox tab. I hadn't been having any problem opening the PDF files either with Reader or with Preview. But maybe my total inexperience with MIME causes me to misunderstand your post. I'll look into it more when I get home to the mac.

um have you gone into firefox's preferences, and then under the content tab there is a an manage button. Click it and select the file type, and in your case pdf, and then choose the default application to open it from. Download a file first and then set the preference afterwards.

See if that works

Hi John, I apologize, it seems I've misunderstood your issue then. My problem was in getting Adobe Reader to automatically launch instead of Preview when trying to access a PDF link via Firefox. I did try messing around with the Tab Mix Plus extension for Firefox, but I too am unable to force a PDF to open in a new tab within the browser itself. Sorry for getting your hopes up, but good luck in finding a resolution to your issue.

Regards

Just to clarify, I did try this route first, but the PDF file type is not an available choice for some strange reason in Firefox under the Content tab -> Manage button. I'm assuming this is a bug with Firefox, but I suppose it could be something with OS X as well.

Regards

Hi Tom. I'm trying to remember back last year when I was trying to open pdf files in a firefox tab. I believe I had tried what you've mentioned, but when I get home, I'll try again.

Thanks.

I had the feeling this was the case. Honestly, now that safari has shown itself to work well at our banking site, I don't feel the need to use firefox. I prefer safari most of the time. Somehow it's easier on my eyes. Might be all the blue.

But thank you.

I'm home now on the mbp, and as Dryvlyne noticed on his, pdf file type isn't there as an option to manage. In my window, it only mentions PNG and TIFF. I'm wondering if there's a way to browse for that file type? I didn't see a way when I was there.

I didn't see anyway either which is what led me to searching for and finding the MIME Edit extension for Firefox. Regards

I'm a recent Switcher and just spent several hours trying to find a solution to the same problem, and have also concluded that Safari is probably the best solution on the Mac.

It would help if Firefox used the Internet temporary folder for these PDF files unless the user specifically requests the file to be downloaded, saving the file in the Downloads folder.

May be that's possible? - though I'd hoped Firefox would have the same features on both Mac OSX and PC, as Explorer, Safari and possibly others.

Viewing PDF's in Firefox w/ Intel Mac
 

This is the answer I believe you have been looking for. It may be several months late, and maybe you've already solved the problem....I just encountered it myself. Good luck.

http://www.macworld.com/article/5213...orkingmac.html

Thanks elkaboom. Interesting article. No, I hadn't solved the problem of opening PDFs within Firefox, but the need to have the problem solved became less. So, I hadn't pursued an answer. The PDFs which were needing to be viewed were part of our online banking site. My wife who does the most online banking decided she really didn't like the mac, went out and bought a windows machine. Now I get to listen to her grumbling about the various Vista quirks. :)

this really should solve it for you
 

don't know if you care about this anymore but i came across this thread trying to find a solution to the same, frustrating problem. i tried all the things you tried, also to no avail.

but this worked:

http://code.google.com/p/firefox-mac-pdf/

hopefully if anyone else out there is having the same problem, this can help you too.

Thanks. After searching late last year when I moved over to Macs, without any luck, this now works!! (iMac Intel 10.5.5)

DN

Thanks localman. It's like 2011 and I stumbled across this. It was annoying manually opening so many pdfs all day in virtual academy. Thank you for the solution!