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plugin.ImportedState description

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Hi Trying to workaround an issue with opening some pdf files, I was guided to check a key in about:config (pdfjs.disabled)

At the same time I found all my plugin. branch was all at default values but one : plugin.ImportedState that was boolean bold and set to "true". Playing around with it I saw double-clic switched it to "false", but I saw it remained bold ?? and boolean ???? I wandered what is a boolean that defaults neither to true nor false, so I used the reset option, which filled the key value to blank, no more bold... and string type ????

I searched the web for this entry but neither google nor http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries#Plugin. helped me to get information about.

Please tell me more

Thank you

Hi Trying to workaround an issue with opening some pdf files, I was guided to check a key in about:config (pdfjs.disabled) At the same time I found all my plugin. branch was all at default values but one : plugin.ImportedState that was boolean bold and set to "true". Playing around with it I saw double-clic switched it to "false", but I saw it remained bold ?? and boolean ???? I wandered what is a boolean that defaults neither to true nor false, so I used the reset option, which filled the key value to blank, no more bold... and string type ???? I searched the web for this entry but neither google nor http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries#Plugin. helped me to get information about. Please tell me more Thank you

All Replies (5)

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Hello,

In order to change the default reader for PDF files (to not open PDF files with Firefox's internal PDF reader), follow these steps:

  1. Go to Tools > Options (or Firefox > Options).
  2. In the Options window, select the Applications tab.
  3. In the Search field, type PDF. You should find Portable Document Format (PDF).
  4. On the right handside you should find an Action column. Use that to select your favorite PDF reader. In order to view PDF files in Firefox, choose Preview in Firefox.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Thank you.

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From what I can tell, the plugin.importedState preference indicates that Firefox has done a one-time conversion of certain old plugin preferences into a new format. I don't know why it doesn't flip when you double-click it, but essentially it has no purpose other than to prevent a second conversion (whether this could overwrite newer preferences or whether there's simply nothing left to convert after the first run, I don't know).

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If a pref doesn't exist by default and doesn't have a specific default value then both states (true/false) can be seen as user set and appear bold. It is best to be cautious with flipping such prefs to the opposite state (remember the warning page when entering about:config for the first time; general.warnOnAboutConfig).

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Thank you all for so much answers. Do I understand well that this key is not created by moz' devs, that is why it is not documented in http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries#Plugin (or it is an an undisclosed secret, what I can't believe for an open source software)? I always install FF with the option ***do not import*** rubbish from IE or GC. Although, I found the bug https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=830267 where this key is talked about, but I can't understand.

@Meghraj I know that but for some reason when I want to open PDFs from some sites all is ok (open in FF or Evince according what I set in Prefs/Apps), when for other PDFs from other sites, whatever is the setting in prefs, opening is KO, stating something like "datasheet.pdf , type : unknown" , and so only allowing to download to disk or browse for an external application with no way to store the choice for further use. I can understand this because why set an app for an unknown type, but when I DL the file to disk, then I can open it with evince with no issue, or I also can browse each time for the App from FF and the file opens ok too.

BTW, I have this : plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types;application/pdf but even resetting it to blank and setting pdfjs.disabled;true the issue remains.

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Hi Bibeu, this preference is used internally by Firefox, so it was created by the developers, but MozillaZine is an independent site and I suspect they focus on preferences that could change the behavior of the program, not the ones used for purely internal purposes, like keeping track of the changes to the format of a data file.