259025 - Make default preference for downloads "ask me" instead of folder "Desktop"

Status: VERIFIED DUPLICATE of bug 237093

(Toolkit :: Downloads API, defect)

Description

[[e-mail]]

FF 0.9.3 on linux has a default preference where files are stored to a folder
"Desktop". This does not make any sense on linux and is also puzzling and user
unfriendly on Windows. Make the default "ask me where to save every file".

Comment 1

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

This is already reported. Please help us keep the Bugzilla database in order by
finding the original bug and marking this a duplicate of that. Thanks.

Comment 2

[Jo Hermans]

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 241245 ***

Comment 3

[[e-mail]]

This is certainly not a dupe of bug  241245 which is about wrong behaviour in
case the user selects "Desktop" as his default download location. Some window
managers do have the notion of a "Desktop" so that choice would still make
sense. In other situations, the home directory should be used instead.

On the other hand, this bug asks to change the *default* setting so that it will
be "ask" instead of "Desktop" and I gave reasons why this is essential for Linux
but would also be better in Windows: nearly all other applications *do* ask for
a download location so the way FF handles this is surprising and unintuitive
even under Windows. 

Comment 4

[Peter van der Woude [:Peter6]]

got it

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 237093 ***

Comment 5

[[e-mail]]

I am reopening this because this explicitly asks for a change on Linux where the
default behavior is even more confusing and non-standard than on Windows. I have
talked to many people who think the default behavior is bad. 
See my comments in bug 227343 and the discussion at mozillazine:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=144434

If you do not trust me, ask a few professional software usability experts. 

Comment 6

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

Your disagreement with the decision does not mean you should reopen a dupe. Bugs
with the linux implementation do not mean that we should revert to the previous
behaviour. It means we should fix those bugs. See bug 241245. If you are not
happy with the decision you can discuss it in bug 237093.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 237093 ***

Comment 7

[[e-mail]]

Again, this is not a DUP since it is for Linux only. Again, the way it is done
now is wrong and flawed in many ways, hence, this is a valid bug. 

But I realize you guys cannot admit to having made a mistake and insist in doing
it the wrong way, though a majority of users (even under Windows but especally
under Linux) would prefer the old behavior. 

Comment 8

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

It's not about not admitting mistakes, its that the discussion about a certain
aspect of the UI should be done in one bug. That bug was wontfixed, so Ben or
whoever WONTFIXed had the opinion that that specific request was unreasonable.

>Again, the way it is done now is wrong and flawed in many ways,
>hence, this is a valid bug.

The fact that a feature is flawed does not mean "throw the feature out the
window". There should be one bug for "the feature is broken" and another,
completely seperate one for "the feature should be removed". Do you not
understand the difference between the two?

The bug about "the feature should be removed" was WONTFIXED (on all platforms).
Looking at your comment 0, this is an exact duplicate of bug 237093. If you want
to debate removing it on Linux only, because of platform differences, then
create a new bug saying exactly that. If you do, please CC me on it.

Comment 9

[[e-mail]]

Gavin, this bug is about removing it on Linux only - that is why I have set the
OS to "Linux" when I created it. My opinion is that the "feature" of Desktop
being the default location removed on all OS and I probably should have kept my
mouth shut about that opinion, but this bug was specifically aimed at removing
that "feature" for Linux only. I think it makes more sense to keep this bug for
this and not mess up bug bug 237093 which is about all OS. 

Comment 10

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

Johann, I do not see why you keep insisting on having this bug reopened. If it
is your opinion that this should not be in Linux, please file a new bug for this
that clearly states your desire with clear arguments, much like bug 237093
comment 3. As I said, neither the summary nor comment 0 of this bug make a
proper case for removing the feature. If you have arguments to make as to why
the feature isn't logical it belongs in a new bug that clearly describes exactly
what you're asking for and why.