download problem [SOLVED]

[chazb]

Running LM 17 quana. For some reason when I down load something, the download doesn't go to the Download Folder, but to somewhere in the Home Folder. Even though, the downloaded file, program etc. is designated to goto the Download Folder. Does anybody have an idea why this happens and how to fix it?

[kyphi]

The destination for downloaded files is specified in your browser. If you are using Firefox, go to Edit, Preferences, Files and Applications, Downloads, Save files to ...

The Downloads folder is in your Home directory.

[chazb]

The destination for downloaded files is specified in your browser. If you are using Firefox, go to Edit, Preferences, Files and Applications, Downloads, Save files to ...

The Downloads folder is in your Home directory.

I have designated downloads in the Firefox browser, but my downloads don't go to downloads folder. My downloads end up being loose files in my home folder, usually somewhere toward the bottom of the folder. I wish I could find a solution to this, any Ideas?

[Cosmo.]

Try this:
Enter in the address bar about:config. When you have reached the page with the many values enter in the filter bar downlod. Now you should easily find 2 values: browser.download.dir and browser.download.lastDir. Both should point to your download folder (last column), something like /home/your_name/Downloads. If not, double the entrie(s) and edit it. Close the page.

[chazb]

Try this:
Enter in the address bar about:config. When you have reached the page with the many values enter in the filter bar downlod. Now you should easily find 2 values: browser.download.dir and browser.download.lastDir. Both should point to your download folder (last column), something like /home/your_name/Downloads. If not, double the entrie(s) and edit it. Close the page.

I know stranger to "about:config" and didn't find either of the two values, but then again I am using Firefox Quantum which is a little different than old Firefox. I have two other browsers, Chromeum and Opera, I guess I will download something with each of them just to see if the if the download goes to the Download Folder. If not,,, then I will another problem.

[phd21]

Hi chazb,

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

The excellent Slimjet browser has a superb super fast turbo download option that you can choose where to go.

You might consider installing a faster downloading application option like " Xtreme Download Manager (xdm)" or "uget" which work with your browsers and let you pick save location destination or choose a default.

Hope this helps ...

[Cosmo.]

I actually use FF ESR, but after the post above I looked into Quantum. The values do indeed not exist by default, so there is nothing to change. (Just for completion: browser.download.dir gets created after changing the respective setting in the general preferences. I assume, that the other value gets created after doing another download, but I did not test it.)

In short: forget my above advice, the origin must be on a different place.
But try to set the download folder anew in the preferences.

[chazb]

Hi chazb,

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

The excellent Slimjet browser has a superb super fast turbo download option that you can choose where to go.

You might consider installing a faster downloading application option like " Xtreme Download Manager (xdm)" or "uget" which work with your browsers and let you pick save location destination or choose a default.

Hope this helps ...

What some programmer need to do is write a browser that lies to websites, letting the website "think, so to speak" that their ads are being displayed when they are actually not.
As for my download problem,,,I am thinking it has something to with my Home directory, as I was tinkering it a month or so ago, trying to decide what to back-up and what not back-up, and discovered that I should not do that, but simply back-up the whole Directory. So I am trying to figure out my download problem now, So I don't drag the problem with me into an upgrade to LM 18.3.
I am thinking that I have some how isolated the Download Folder, and closed it off from the download process,,but unsure.

[chazb]

I actually use FF ESR, but after the post above I looked into Quantum. The values do indeed not exist by default, so there is nothing to change. (Just for completion: browser.download.dir gets created after changing the respective setting in the general preferences. I assume, that the other value gets created after doing another download, but I did not test it.)

In short: forget my above advice, the origin must be on a different place.
But try to set the download folder anew in the preferences.

As for my download problem,,,I am thinking it has something to with my Home directory, as I was tinkering it a month or so ago, trying to decide what to back-up and what not back-up, and discovered that I should not do that, but simply back-up the whole Directory. So I am trying to figure out my download problem now, So I don't drag the problem with me into an upgrade to LM 18.3.
I am thinking that I have some how isolated the Download Folder, and closed it off from the download process,,but unsure.

[Cosmo.]

Especially in this case my last advice can possibly solve the problem.

[chazb]

Especially in this case my last advice can possibly solve the problem.

I am unable to access the Download folder from the Menu, which I used to be able to do. Is there a Terminal fix for even, this?

[Cosmo.]

Which menu? I wrote about the FF preferences.

[chazb]

Which menu? I wrote about the FF preferences.

The one the come with the OS, down in the lower left corner of my screen.
I have downloaded several things with FF ,,,,preferences set to download folder, but every time download goes as a loose file at the bottom of the Home dir, not to the downloads folder. It is like FF doesn't see the folder, but puts the downloaded file in same dir.

Like I have managed to hide the Download Folder,, some how, from the system. But I can see it in the Home Dir..

[Cosmo.]

This all does not explain, why do not use my advice via FF preferences. The Mint menu has nothing to do with it.

Besides that we can take a look into another place.
Open your file manager and make hidden files visible (ctrl). Go in your home into the folder .config and open the file user-dirs.dirs in a text editor. Copy the content completely into your clipboard.
In the forum click the Code-button (looks like </>) above the text edit box, than press ctrl-v.

[chazb]

This all does not explain, why do not use my advice via FF preferences. The Mint menu has nothing to do with it.

Besides that we can take a look into another place.
Open your file manager and make hidden files visible (ctrl). Go in your home into the folder .config and open the file user-dirs.dirs in a text editor. Copy the content completely into your clipboard.
In the forum click the Code-button (looks like </>) above the text edit box, than press ctrl-v.

Code: Select all

# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$HOME/yyy", where yyy is a shell-escaped
# homedir-relative path, or XDG_xxx_DIR="/yyy", where /yyy is an
# absolute path. No other format is supported.
# 
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

[chazb]

This all does not explain, why do not use my advice via FF preferences. The Mint menu has nothing to do with it.

Besides that we can take a look into another place.
Open your file manager and make hidden files visible (ctrl). Go in your home into the folder .config and open the file user-dirs.dirs in a text editor. Copy the content completely into your clipboard.
In the forum click the Code-button (looks like </>) above the text edit box, than press ctrl-v.

Code: Select all

# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$HOME/yyy", where yyy is a shell-escaped
# homedir-relative path, or XDG_xxx_DIR="/yyy", where /yyy is an
# absolute path. No other format is supported.
# 
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

Code: Select all

# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$HOME/yyy", where yyy is a shell-escaped
# homedir-relative path, or XDG_xxx_DIR="/yyy", where /yyy is an
# absolute path. No other format is supported.
# 
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

The first is :paste and the second is ctrl-V, I don't any difference, is there?

[chazb]

So I have reading on this,,,,,user-dirs.dirs,,,,topic at ArchWiki XDG User Directories, and they provide a sample of what the file should look like,,,,
,,,,,~/.config/user-dirs.dirs

XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/Public"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/Templates"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

I see in this template and comparing this to I sent you, the word ( Downloads ) is missing from what I sent you. Would adding the word ( Downloads ) to my, user-dirs.dirs file fix my issues? Or is there more? I think am beginning to understand how this particular file works.

[smurphos]

I see in this template and comparing this to I sent you, the word ( Downloads ) is missing from what I sent you. Would adding the word ( Downloads ) to my, user-dirs.dirs file fix my issues?

That should be the fix.

[Cosmo.]

the word ( Downloads ) is missing from what I sent you.

That is exactly, what I expected and why I asked you to provide the content of the file. Do the correction, log out and back into your user account.

[chazb]

So the last question is: What could cause the word "downloads" to be erased from the, user-dirs.dirs file.