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.

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

How to set command line arguments for helper applications

  • 2 replies
  • 22 have this problem
  • 23 views
  • Last reply by Darr247

more options

I am running firefox 3 and would like firefox to include some command line arguments when it runs a helper application for a specific mime type. I can pick the application, but I can't find anywhere to edit the command line to add the arguments. I can't even find documentation of what arguments are passed to the helper application. Is there anywhere where the configuration of and interface with helper applications is described in detail?

User Agent

Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.3) Gecko/20100401 Firefox/3.6.3

I am running firefox 3 and would like firefox to include some command line arguments when it runs a helper application for a specific mime type. I can pick the application, but I can't find anywhere to edit the command line to add the arguments. I can't even find documentation of what arguments are passed to the helper application. Is there anywhere where the configuration of and interface with helper applications is described in detail? == User Agent == Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.2.3) Gecko/20100401 Firefox/3.6.3

All Replies (2)

more options

Put the command into a file with execute permissions, including whatever command-line arguments you want. For instance, the file might contain the following:

 #! /bin/bash
 xpdf -g 1200x900 -z width -cont "$1"


In Firefox preferences, under "Applications," locate the appropriate Content Type and in the Action menu, select "Use other..." and then locate the executable file you just created and select it.

In UNIX-type operating systems at least, available options to the command can be found using the "man" command (e.g. "man xpdf" for the example above).

Modified by gtmarks

more options

How about for windows?

e.g. for PNG files I want to add the Helper App command line:

"rundll32.exe c:\windows\system32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen "%1""

(which is the Microsoft RAW Image Viewer, same as its current windows File Association). Because the only options I'm offered on this machine now when I click on a PNG file link are to Save it, download it with the FlashGot plugin, or Open with the Browse button. On other windows machines here, Microsoft RAW Image Viewer is the default Open with choice.

Thanks.