93688 - saving mozilla.ps in install directory is bad

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Core :: Printing: Output, defect, P3)

Description

[Darin Fisher]

when printing to a file, the default value for the file is mozilla.ps; however,
when i choose to print to this file, this file doesn't appear to be created...
at least it doesn't appear in my home directory where i would expect it to be
found.  where does mozilla.ps live?  i've searched my harddrive in vain!

Comment 1

[Darin Fisher]

this is a major problem for first time mozilla/linux users.

Comment 2

[dcone (gone)]

Can you comment on this, I know the file is created in a default directory, but 
I am not good at linux so I am not sure where.  My print to file works everytime 
and I remember someone having this difficulty and it turned out to not be a bug 
it was more a problem of where the default directory was.  Thanks Syd.

Comment 3

[sujay]

darin, please see bug 86598. mozilla.ps should be created in the directory
where you started mozilla/netscape.

I'm gonna mark this a DUP of that bug...just waiting to hear back
from Darin.

Comment 4

[sujay]

Darin, look in the directory where you installed netscape/mozilla.
thats where the mozilla.ps file should be..and this is by design.

REOPEN if you still don't see the mozilla.ps file created in that dir.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 86598 ***

Comment 5

[sujay]

v

Comment 6

[Darin Fisher]

it can not be created in the directory containing the mozilla binary because i
don't have write access to that directory.  so, if that is the intended behavior
then there is a definitely a bug here.

Comment 7

[Darin Fisher]

i'm reopening this bug... having the file saved to the directory in which
mozilla was launched is IMO the wrong this to do.  it is extremely inconsistent
with other applications, and will likely confuse each and every user (at least)
the first time they try to print to a file.

as an exercise, click "Choose a File" and notice that the default directory is
the users home directory -- NOT the directory from which mozilla was started!

Comment 8

[sujay]

changing summary and cc: dcone

Comment 9

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

*** Bug 111604 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 10

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Attachment: proposed patch

Comment 11

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

reviews?

Comment 12

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

*** Bug 111604 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 13

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

Comment on attachment 59055 [details] [diff] [review]
proposed patch

>+  if (aToFileName && aToFileName[0] != '/') {

Is this a Unix-only feature? Windows machines (NT and later) can have just as
much problem writing into the install directory.

>+    nsCOMPtr<nsIFile> homeDir;
>+    NS_GetSpecialDirectory(NS_OS_HOME_DIR, getter_AddRefs(homeDir));
>+    nsXPIDLString homepath;
>+    homeDir->GetUnicodePath(getter_Copies(homepath));
>+    mToFileName = homepath + NS_LITERAL_STRING("/") + nsDependentString(aToFileName);
>+  } else {
>+    mToFileName = aToFileName;
>+  }

Slinging raw filenames around the system is fraught with peril. This
whole mechanism might be better off re-written using nsIFile, and
instead of just checking for relative vs absolute paths why not
check the target directory for writability?

Sorry if these comments are off base, I've not looked at any surrounding
code, just what's in the patch.

Comment 14

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Comment on attachment 59055 [details] [diff] [review]
proposed patch

This is a "unix-only" feature -- it's used on BeOS, OS/2, and with GTK/QT/Xlib.

BeOS can do the filenames this way (it had better, it hardcodes things like
|sprintf(foo, "%s/mozilla.ps", PR_GetEnv("HOME"));|

But you're right, this should use nsIFile or at least move
this logic into the system-specific device contexts (yay code duplication).

There's no way to get the home directory from JS, so moving
into the device context it is.

Comment 15

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Will try to get to this by early January...

Comment 16

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

not happening tonight

Comment 17

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

I'm going to try to get to this sometime before 1.0, but thesis is eating up
most of my time... if someone can do this, please do.

Comment 18

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Well, rod's printsettings changes have helped.... Now the default is
/home/bzbarsky/mozilla.ps for me (assuming I start mozilla from my home directory).

Tempted to mark this fixed as a result.  :)

Comment 19

[Darin Fisher]

sounds like a big improvement to me... would be nice though if the dialog showed
the full path as it would if you used the filepicker.

Comment 20

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Attachment: screenshot of dialog

I should have been more clear.	It _does_ show the full path.

Comment 21

[Darin Fisher]

then problem solved right?  i'm content anyways ;-)

Comment 22

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Good.  Just wanted to make sure you agreed.  :)

Comment 23

[André Dahlqvist]

Just to verify here: if the user starts mozilla via an icon on his desktop, will
his home directory still be chosen in this dialog? Because that's how most
people start mozilla in the real world.

Comment 24

[André Dahlqvist]

I just tried it myself, and it works perfectly even if I create a link to
/usr/local/mozilla/mozilla. Good job boys.

Comment 25

[sujay]

marking verified per latest comments.