Palemoon takes over as default instead of gwenview for jpeg files, Inskape or File Roller takes over instead of Okular for pdf file.). Some newly installed applications take over the 'default' status in FF's about:preferences instead of the per-filetype normal application set at system level (e.g. If no program appears selected upon download try the above setting if that doesn't work, try the below solution.įor the third case (on how to make Firefox downloads list open a file in a desired application): If the setting is to save, the file will be saved in Downloads or a selected location if the setting is to open with an application, the file will be first saved anyway in a temporary location and then opened.

What program opens a file already downloaded when clicked in the Firefox downloads list.įor the first two options, the 'Applications' settings under Preferences/Options ( about:preferences as address) should do the trick (if it doesn't it is a bug and it should be reported as such). What program Firefox uses when accessing an online file What program Firefox proposes when downloading a file (as in the image posted in the question) There are different settings involved here: The desirability of regular concurrent releases for all environments is also a factor. It's a matter of priorities and complexity. Clearly tight integration is conceivable and desirable from an individual user's perspective. Being all things to all people or for applications in this case all environments can be destructive to core goals. To that end Firefox and their ilk loosely couple with operating environments so that development can focus on the core features of the application.

For example Gnome has gone to GTK 3.0 but not every application in the latest Ubuntu release has upgraded from GTK 2.0 and of course let's not forget Unity has entered the fray. All of those environments are moving targets. Applications like Firefox and OpenOffice/Libreoffice are designed to work on a wide variety of operating environments including various Linux distributions, Desktop environments, Windows OS, Apple OS and many others. I can provide some perspective on why Firefox isn't more tightly integrated into Ubuntu.

Firefox download settings