This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

Save as text and reader mode

badbiosvictim
badbiosvictim
more options

Firefox needs a save as text setting. There is a save as text add on. However, twice the add on ceased working. Twice, I had to uninstall firefox, reinstall firefox and reconfigure the settings.

In the alternative, Firefox needs a 'select text' in its settings. The stock android browser has 'select text' in its settings. Click on 'select text', touch webpage, two arrows appears, spread arrows apart, touch screen, a pop up menu offers: share selected text or copy. I select copy. Open 920 text editor, create a new plain text file and then touch screen.. However, text is not copied. I have to repeat this whole procedure several times because text is copied into a new plain text file.

Whereas, Firefox cannot even bring up the pop up menu. I long press a paragraph in firefox. The two arrows appears. I spread them apart. I touch the screen. No pop up menu offering open to copy.

Nor is reader mode an alternate to saving as text. I have not be able to save a webpage in reader mode because the book icon is rarely displayed in the title bar. Why? Firefox's article on reader mode does not disclose what file format the files are saved as. Can the reader mode files be converted to plain text files or PDF to be later read on a computer?

Firefox needs a save as text setting. There is a save as text add on. However, twice the add on ceased working. Twice, I had to uninstall firefox, reinstall firefox and reconfigure the settings. In the alternative, Firefox needs a 'select text' in its settings. The stock android browser has 'select text' in its settings. Click on 'select text', touch webpage, two arrows appears, spread arrows apart, touch screen, a pop up menu offers: share selected text or copy. I select copy. Open 920 text editor, create a new plain text file and then touch screen.. However, text is not copied. I have to repeat this whole procedure several times because text is copied into a new plain text file. Whereas, Firefox cannot even bring up the pop up menu. I long press a paragraph in firefox. The two arrows appears. I spread them apart. I touch the screen. No pop up menu offering open to copy. Nor is reader mode an alternate to saving as text. I have not be able to save a webpage in reader mode because the book icon is rarely displayed in the title bar. Why? Firefox's article on reader mode does not disclose what file format the files are saved as. Can the reader mode files be converted to plain text files or PDF to be later read on a computer?

All Replies (4)

guigs
guigs
more options

Hi badbiosvictim, I see in the device information that you are running version 21. There were some improvements made in Firefox since then and I encourage you to see if the update helps resolve your copy and paste issue.

However there is also save page as pdf that you can save on the device and read in a file reader.

I hope this helps!

badbiosvictim
badbiosvictim Question owner
more options

guigs2, wrote: "I see in the device information that you are running version 21" I downloaded Firefox 29 from f-droid.org. Hackers can perform a man-in-the-middle attack or switch versions Firefox is installed. Easier for hackers to switch to an older version that offered less features than tampering with a current release. I would like to check the version of Firefox. Where is the device information? In Firefox desktop, the release is in menu > help > about Firefox. In Firefox for Android, there is no about Firefox in the menu.

guigs2, I posted a thread that save page as PDF creates a PDF that no open PDF viewer can read. I tried two PDF viewers from f-droid.org and five PDF viewers on my laptop booting to live PCLinuxOS FullMonty DVD. Also file name of PDF does not include the name of the URL. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1004952

Modified by badbiosvictim

guigs
guigs
more options

Ah, try this shortcut and put this in the url: about:firefox A list of all of these pages are at [about:about]

Does the downloaded version of Firefox from the previous link also save pdfs that do not open in the viewer? Either there is a bug, or need to make one for that php extension.

badbiosvictim
badbiosvictim Question owner
more options

I updated firefox 29 to firefox 31. Like firefox 29, Reader mode appeared only once in the address bar. Thereafter, it disappeared and only reappeared once.

Upgrading did not correct not being able to copying to and from firefox. From firefox, I long press on a paragraph in a webpage. Two yellow cursors appear. I highlight the text and tap the screen. No menu appears.

Using 920 text editor or textwarrior, I copy a paragraph. I cannot paste the paragraph into a form field in firefox.

Perhaps these problems are due to my Motorola DroidX being infected with BadBIOS. See:

http://www.reddit.com/r/badBIOS/comments/243k0u/evidence_of_badbios_ultrasonic_hacking/

Modified by badbiosvictim