Problem directly viewing PDF of a web page
I encountered a problem occurring under LineageOS 20 (android 13) on a Sony ZX1 Compact. Can't check if it's the android version or just something with that Lineage ROM (which works perfectly with anything else):
When I make a PDF of a web page with Firefox and then just press "view", the pdf viewer says the file doesn't exist, even though it was saved correctly to the Download folder. Choosing Firefox itself as pdf viewer, I could determine that the viewer gets a file link like this:
content://org.mozilla.firefox.feature.downloads.fileprovider/Download/Download/Kanaren-Wetter%3A%20Sturm-Warnung%20zum%20Wochenende%20ausgegeben.pdf
Which appears to point not to the real Download folder, but perhaps to Firefox' subfolder in the Android/Data folder? The same link is given in any other OS, and normally it always works. Could it have to do with the fact that in LineasgeOS 20 (and quite surely also stock android 13) the Android folder is write protected ?
With some web pages, Firefox provides different links, like: content://media/external_primary/downloads/1000009015 and with those there's no problem. So I think may really be an issue with directory access.
I fiddled around a lot with OS settings and Firefox beta's about:config as well, but to no avail. Also de- and reinstalled Firefox.
Any idea what could be the cause ?
All Replies (8)
Update: It's really just a redirection to the normal Download folder, in both cases. But the first type simply doesn't work under LOS20. I've tested this against a stock Android 9, exactly the same links there and working. Alas, I don't have a stock Android 13 device to check if it's an issue with 13 or LOS. Any feedback if it works under stock Android 13 appreciated.
Hi
I am sorry for the delay in responding. What is the address of the website that you are saving as a .pdf file?
Hi, thanks for yor reply. The problem occurs with most websites, for example most articles from cnn.com or ntv.de. Try https://www.n-tv.de/politik/22-13-Selenskyj-Es-ist-eine-Frage-des-Uberlebens-nicht-nur-fuer-die-Ukraine--article23143824.html. Some are not affected, for example with lancelotdigital.com usually anything works. It appears to depend on the link type Firefox forwards, the two types occurring I cited in my original post.
p.s. the problem occurs with exactly this mozilla support thread here as well.
I just got a report that it happens with stock Android 13 as well.
A comment from the XDA forum: "Same issue on Honor Magic 5 smartphone with locked bootloader and stock A13." So there's quite clearly an issue with Firefox pointing to the Download folder using "content://org.mozilla.firefox.feature.downloads.fileprovider/Download/Download/". This works under Android 9, e.g., but not anymore under Android 13, at least in some cases. I think Firefox shoud use a different way to avoid the problem.
Hi
I have raised this with our developers and it is being looking into further. You can follow progress on this work at:
Hi, thanks alot!