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.

How to ask Firefox to store temporary files in /tmp/mozilla_${USER}0

  • 3 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 38 views
  • Last reply by Terry

lxylxy123456
lxylxy123456
more options

I am using Firefox on Linux. Recently I noticed that Firefox changes the location temporary download files are saved.

For example, I ask Firefox to always ask when downloading a PDF file, then I click on a link to a PDF file. A dialog window pops out and I select "Open with (application name)". Then Firefox saves the PDF file in some location and opens the file with the application I select.

The problem is that I want to modify the some location above. An earlier version saves the file to `/tmp/mozilla_${USER}0`, where `${USER}` is my username on Linux. However, I recently noticed that this location is changed to `~/Downloads`. For some of reasons I want to keep my Downloads folder manually managed. Is there a way to change the temporary download location back to `/tmp/mozilla_${USER}0`?

I am using Firefox on Linux. Recently I noticed that Firefox changes the location temporary download files are saved. For example, I ask Firefox to always ask when downloading a PDF file, then I click on a link to a PDF file. A dialog window pops out and I select "Open with (application name)". Then Firefox saves the PDF file in '''some location''' and opens the file with the application I select. The problem is that I want to modify the '''some location''' above. An earlier version saves the file to `/tmp/mozilla_${USER}0`, where `${USER}` is my username on Linux. However, I recently noticed that this location is changed to `~/Downloads`. For some of reasons I want to keep my Downloads folder manually managed. Is there a way to change the temporary download location back to `/tmp/mozilla_${USER}0`?
Attached screenshots

All Replies (3)

Terry
Terry
more options

You could try the following. I don't know whether it works if you choose to open a file. The quote is from searchfox. org. The relevant preference is in bold and in about:config.

browser.download.useDownloadDir - bool True - Save files directly to the folder configured via the browser.download.folderList preference. False - Always ask the user where to save a file and default to browser.download.lastDir when displaying a folder picker dialog

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/about-config-editor-firefox

lxylxy123456
lxylxy123456 Question owner
more options

terry21 wrote
You could try the following. I don't know whether it works if you choose to open a file. The quote is from searchfox. org. The relevant preference is in bold and in about:config. browser.download.useDownloadDir - bool True - Save files directly to the folder configured via the browser.download.folderList preference. False - Always ask the user where to save a file and default to browser.download.lastDir when displaying a folder picker dialog https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/about-config-editor-firefox

Thanks for the answer. That gives me a good hint.

Looks like the important source code is in "async getPreferredDownloadsDirectory() {" in https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/toolkit/components/downloads/DownloadIntegration.jsm . When "browser.download.folderList = 2", the configuration option "browser.download.dir" is used.

So for me, I need to perform the following

  • Set "browser.download.folderList" to 2
  • Add a new configuration option "browser.download.dir", type is string, value is "/tmp/mozilla_${USER}0"
  • Find a way to create "/tmp/mozilla_${USER}0" manually every time I open Firefox

The above workaround works. Still, I hope there is a cleaner solution.

Terry
Terry
more options

I have long used the setting I mentioned. The file picker gives me the option to create a folder and I can add the parent folder as a 'location' in the left pane of the file picker.