Open Bug 68514 Opened 23 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Get default helper apps for *Extensions and Mime Types* from Launch Services

Categories

(Firefox :: File Handling, defect, P3)

All
macOS
defect

Tracking

()

REOPENED

People

(Reporter: lordpixel, Unassigned)

References

(Blocks 2 open bugs, )

Details

(Keywords: arch, helpwanted, platform-parity, Whiteboard: [se-radar])

See Control Panels->Internet->Advanced->File Mapping

Dialog maps system wide support for protocols filename extensions and mime types 
(.mp3, image/tiff) etc to helper applications or plugins used to process that 
protocol.

Need to be picking up these settings and using them to handle all files 
downloaded with these mime types or extensions, that are not

i/ handled by the browser internally
ii/ handled by a plugin

(though the UI should allow this to be overriden as in IE and Nav4 on Mac OS)

This would imply *all* protocols (http, ftp) and all access methods, (following a 
link, "right click->save link  as" and typing the URL into the address bar should 
all work). The reason I mention this is that bug 43585 states there are multiple 
code paths and fixing one does not necessarily fix the others.
Blocks: 5721
Blocks: 68515
Paul has other bugs of this type; CC'ing sdagley
Assignee: dveditz → pchen
Component: Preferences: Backend → Preferences
QA Contact: sairuh → shrir
Ack! Please, DO NOT confuse or amalgamate saving files and handling protocols
(mailto, http, ftp, telnet, etc). At any rate, we do traipse through the
Internet Config mapping database (File Mapping pref in Internet control panel on
Mac) when we save files via the nsExternalHelperAppService (and even more than
that now). Hell, I even fixed a bug for 6.01 that fixed the quicktime beta
download problem.

Using IC to get protocol helpers is a seperate bug, though I don't know where
that one went. Also, helper apps prefs in mozilla should override looking into
IC, if I'm not mistaken.

So I don't know what to do with this bug other than mark it as a dup of the use
protocol mappings (helper apps in IC-speak).
Ooops. I should apologise, I just read what I wrote and its nonsense. I filed
this bug by copying and pasting from another one, and I didn't update the text
properly. I'd specifically wanted to untangle protocols from file mappings, and
I ended up achieving the opposite.

Here's what I'd like to achieve with this bug:

1/ State that file mapping should be applied *regardless* of the protocol used
2/ They should be applied regardless of the way the user initiates the download
in the interface (follow a link, "save link as", address bar)

Paul, your last comment in bug 43585 implied that this isn't currently true. If
you want a reminder bug on this, then say the word and I'll fix the summary.
Otherwise if this is already completely fixed close this out. 

The one thing you said I do have an issue with is wanting to get away from this
idea of Mozilla having its own layer of settings on top of Internet Config. This
isn't how Internet Config is supposed to work, its supposed to be *the* source
of mapping information for all applications.

This might be a UI discussion, in which case this is the wrong forum, but here's
the scenario I'm trying to avoid:

1/ User sets up TIFF documents to be opened in Graphic Converter using Internet
Config

2/ Mozilla picks up this preference, assocuates TIFF with Graphic Converter

3/ Later, user is browsing web, uses Mozilla preferences to change TIFFs to open
in Photoshop. Mozilla sets up Internet Config to match, but remembers it has its
own "custom" setting.

4/ Internet Config is now setup to open TIFFs in Photoshop, as is Mozilla. But
Mozilla thinks its own setting is special now.

5/ User changes TIFFs once more in Internet Config... but Mozilla now thinks it
knows better and ignores the setting. User curses!

My issue is that using Intenet Config works in step 1 but not in step 5, and
most users won't grasp why.

I can see 3 solutions

* Mozilla never writes Internet Config, only ever reads it - this is just as bad
because the user has to remember to make all changes in IC if they want to make
all applications the same (i.e. to the user, changes in Moz are ignored by other
applications)

* Mozilla has a really great UI which makes it plain as the day is long whether
its currently using the IC setting or its own setting (on a filetype by filetype
basis. The trouble with this is no matter how great the UI the user still has to
go and find the filetype in the huge list of filetypes in Mozilla's UI, check
what it is, and then alter the setting if they don't like it.

* Integrate the systems properly so Mozilla has no private helper apps
prefernces. Its either
   * handle by browser
   * handle by plugin
   * whatever internet config says to do

OK, I'm doing what I promised myself I'd never do again, rambling on in a bug.
This is the wrong forum. 

I believe its not Mozilla's job to override internet config for 99% if not 100%
of settings. Arguably the user should be able to change the handler for http to
be IE in internet config and Moz should dutifully open links in IE. 

If I'm not just a rambling maniac, perhaps the best idea is to take this to the
newsgroups and see if there's consensus...?

Blocks: 78106
Depends on: 54940
nav triage team:

We don't have any more cycles to properly handle this issue. Marking nsbeta1-
Keywords: nsbeta1nsbeta1-
nav pretriage: already minused. setting to Future. 
Target Milestone: --- → Future
No longer depends on: 54940
Blocks: 54940
Oy, just stumbled back onto this one triaging my "untriaged" bugs. We should
probably fix this the "right way" one of these days. MacOS X is even more
interesting since there is no system UI to change IC prefs; you gotta use IE. Gack!

Marking p2 and mozilla1.1
Status: NEW → ASSIGNED
Priority: -- → P2
Target Milestone: Future → mozilla1.1
Component: Preferences → File Handling
QA Contact: shrir → sairuh
hm, this is blocking 54940, which is all platforms and currently set for, heh,
moz0.9.6... paul, is there anyone else who might be able to help you here?
cc'ing some mac folx in supplication. :)
trudelle to triage...
Assignee: pchen → trudelle
Status: ASSIGNED → NEW
Whiteboard: se-radar
QA Contact: sairuh → petersen
Whiteboard: se-radar → [se-radar]
Mass moving all of my open Nav/toolkit bugs to new owner.
Assignee: trudelle → sgehani
Mozilla CFM build is dead.
http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=avkj4k%24ihs2%40ripley.netscape.com
Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 21 years ago
Resolution: --- → WONTFIX
As far as I know, Internet Config exists on OSX as well.  Is this not the case?
Status: RESOLVED → REOPENED
Resolution: WONTFIX → ---
Yes, we still need IC for Mime Type info.  Unfortunately Apple's 'replacement'
for a lot of the IC functionality, LaunchServices, pretty much had no clue about
Mime Types until Mac OS X 10.2.  Even now it isn't a suitable replacement.
OSX, clearing milestone.
OS: Mac System 8.5 → MacOS X
Target Milestone: mozilla1.1alpha → ---
Is LaunchServices good enough in Panther?
QA Contact: chrispetersen → file-handling
Isn't Internet config deprecated these days ?
Hardware: PowerPC → All
Summary: Need To find default helper apps for *Extensions and Mime Types* from InternetConfig → Get default helper apps for *Extensions and Mime Types* from Launch Services
Product: Core → Firefox
Version: Trunk → unspecified
Moving to p3 because no activity for at least 1 year(s).
See https://github.com/mozilla/bug-handling/blob/master/policy/triage-bugzilla.md#how-do-you-triage for more information
Priority: P2 → P3

The bug assignee didn't login in Bugzilla in the last 7 months, so the assignee is being reset.

Assignee: samir_bugzilla → nobody
Severity: normal → S3
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