Summary: Many plugins only work after loading about:plugins
Creator:draustus Date:2003-11-07 09:21:59
Project:K-Meleon Owner:.Nobody
Status:Closed Severity:Major
Version:Unknow Target Version:Unknow
  When I click on a link to a pdf document I'm given a "Save As" dialog box. On previous versions of K-Meleon the document would open in the browser window using acrobat reader. However, if I go to "about:plugins", then go back and try to open the pdf it works fine. I'm assuming that KM's not properly loading the plugin until it does some kind of plugin scan for about:plugins. I've been able to duplicate this bug with both Acrobat Reader 5.1 and 6, on Windows 98SE, 2000, and XP, with a fresh install of the OS, KM, and plugin in the case of XP. I've also tried installing KM then the plugin, and vice versa, with no difference.

  I don't know when this bug materialized, but it was some time into the beta 0.8 process.
Comments
Nick  2003-11-14 08:34:25
I can confirm this - happens on 2 machines here at home and work (both Win2000, sp4).

I messed around at work, and tried a lot of things with the config files, and also the plugins - nothing worked.

If you delete /profiles/pluginreg.dat it will not be created again until 'about:plugins' is used - then it contains all the correct information. but if KM is stopped and started, the plugin again doesn't work until the 'fix' is applied.

user_pref("plugin.scan.Acrobat", "5.0"); appears not to do anything in users.js - not sure if it should for KM - but I tried this just to see if I could force the plugin to work.

The only way to get the Adobe plugin 'recognized' is to use 'about:plugins' then all works fine.

This affects other plugins also (stardownloader?), but appears not to affect flash and shockwave plugins - they work all the time.

Nick

Nick  2003-11-14 08:40:22
Update.

Here's a strange thing. Sun's java plugin works OK too... and if you visit a page with java on it, you will then find the acrobat plugin will work OK afterwards without having to do the 'about:plugins' bit.

Nick
Scot_Free  2003-11-17 04:14:53
I am having the same problem with both AlternaTIFF plugin and Adobe Acrobat - instead of opening the files I get the "Save as" dialog box. Both plugins worked properly in 0.7.
rmn  2003-11-18 02:39:50
I've heard of this, but I'm not sure where. Need to check for duplicates.
[Changed Status from "Unconfirmed" to "Open"]
[Changed Summary from "Acrobat Reader plugin" to "Acrobat Reader plugin only works after loading about:plugins"]
rmn  2003-11-18 02:48:44
Marking bug 559 as duplicate.
[Changed Summary from "Acrobat Reader plugin only works after loading about:plugins" to "Many plugins only work after loading about:plugins"]
Nick  2003-11-18 12:08:36
rmn:

I already looked at duplicates - i.e. I had the adobe plugin in the KM plugins folder as well as where Adobe puts it. The user_pref plugin.scan found the Adobe one, so I removed the one in the KM plugins folder (and vice-versa). Neither worked to make the plugin work first time without 'prompting' it.

Nick
rmn  2003-11-19 00:25:34
I was talking about duplicate bug reports. :)
[Changed Severity from "Normal" to "High Priority"]
Nick  2003-11-20 10:06:19
I was talking about duplicate bug reports. :)

:D

Here's a temporary and working solution.

In your macro.cfg, add this small piece:

OnStartup {
open("javascript:(navigator.plugins.refresh(false))");
}

To understand the 'false' bool, look at the source of the 'about:plugins' page.

Nick
rmn  2003-12-12 00:21:07
Reported as fixed in the latest build. Nick, can you try it out?
[Changed Status from "Open" to "Fixed"]
Nick  2003-12-13 08:48:15
Yes, this appears to be working OK now on K-Meleon 0.8.1

Thank you :)

Nick
rmn  2006-01-18 06:52:42

[Changed Status from "Fixed" to "Closed"]
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