Can't download within Brave Browser (solved)

[OldMan]

I'm using Bookworm and installed Brave Browser as per the instructions at Brave.com:

sudo apt install curl

sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.br ... eyring.gpg

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main"|sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list

sudo apt update

sudo apt install brave-browser

When it wouldn't run I searched the forum and found there is a need to add run-as-spot to the exec commands. I did this and Brave now runs great with the exception of not being able to download files using it. Nothing happens when I try and download a file and when I go to Downloads in settings if I try and change the download location nothing happens either (it's currently pointing to /home/spot/Downloads).

I assume this is something to do with root and spot but don't know what I need to do to fix this.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[bigpup]

run-as-spot is a special way to run a browser in a restricted way as to where it can download stuff in the Puppy file system.

Only download location is /home/spot/Downloads.

That cannot be changed as long as it is commanded to run-as-spot.

So that is setup and working as it should.

After something gets downloaded to /home/spot/Downloads.

You can navigate in the file manger to that location and yourself do anything with the stuff in the Downloads directory.
Move, copy, delete, open, run, etc.............

spot

Spot is not a normal user, you don't login as user spot. Instead, you bootup in the normal way as the root user, but you can choose to run some Internet applications as the restricted user spot.
This means that you have unfettered access to your local system, all the benefits of root, no hassles with file/directory ownership's and permissions, no restrictions on access to all hardware.
But, you can run, for example, a browser, Composer, mail&news, IRC-chat, as spot. The home directory for spot is /home/spot, and the internet program only be able to (normally) edit/create/write files inside /home/spot.

With spot, you have the best of both worlds. Freedom in your local system, a restricted user for Internet access.

Run any application as spot with: run-as-spot app [arguments]

The idea of Spot is to keep internet browsers from being able to access any part of the file system and possibly put unwanted executable stuff in the operating file system.

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If you download something you are not seeing it in /home/spot/Downloads?

[bigpup]

Any programs that will not run if you are root user (normally who you are when using Puppy Linux)

Puppy Linux does not have multiple users. Only root user.

So for these programs, you can make them think someone other than root user is running them.

Using run-as-spot to start them.

To these programs spot is seen as not the root user.

[OldMan]

If you download something you are not seeing it in /home/spot/Downloads?

I'm not able to initiate a download at all. If I click on a link to download literally nothing happens (and nothing appears in /home/spot/Downloads). I can download the same links in Firefox without issue.

Maybe it was a mistake to install Brave using the instruction for Debian on the Brave website. Reading more I'm getting the feeling that using apt is not the preferred Puppy install method. I need to get my head around it all.

Edit: I just tried using the Brave Portable version from the forum. I ran the update script and it updated fine but I'm having exactly the same problem. Nothing happens, not even an error when I try to download a file. If someone could also explain to me simply why using the portable version is better than one installed via apt? The apt one seems to integrate fine with puppy so why is a different portable version needed?

I really appreciate all the great help I'm getting here while on my Puppy learning curve.

[bigpup]

Edit:
I posted before I read your edit to your post.

I guess you need to get some help from that portable Brave topic.

There is a topic about a portable package version of Brave browser here:
viewtopic.php?t=6150

There are several posts about fixing downloads to work in it.

Those fixes probably need to get done to your install of Brave.

Maybe better to uninstall the Brave you installed and use this portable version.
The download fixes are suppose to be already in it.

Carefully read the first post on how to use the portable version.

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Welcome to Linux software!

Nothing wrong with using apt.
It works, but sometimes little issues come up depending on the exact Linux OS you are using.

That apt download of Brave is kind of a generic install and tries to be a good working install, for all possible Linux OS's.

Really good 100% results are gotten by compiling programs specifically for the Linux OS it will be used in.
That portable Brave is that type software package specifically for Puppy Linux.

[fredx181]

@OldMan
I got exactly the same problem as you on Bookworm, I guess Brave and run-as-spot aren't playing well together (same with the Brave portable btw).
But... I found a trick:
In Settings > Downloads enable disable "Ask where to save ... ..."

Screenshot.png (20.04 KiB) Viewed 119 times

Then... strange... it does not ask but it does download to /home/spot/Downloads
Edit: I misunderstood the switch, in reality "Ask where to save ... ..." was enabled, so that's the thing that doesn't seem to work (opening a dialog for choosing folder)
edit: no such problem I have when running Brave as spot with other systems, e.g. DebianDog, KLV (perhaps because user spot is a more "official" user than in BookwormPup, just guessing)

Or, if you want, you can run Brave as root: brave-browser --no-sandbox --test-type

[OldMan]

But... I found a trick:
In Settings > Downloads enable disable "Ask where to save ... ..."

Thanks Fred. That works perfectly and makes sense.

Did you end up using the portable version or the apt version and why?