Unable to download/save files in LibreWolf, but can in Firefox

[Governor]

Mullvad browser stopped working and I was unable to get it to start.
LibreWolf stopped working, but I managed to get it running again, but I am unable to download images.

I just want to ask here in case anyone has any idea why I can't download in LibreWolf.
An obscure setting perhaps? Can someone speculate as to the cause of this, or am I the only person in the entire world that has experienced this issue?

Firefox is still working as usual. This is in Bookworm.
Thanks.

[bbbhltz]

I'm still new to Puppy. Are you running LibreWolf as spot?

[williwaw]

It's hard to speculate without any additional information. What do you do before the browsers quit working?

[Jasper]

What are you attempting to download? Browser only? ..........or via an extension?

[Fossil]

Possible security add-on mitigating download??

[Governor]

I'm still new to Puppy. Are you running LibreWolf as spot?

I don't know if Librewolf is running as spot, but I suspect it might be. I discovered that I also cannot upload files.

[Chelsea80]

@Governor

This is an AI answer so might not be fully correct. However, it might help you in getting a bit closer to resolving your problem.

Why I can't download in LibreWolf
Sources
librewolf.net favicon
forum.manjaro.org favicon
forums.linuxmint.com favicon
reddit.com favicon

Answer
It seems you're experiencing issues with downloading in LibreWolf. There are a few potential reasons for this problem:

File permissions: LibreWolf may not have the necessary permissions to save files to your chosen download directory
.
Security settings: LibreWolf has enhanced security features that can sometimes interfere with downloads
.
Missing system packages: On some Linux systems, missing packages can prevent LibreWolf from functioning properly

.

Here are some steps you can try to resolve the issue:
Check Download Settings

Open LibreWolf settings
Go to General > Files and Applications > Downloads
Ensure a valid download directory is set

Verify System Packages
If you're using a Linux system, make sure you have the following packages installed:

text
sudo apt install xdg-desktop-portal-gtk xdg-desktop-portal

After installing these packages, reboot your system
.
Disable Hard-Fail Mode
LibreWolf uses OCSP in hard-fail mode by default, which can sometimes cause issues. You can try disabling this in the LibreWolf settings
.
Check Firewall and Blocking Lists
OCSP servers can sometimes be blocked by host files or blocking lists. Verify your firewall settings and any ad-blocking or privacy extensions you may be using
. If these steps don't resolve the issue, you may need to investigate further by checking error logs or consulting the LibreWolf community forums for more specific troubleshooting steps.

Good luck.

[Governor]

It's hard to speculate without any additional information. What do you do before the browsers quit working?

Mullvad stopped some time ago, and I have not been able to revive it.
I started over again with LibreWolf, ie deleted and unpacked it again from "LibreWolf-portable64.tar"
I installed my usual plugins (same as FF, which works ok).

And then I changed my settings as shown here:
posting.php?mode=quote&p=133050

[Governor]

What are you attempting to download? Browser only? ..........or via an extension?

Could be a plugin, I suppose. I am downloading via right-click, and AFAIK there are no plugins involved. I have no additional download manager installed
I always choose "Always ask you where to save files", but I am never asked when downloading.

[Governor]

Correction: LibreWolf portable (now) works in fossapup64_9.5, but no downloads or uploads..
In Bookworm. It will not start by using the Launch script, only by clicking on the executable, and there is no saved profile.

LibreWolf is in the same folder on an external USB drive, so it is the same installation I use for both fossapup and bookworm.

Looks like it is running in fossapup as spot. This is the launch script:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
#
# Launcher for 'portable' LibreWolf browser
#
HERE="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")"
#
mkdir "$HERE/config" 2> /dev/null
mkdir "$HERE/config/spot" 2> /dev/null
mkdir "$HERE/config/spot/librewolf" 2> /dev/null
#
if [ -d "/root/.librewolf" ]
then 
	rm -rf /root/.librewolf
	ln -s $HERE/config/spot/librewolf /root/.librewolf
else
	ln -s $HERE/config/spot/librewolf /root/.librewolf
fi
#
chown -R spot:spot $HERE/LibreWolf64
chown -R spot:spot $HERE/apulse
chown -R spot:spot $HERE/config/spot
chown -R spot:spot /root/.librewolf
#
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$HERE/:$HERE/apulse${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
#
run-as-spot "$HERE/LibreWolf64" "$@" http://localhost:2605/index.html https://forum.puppylinux.com/index.php https://bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
#
rm -rf /root/.librewolf

[bigpup]

If it is running as spot.
/root/spot/

Look in the spot directory for the downloads.

[d-pupp]

Side note: If you tell it too save in another folder it may look like it is downloading but it won't work because spot only has access to /home/spot

[Governor]

Side note: If you tell it too save in another folder it may look like it is downloading but it won't work because spot only has access to /home/spot

Yes, I discovered that I have the download folder set to my usual folder, but nothing is downloaded, also not to the spot folder.
Since I am unable to download or upload files in LibreWolf, I must copy the link to the target file, open Pale Moon, paste it into Pale Moon and then download it. And if I need to change the name of the file, I often have to go back and forth and copy/past another time. This is a real drag.

What happens when I click on the LibreWolf executable instead of the launch script, and, why is my saved profile is not loaded?
Where is my saved LW profile when I use the launch script, and how can I move it to the non-script version?
Will I be allowed to upload and download files if I skip the script and use the executable?
Thanks!

[d-pupp]

@Governor
@mikewalsh would know better then I how the launch script works. However my understanding is that it sets path variables so that everything stays contained in one folder. It would use the libraries and setup a local profile. So clicking the executable would bypass all that and it would run as if it was installed and not a portable. So it would create a new profile in your home folder and use the system libraries and not the one in the portable folder. That may also be why the download doesn't work if it's not permission.

[mikeslr]

File-browse to and bookmark your /spot/download folder. After the download is finished you can use rox to move the downloaded file wherever you want, e.g. /root/downloads or /home/vault/Bookworm-applications.

I'm not running librewolf. [Too difficult to add the addons I want, so I set up a hardened firefox, https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic. ... 203#p19203] Not sure librewolf can be run as /root. By now it may just bulk. Or it may require more work than just hardening firefox. So I don't know where the /spot folder Librewolf uses is. Most likely /home/spot. The top level /home folder was created as a 'builtin' just for that purpose when Google-Chrome bulked at being run as Root.

But while web-browsers run-as-spot have limited permissions, thanks (IIRC) to fredx181 downloads into it do not and rox, running as Root, has access to any folder.

Or you can use librewolf's config files to select ANY /spot/downloads folder. It's the limited permissions that /spot folders have that matters. If you check the LAUNCH script mikewalsh uses in all his portables it contains these arguments:

mkdir "$HERE/PROFILE" 2> /dev/null
mkdir "$HERE/PROFILE/spot" 2> /dev/null
mkdir "$HERE/PROFILE/spot/google-chrome" 2> /dev/null
#
chown -R spot:spot "$HERE/PROFILE/spot"
chown -R spot:spot "$HERE/lib"
chown -R spot:spot "$HERE/chrome"
#

The "chown -R spot:spot "$HERE/PROFILE/spot"" overcomes Puppys default root permissions by assigning spot permissions to /PROFILE/spot folder. That's where extensions and other configurations are stored. But my Chrome, at least, is set to download to /home/spot/downloads.

If you want to upload using a web-browser configured to run as spot, you have to copy the file-to-be-uploaded to a /spot folder.

The system results from the 'common knowledge' of the Linux community that running as root isn't safe. Under ordinary Linuxes a User is not permitted to do anything outside of his/her own folder (with its limited permissions) without first entering the administrator/root's password. Web-browsers are published for that community. Puppy's web-browsers start with those, then rebuilt them to work 'the Puppy way': taking advantage of Puppy's ability to designate any folder as only having spot's limited permissions.

[greengeek]

Correction: LibreWolf portable (now) works in fossapup64_9.5, but no downloads or uploads..
In Bookworm. It will not start by using the Launch script, only by clicking on the executable, and there is no saved profile.

I just downloaded the Librewolf portable into Fossa64 9.5 and see exactly what you have described - that it does not run from the launch script. However as you have suggested it will run if I click the LibreWolf64 executable.

But for me - it processes downloads correctly (puts them into /root/downloads)

What happens if you put the portable in /root? Does it handle downloads ok?
(Maybe there is some problem with it running from a location other than /root ??)

[Governor]

I discovered that if I run the LibreWolf executable directly, instead of using the script, I can use the browser normally without the spot limitation.
How do I find my profile when using the spot version, so I can copy it over to the standard version?
Thanks.

[mikeslr]

You probably won't be able to copy the profile successfully. It's worth a try anyway. Just be sure to check addons and any other configurations after you try.

IIRC Librewolf follows firefox's lead. Under Puppies, by default firefox locates its profile in
/root/.mozilla. Note the "./dot". It's a hidden file. Left-click rox's "Eye". Look for a .Librewolf folder.

Also, by default under Puppies, firefox locates 'web-cache' in /rox/.cache/mozilla. [Mikewalsh's portables are started via a LAUNCH script which reassigns those to within the portable's own folder].

Before the advent of Mikewalsh's portables it was recommended that /rox/.cache/mozilla be moved out of
/root and symlinked back otherwise .webcache occupies RAM and can quickly consume it.

To do the foregoing, create a folder anywhere on /mnt/home (right-click an empty space, select New>directory and give it a name, e.g. web-cache. Open it and leave it open. File-browse to (but not into) the /root/.cache/librewolf? folder. Left-PRESS it, then drag it into the web-cache folder and select Move. Left-Press it again, then drag it back into the /root/.cache folder and select Link(relative) creating a symbolic link. LibreWolf will see it where it expects to find it; but it's now actually on /mnt/home so that web-cache doesn't build up in RAM.

[Governor]

You probably won't be able to copy the profile successfully. It's worth a try anyway. Just be sure to check addons and any other configurations after you try.

IIRC Librewolf follows firefox's lead. Under Puppies, by default firefox locates its profile in
/root/.mozilla. Note the "./dot". It's a hidden file. Left-click rox's "Eye". Look for a .Librewolf folder.

Also, by default under Puppies, firefox locates 'web-cache' in /rox/.cache/mozilla. [Mikewalsh's portables are started via a LAUNCH script which reassigns those to within the portable's own folder].

Before the advent of Mikewalsh's portables it was recommended that /rox/.cache/mozilla be moved out of
/root and symlinked back otherwise .webcache occupies RAM and can quickly consume it.

To do the foregoing, create a folder anywhere on /mnt/home (right-click an empty space, select New>directory and give it a name, e.g. web-cache. Open it and leave it open. File-browse to (but not into) the /root/.cache/librewolf? folder. Left-PRESS it, then drag it into the web-cache folder and select Move. Left-Press it again, then drag it back into the /root/.cache folder and select Link(relative) creating a symbolic link. LibreWolf will see it where it expects to find it; but it's now actually on /mnt/home so that web-cache doesn't build up in RAM.

Ok. I did that. And I copied the default folder over as well as profiles.ini, but it still starts without my established profile when I click on the executable. The script starts the browser with my established profile, but again it is with the spot limitation so I cannot upload or download files. Do I really have to rebuild the profile from scratch?

Code: Select all

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=y3svs3ll.default
Default=1

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1
Version=2

[mikeslr]

"Do I really have to rebuild the profile from scratch?"

That was my guess. And hopefly only once. Web-browsers are getting very finicky. My guess is efforts to make them less vulnerable to malware injections by others results in them also being less able to accept the desired shortcuts by users.

[greengeek]

What happens if you put the appimage and/or portable into /spot before running it? Will it download files into /spot/downloads then? Not a solution, but just as a test.

[Governor]

Here is how the profile manager looks.

Profile issues-1.jpg (45.29 KiB) Viewed 2529 times

Shouldn't it be possible to copy the cache and profile directories from root to a permanent location and set the browser to use them?
Thanks.

[Governor]

Correction: LibreWolf portable (now) works in fossapup64_9.5, but no downloads or uploads..
In Bookworm. It will not start by using the Launch script, only by clicking on the executable, and there is no saved profile.

I just downloaded the Librewolf portable into Fossa64 9.5 and see exactly what you have described - that it does not run from the launch script. However as you have suggested it will run if I click the LibreWolf64 executable.

But for me - it processes downloads correctly (puts them into /root/downloads)

What happens if you put the portable in /root? Does it handle downloads ok?
(Maybe there is some problem with it running from a location other than /root ??)

I copied LibreWolf portable to the /root folder. The launch script won't run at all as is.

I changed the "run" line from this
run-as-spot "$HERE/LibreWolf64" "$@" http://localhost:2605/index.html https://forum.puppylinux.com/index.php https://bleepingcomputer.com/forums/
to this:
"$HERE/LibreWolf64" "$@" http://localhost:2605/index.html https://forum.puppylinux.com/index.php

And the launch script is now working, and downloads are fine so I am confident uploads also work. However, I do not want the Puppy temporary file structure to be used for anything, if I can help it because files disappear, so in the browser, I always stipulate a download folder at a permanent location which apparently causes the browser downloads to fail (when running as spot). I am not going to use the launch script anyway, due to the aforementioned reason. The script is pointing things to the /root folder and I want to avoid that. I think it would be simpler for me to avoid the script than rewrite it. As far as I can tell, the only reason for the script is to run LibreWolf as spot.

PS. I removed "https://bleepingcomputer.com/forums/" from the launch script because I have witnessed some very bad stuff going on there in their "help" forum, and I want nothing to do with that site. Some of the volunteer "helpers" advise desperate Windows users to turn off all antivirus and security programs. then run an app that extracts detailed information from the user's system, including IP and MAC addresses, and post it on-line in the forum. Then the user is instructed to download and run a rootkit and say yes to any dialog boxes that appear. When the rootkit is installed, the user can then re-activate their security programs. It is so obvious that I can't understand how they can get away with it, but they do. And yes, I downloaded one of their recommended fix-it programs, tested it, and confirmed it was a rootkit.

[fredx181]

...
And the launch script is now working, and downloads are fine so I am confident uploads also work. However, I do not want the Puppy temporary file structure to be used for anything, if I can help it because files disappear, so in the browser, I always stipulate a download folder at a permanent location which apparently causes the browser downloads to fail (when running as spot). I am not going to use the launch script anyway, due to the aforementioned reason. The script is pointing things to the /root folder and I want to avoid that. I think it would be simpler for me to avoid the script than rewrite it. As far as I can tell, the only reason for the script is to run LibreWolf as spot.
..

if you want it to run as spot, you may like the LAUNCH script that I modified, here: https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic. ... 56#p133256
(must run from a Linux filesystem, not from e.g. FAT32)

[Jasper]

Why is the original script opening port 2605?

This port is used for monitoring bandwith by applications eg Bitmeter OS.

[KevinTheGerbil]

I've been seeing the same issues with trying to run Mike Walsh's portable blink-based browser packages - specifically Ungoogled Chromium and Iron - as spot, in BwPup64 10.0.8. No problem when running as root but when run as spot, the download function (and the ability to set the Downloads folder) are completely non-functional - no matter where you run the portable package from i.e. inside or outside the savefolder/savefile, in the spot directory itself, wherever - the behaviour is the same. This is despite spot permissions/folders having been very carefully checked to make sure the permisisons and related symlinks are all OK.

On Mike's recommendation I also tried his "Spot2Root" .pet package - this does work perfectly for setting up the required spot links and permissions on my other PC (which runs Bionicpup64 8.0) but has no noticeable effect when installed & run on this PC in BwPup64 10.0.8. There seems to be something in BwPup64 10.0.8 that is just incompatible with run-as-spot portables. There is also some suggestion / anecdotal evidence that the portables might work in a 10.0.6 system that's been upgraded to 10.0.8 (so maybe with a savefolder/savefile originally generated in 10.0.6?), but not in a "fresh" 10.0.8 system - but I could just be muddying the waters here, not sure.

This thread has some more detailed discussion on this (towards bottom of page): viewtopic.php?t=771&start=150

My other PC (Bionicpup64 8.0) has given me NO problems at all when running these portable browsers as spot. I'm cross-posting here in the hope that someone might be able to shed some light?

- Kevin

[d-pupp]

@KevinTheGerbil
The problem may be that in Bookworm the user spot is sandboxed. It can only access the spot home directory.
This is a security feather in Bookworm.

[mow9902]

@Governor

I don't use bookworm, but I do run the LibreWolf appimage as spot under fossapup64 9.6. Here's how I do it:

1. I have created a folder named /mnt/home/my-downloads and used the chown command to assign the owner/group to spot.
2. Download the LibreWolf appimage appropriate for your system into a folder of your choice (on my system it is /mnt/home/my-applications/LibreWolf). Use the chown command to assign owner/group of that folder to spot
3. For convenience inside that folder I have created a symlink to the LibreWolf appimage and named it LibreWolf. This is not strictly necessary, but I find it easier to type the shorter command. If you do this, you also need to user the chown command to assign owner/group of the symlink to spot
4. Execute with the command (1 line shell script if you prefer) - run-as-spot /mnt/home/my-applications/LibreWolf --profile /home/spot/.librewolf "$@" &. This will load LibreWolf and create a profile folder .librewolf in /home/spot
5. Change the settings in librewolf and point the downloads to /mnt/home/my-downloads (or whatever you setup in step 2)[/list]

I use this same methodology to run several browsers as spot including palemoon and iron.