394910 - The download always goes to browser.download.lastDir when browser.download.useDownloadDir is false

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit :: Downloads API, defect)

Description

[Peter van der Woude [:Peter6]]

Firefox 2.0.6 handles downloads different than 
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9a8pre) Gecko/2007090411 Minefield/3.0a8pre ID:2007090411

repro:
Go to Toolt->Options->Main
set Show the Downloads window downloading a file [V]
(0) Always ask me where to save files

FF2.0.6
e.g. go to http://hourly-archive.localgho.st/ (plenty of downloads there).
click on a zip select C:/windows/X in the filepicker
rightclick saveas on a zip and select C:/windows/Y in the filepicker
click on a zip, the filepicker opens C:/windows/X
rightclick saveas on a zip, the the filepicker opens C:/windows/Y

FF3.0a8pre
click on a zip select C:/windows/X in the filepicker
rightclick saveas on a zip and select C:/windows/Y in the filepicker
click on a zip, the filepicker opens C:/windows/Y (<- wrong), change it to C:/windows/X
rightclick saveas on a zip, the filepicker opens C:/windows/X (<- wrong), you need to change it again.

In FF2.0.6 both browser.download.dir (default for save) and browser.download.lastDir (default for saveas) are respected

In FF3.08pre only browser.download.lastDir is respected so save and saveas go to the same directory.

Comment 1

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

It seems you're asking for two seperate download folder preferences. One for right click, save-as and one for click, save as. Why should we treat those two operations differently when choosing a default folder to display in the file picker when saving a file?

Comment 2

[Peter van der Woude [:Peter6]]

(In reply to comment #1)
> It seems you're asking for two seperate download folder preferences. One for
> right click, save-as and one for click, save as. Why should we treat those two
> operations differently when choosing a default folder to display in the file
> picker when saving a file?
> 
I know it's a lame answer, but because it's always been like that on branch.

If everyone agrees that the current behaviour on branch (FF2.0.6) is "wrong" and/or "unexpected" than this bug should be marked WONTFIX.

Comment 3

[Elmar Ludwig]

(In reply to comment #2)
> If everyone agrees that the current behaviour on branch (FF2.0.6) is "wrong"
> and/or "unexpected" than this bug should be marked WONTFIX.

See bug 255379 and its duplicates, though of couse this doesn't mean that everyone agrees to this.

Comment 4

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

I'm going to try to work up a summary of where everything is sent and post it here so we can discuss the current behavior. This is pretty important and obviously, there are a lot of opinions on how things should work. In the past it seems there's been a lot of confusion over downoad prefs, default directories, etc.. In the end it would be nice if we could standardize on a set behavior that everyone is aware of and happy with. 

Comment 5

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

Download Manager Service:
-------------------------

1) defaultDownloadFolder (attribute)

  - Does not create folder when called

  OSX: Safari download folder or Desktop/Downloads 
  Vista: User/Downloads 
  XP/2K: Desktop/Downloads 
  Linux: Home/Downloads 

2) usersDownloadFolder (attribute)

  - Based on browser.download.folderList pref
  - Will create folder if needed

  OSX:
  0 -> Desktop (default)
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  Vista:
  0 -> Desktop 
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder (default)
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  XP/2K:
  0 -> Desktop (default)
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  Linux:
  0 -> Home (default)
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  * If browser.download.dir does not exist and can not be created, defaults to defaultDownloadFolder and will update browser.download.dir accordingly when called.


Firefox Behavior:
-----------------

browser.download.useDownloadFolder = true

  Content area context menu file pickers:
  Save Image As
   - usersDownloadFolder
  Save Link As
   - usersDownloadFolder
  Save Page As
   - usersDownloadFolder

  Unknown content dialog save as:
   - usersDownloadFolder (no filepicker prompt)

  Download Manager window drag and drop:
   - usersDownloadFolder (no filepicker prompt)


browser.download.useDownloadFolder = false

  Content area context menu file pickers:
  Save Image As
   - lastDir*
  Save Link As
   - lastDir*
  Save Page As
   - lastDir*

  Unknown content dialog save as:
   - lastDir* (filepicker prompt)

  Download Manager window drag and drop:
   - lastDir* (filepicker prompt)

  * If lastDir points to a non-existent directory, defaults to usersDownloadFolder.

Comment 6

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

Please let me know if any of this is innacturate based on the latest in trunk (I tested off a checkout from this morning, Sept 5th.) 

The option here, based on this feature request in this bug, would be to create lastDir prefs for each of the save link, image, and page context menu options when the useDownloadFolder pref is set to false. Personally I feel that will be confusing to users, although I recognize why power users might appreciate the option. 

Comment 7

[pal-moz]

Attachment: download setting

where is "browser.download.useDownloadFolder" ?
have to create myself ?


my setting, see attachment.

[with right-click "Save ..."]
before check-in for #393247 
1) save a file in [A] folder
2) next time, file picker always open [A] folder (last saved folder).

after check-in
1) save a file in [A] folder
2) next time, file picker always open "Desktop". so I have to reselect a folder to save.

[with left-click](no problem)
files are downloaded to desktop. (according to setting)

Comment 8

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

My apologies, it's useDownloadDir. Updated -

Download Manager Service:
-------------------------

1) defaultDownloadFolder (attribute)

  - Does not create folder when called

  OSX: Safari download folder or Desktop/Downloads 
  Vista: User/Downloads 
  XP/2K: Desktop/Downloads 
  Linux: Home/Downloads 

2) usersDownloadFolder (attribute)

  - Based on browser.download.folderList pref
  - Will create folder if needed

  OSX:
  0 -> Desktop (default)
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  Vista:
  0 -> Desktop 
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder (default)
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  XP/2K:
  0 -> Desktop (default)
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  Linux:
  0 -> Home (default)
  1 -> defaultDownloadFolder
  2 -> browser.download.dir*

  * If browser.download.dir does not exist and can not be created, defaults to
defaultDownloadFolder and will update browser.download.dir accordingly when
called.


Firefox Behavior:
-----------------

browser.download.useDownloadDir = true

  Content area context menu file pickers:
  Save Image As
   - usersDownloadFolder
  Save Link As
   - usersDownloadFolder
  Save Page As
   - usersDownloadFolder

  Unknown content dialog save as:
   - usersDownloadFolder (no filepicker prompt)

  Download Manager window drag and drop:
   - usersDownloadFolder (no filepicker prompt)


browser.download.useDownloadDir = false

  Content area context menu file pickers:
  Save Image As
   - lastDir*
  Save Link As
   - lastDir*
  Save Page As
   - lastDir*

  Unknown content dialog save as:
   - lastDir* (filepicker prompt)

  Download Manager window drag and drop:
   - lastDir* (filepicker prompt)

  * If lastDir points to a non-existent directory, defaults to
usersDownloadFolder.

Comment 9

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

pal-moz - I think if you select "Always ask me" in your download options, you should get the behavior you're looking for.

Comment 10

[pal-moz]

(in reply to comment #9)
> pal-moz - I think if you select "Always ask me" in your download options, you
> should get the behavior you're looking for.
> 

I know.
but I have a same setting for a long time.
never select "Always...".

I want to select a folder with right-click "Save..." download,
but I do not want to select with left-click download.
file-picker should open last saved folder, not Desktop.
I can do this before check-in for bug 393247, cannot do after check-in.

check-in break this behavior.

Comment 11

[Stephen Donner [:stephend] Not actively reading bugmail]

Peter, I think this summary is actually the reverse of what we're seeing (I'm seeing the same bug, BTW); When I right-click on a file, it first pops up C:\Users\Owner\Downloads, but browser.download.lastDir should actually store that I want to prepopulate a series of quick downloads via right-click, "Save Link As ..." using C:\Users\Owner\Desktop.

In that light, shouldn't the summary reflect the fact that browser.download.lastDir seems to get ignored?

Comment 12

[Peter van der Woude [:Peter6]]

Umm, no.

open about:config
make sure browser.download.useDownloadDir is false
check the value of browser.download.lastDir
now download by either click on a file or rightclick saveas and choose another directory than what the filepicker comes with.

result:
browser.download.lastDir gets the new value 
browser.download.dir isn't changed
any download or saveas will show the filepicker start from browser.download.lastDir

this is on XP, I don't know if Vista is different.

Comment 13

[Stephen Donner [:stephend] Not actively reading bugmail]

I filed what I'm seeing in comment 11 as bug 395534.  The difference Peter and I were seeing is because of the behavior of true/false as values for browser.useDownloadDir (which shouldn't affect the right-click "Save Link As ..." behavior with regards to browser.download.lastDir's value.

Comment 14

[Peter van der Woude [:Peter6]]

This bug and bug the result of (a decision made in ) Bug 308073, I'm not sure if it should be blocking that one i/o Bug 393247

Comment 15

[Mike Beltzner [:beltzner, not reading bugmail]]

To be clear, desired behaviour (when browser.download.useDownloadDir = true) is:

 * clicking on a file saves it to the default download directory (either user set or pulled from system)
 * clicking on "Save As..." saves it to the last directory used for "Save As..."

Comment 16

[Shawn Wilsher :sdwilsh]

Jim, can you comment on the status of this please?

Comment 17

[Jim Mathies [:jimm]]

Currently there is only one last dir pref, and it's used anytime the user is asked where to place the file. IMHO that's correct behavior. 

>In FF2.0.6 both browser.download.dir (default for save) and
>browser.download.lastDir (default for saveas) are respected

browser.download.dir is not the default for save, it's the default folder when folderList is set to 2 and custom folder is choosen. I would argue this bug should be closed as wont-fix.

Comment 18

[Shawn Wilsher :sdwilsh]

WONTFIX, per comment 17

Comment 19

[Peter van der Woude [:Peter6]]

Mike Beltzner, is it moz's opinion to make this invalid adn with that breaking compatibility with F2.0 ?