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Firefox not executing external application

  • 2 cavab
  • 1 has this problem
  • 20 views
  • Last reply by maciej_j

maciej_j
maciej_j
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I am on Ubuntu 18.04 with Unity and Firefox 64.0.2. It stopped opening automatically Magnet links (probably after one of the updates). Thus, I started to look how to set it up again. After I set network.protocol-handler.expose.magnet Firefox asked me what application to use (as expected). Nevertheless, it did not seem to be launching the application. In order to debug this, I created a script file with the following content: echo "X" > ~/out and associated this script file with magnet protocol, by choosing this script file from the list of "applications" that pops up after I click on the magnet link. After I confirm to Firefox by pressing "Open File" nothing happens and the "out" file is not created - thus I conclude that Firefox is not executing the "application" (my script file in this case) at all.

It must have changed recently, how can I force Firefox to run an external application?

I am on Ubuntu 18.04 with Unity and Firefox 64.0.2. It stopped opening automatically Magnet links (probably after one of the updates). Thus, I started to look how to set it up again. After I set network.protocol-handler.expose.magnet Firefox asked me what application to use (as expected). Nevertheless, it did not seem to be launching the application. In order to debug this, I created a script file with the following content: echo "X" > ~/out and associated this script file with magnet protocol, by choosing this script file from the list of "applications" that pops up after I click on the magnet link. After I confirm to Firefox by pressing "Open File" nothing happens and the "out" file is not created - thus I conclude that Firefox is not executing the "application" (my script file in this case) at all. It must have changed recently, how can I force Firefox to run an external application?

All Replies (2)

WestEnd
WestEnd
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Are those torrent or what kinda magnet links are those?

maciej_j
maciej_j Question owner
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Yes, they are torrent. Nevertheless, I was not able to make Firefox execute an external application when I click on such link. First, it asks me which application should be executed. I chose my script, which only leaves a track whether it was run or not. And then, when I click on a torrent link, the track is not there, so my script was not executed. I am guessing the same happens with Transmission which has always been my magnet/torrent application and now, out of the sudden stopped working.