Firefox and PDFs

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Howard Brazee - 21 Mar 2008 15:52 GMT

In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.

In my Firefox for OS X, that same PDF downloads and gets opened
separately.

Can I make my Mac Firefox open as a web page?

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Barry Margolin - 21 Mar 2008 18:15 GMT

> In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.
>
> In my Firefox for OS X, that same PDF downloads and gets opened
> separately.
>
> Can I make my Mac Firefox open as a web page?

There's a PDF Browser plug-in that you can install. Unfortunately, it's
PPC-only, so you'll have to configure Firefox to run under Rosetta,
which really slows it down (I'm assuming you have an Intel Mac).

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Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

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Howard Brazee - 22 Mar 2008 03:01 GMT

>There's a PDF Browser plug-in that you can install. Unfortunately, it's
>PPC-only, so you'll have to configure Firefox to run under Rosetta,
>which really slows it down (I'm assuming you have an Intel Mac).

I looked for some plug-ins, but none that I saw are on my Windows
version, and none appear to work an transparently (according to their
documentation).

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Barry Margolin - 22 Mar 2008 03:29 GMT

> >There's a PDF Browser plug-in that you can install. Unfortunately, it's
> >PPC-only, so you'll have to configure Firefox to run under Rosetta,
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> version, and none appear to work an transparently (according to their
> documentation).

I used this plug-in for years.

http://www.schubert-it.com/pluginpdf/

I'm not sure what you mean by it not working transparently. It adds a
little toolbar above the document, is that a problem?

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Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

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Howard Brazee - 22 Mar 2008 15:29 GMT

>I used this plug-in for years.
>
>http://www.schubert-it.com/pluginpdf/

Interesting, this is the first thing I installed since I changed my
access. It's readme had:

If you are an admin of your computer:

1) Locate the folder /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
To do so double click your hard disk (boot volume), double click the
folder Library, then double click the folder Internet Plug-Ins.
2) Move the file PDF Browser Plugin into the folder Internet Plug-Ins.
3) Restart your web browser.

If you don't have admin privileges, i. e. you are a regular user:

1) Locate the folder ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
To do so open a new Finder window and click the home icon in the
toolbar, then double click the Library folder inside your home folder.
There might not yet be a Internet Plug-Ins folder inside your home
folder's Library folder. If so, just create one with exactly this
name.
2) Move the file PDF Browser Plugin into this Internet Plug-Ins
folder.
3) Restart your web browser.

I decided to first copy it as though I had admin abilities - and it
let me. Then I followed the 2nd directions and found a bunch of
plug-ins in this folder (there weren't any in the first folder). It
asked for my admin name and password.

I haven't tested this add-in yet.

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dorayme - 21 Mar 2008 21:57 GMT

> In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.

You can open a pdf in your Windows browser (not as a webpage at
all really).

In Safari I have a plugin to see pdfs and it is fast and useful.
Perhaps, if there are no FF plugins you can use Safari for pdf
viewing. Would this be very inconvenient?

> In my Firefox for OS X, that same PDF downloads and gets opened
> separately.
>
> Can I make my Mac Firefox open as a web page?

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dorayme

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Barry Margolin - 21 Mar 2008 22:35 GMT

In article
<doraymeRidThis-B5EE22.07572522032008@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,

> In Safari I have a plugin to see pdfs and it is fast and useful.

Why do you need a plugin, since Safari does pdfs all by itself?

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Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

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dorayme - 21 Mar 2008 23:36 GMT

In article
<barmar-D6F817.17352321032008@newsgroups.comcast.net>,

> In article
> <doraymeRidThis-B5EE22.07572522032008@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,
>
> > In Safari I have a plugin to see pdfs and it is fast and useful.
>
> Why do you need a plugin, since Safari does pdfs all by itself?

I have forgotten what happened when I first got Safari (am still
on 2) but it was slow on this whereas the one I have now is super
fast. I use the Schubert one.

The way I use it is ideal for me, it may not suit others. If I
want to really study a pdf, even if I want to copy some text, I
will do it in a proper pdf program, Acrobat does me. But Acrobat
is heavy duty and enormously clunky and if I just want to check
that a pdf is readable or available in a website link, Safari is
great. I also drag pdfs over my Safari for a quick check of
something in them. Schubert's is simply lightening fast.

Perhaps I better upgrade to 4.11, and Safari 3? I have forgotten
what might be the downsides of this? I know it sounds boring, but
what I have works so well!

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dorayme

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Barry Margolin - 21 Mar 2008 23:47 GMT

In article
<doraymeRidThis-DF966C.09362722032008@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,

> In article
> <barmar-D6F817.17352321032008@newsgroups.comcast.net>,
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> on 2) but it was slow on this whereas the one I have now is super
> fast. I use the Schubert one.

That's what I used as well with Safari 2.x. That same plug-in works
with Firefox -- I recommended it earlier in the thread.

As I mentioned then, the downside is that the plug-in is not Universal,
it's PPC-only. So if you have an Intel Mac, you have to run the browser
under Rosetta, which slows down everything else. I'm guessing you have
a PPC, so this is not bothering you.

> Perhaps I better upgrade to 4.11, and Safari 3? I have forgotten
> what might be the downsides of this? I know it sounds boring, but
> what I have works so well!

There might be compatibility issues with some other plugins, like
PithHelmet. But for most things, Safari 3.x is a vast improvement over
2.x.

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Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

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dorayme - 22 Mar 2008 00:01 GMT

In article
<barmar-EDF1D3.18471621032008@newsgroups.comcast.net>,

> In article
> <doraymeRidThis-DF966C.09362722032008@news-vip.optusnet.com.au>,
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> I'm guessing you have
> a PPC, so this is not bothering you.

Good guess.

> > Perhaps I better upgrade to 4.11, and Safari 3? I have forgotten
> > what might be the downsides of this? I know it sounds boring, but
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> PithHelmet. But for most things, Safari 3.x is a vast improvement over
> 2.x.

So I have heard. Truth is that I have so far not seen so much I
am unhappy with about Safari 2! But I don't browse a lot and I am
mostly using up to 5 browsers to check html work. If I see what
others are seeing, that is fine. That may be a good reason to up
to Safari 3. Especially as Window users are now using Safari.

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dorayme

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Richard Maine - 22 Mar 2008 17:33 GMT

[about the schuert pdfplugin]

> That's what I used as well with Safari 2.x. That same plug-in works
> with Firefox -- I recommended it earlier in the thread.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> under Rosetta, which slows down everything else. I'm guessing you have
> a PPC, so this is not bothering you.

Running Firefox under Rosetta does worse than just slow it down. Firefox
then fails to work at all for some things (perhaps things that might be
Intel only). I forget the details. I just know that I tried and
concluded it was simply unacceptable.

Too bad because I quite liked that pdfplugin. But I have given up on it.

Running Firefox under Rosetta is unacceptable, and it has been long
enough without even a cursory reply to the many queries people have made
about a "Universal" version, that I don't think that's going to happen.
(I also don't think too much of the non-responsiveness in terms of user
service. He apparently couldn't even say that it wasn't going to happen
or was going to take a long time; just no response at al, ever. Makes me
wonder if he even reads the feedback.)

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Richard Maine | Good judgement comes from experience;
email: last name at domain . net | experience comes from bad judgement.
domain: summertriangle | -- Mark Twain

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Howard Brazee - 22 Mar 2008 03:00 GMT

>> In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>Perhaps, if there are no FF plugins you can use Safari for pdf
>viewing. Would this be very inconvenient?

Actually yes - I frequently update my bookmarks at work, and would
like them updated at home, I have different folders full of
bookmarks that I open together.

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dorayme - 22 Mar 2008 04:39 GMT

> >> In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.
> >
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> like them updated at home, I have different folders full of
> bookmarks that I open together.

Not completely sure what this means in relation to pdfs -
home/work/? - but I suppose I can guess a few things?

You are at least saying you come across sites that have pdfs that
need viewing and it is convenient for you to view them in a
browser. You also want to bookmark or have bookmarked them and
want to use those bookmarks to get to the sites that have these
pdfs.

So bookmark them! When you come across a pdf doc just view in
Safari. It will NOT upset your FF bookmarks, trust me, Howard.
You can see you are going to a pdf from the status bar, just copy
the url so it goes on the clipboard to make it easy for you to
paste it into the Safari address bar. If you want to bookmark it
in FF, you can just bookmark the page where the pdf link itself
is.

Please Howard, you must not be lazy. We have Macs to set examples
to those bozos over there. Shape up, iron a shirt and look sharp
and nimble. Adapt, make do, get by.

About bookmarks, this is a different subject. There must be auto
ways to make sure the bookmarks in one browser are imported
regularly to another browser. I know nothing about these things.
If anyone gave an ABC about it I would do it. I just import the
lot from my main Safari into whatever when I remember, using the
menus.

You are very lucky, I never get time ever to look at the
bookmarks I have built up. I have stipulated in my will that they
get buried with me. I will have plenty of time then...

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dorayme

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Howard Brazee - 22 Mar 2008 15:33 GMT

>Please Howard, you must not be lazy. We have Macs to set examples
>to those bozos over there. Shape up, iron a shirt and look sharp
>and nimble. Adapt, make do, get by.

Computers are *all about* being lazy. The best designs are the ones
that automate the best.

One of the attractions of OS X is that scripting is much easier than
in Windows.

But I will find advocates of one system telling how well their system
is - and when someone says "but I want to do this", replying that they
need to suck up. That language is for True Believers, and we have
way too many True Believers in this world.

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Howard Brazee - 24 Mar 2008 15:14 GMT

>> In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.
>
>You can open a pdf in your Windows browser (not as a webpage at
>all really).

Correct. But it looks and acts like a web page. I don't want
something downloaded to my downloads file for me to open when I get
around to it. I want to see if there have been any updates since
last week when I opened my Friday folder of web pages.

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dorayme - 24 Mar 2008 23:04 GMT

> >> In my Firefox for Windows, I can open a PDF as a web page.
> >
> >You can open a pdf in your Windows browser (not as a webpage at
> >all really).
>
> Correct. But it looks and acts like a web page.

I would never have said that. They look like different creatures to me.
But let's not argue about *this* ...

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dorayme

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Howard Brazee - 25 Mar 2008 14:47 GMT

>> Correct. But it looks and acts like a web page.
>
>I would never have said that. They look like different creatures to me.

I can understand this. What I meant is that I can click on a
bookmark, I read the desired page within my browser, and when I close
that tab, it's gone.

What I'm doing with Firefox for OS X, is clicking on a bookmark, and
it downloads a page into my download directory, where I can open it,
read it, then trash it.

What's significantly different here is how I access it and clean up
after.

>But let's not argue about *this* ...

OK.

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Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / March 2008

Firefox and PDFs