Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Simon G
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 10:29 PM

Having used variants of UNIX since 1982 I was quite annoyed with myself for allowing myself to be beaten by the printing issue. HP did work for me as well.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Tootler
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 05:50 PM

Dual boot suits me fine. Ubuntu is the default OS to load which is what I want. I have not had any major problems with printing. I have a HP printer and they provide a useful toolbox for Ubuntu. I have been able to do everything I want to from the printer in Ubuntu, though it has often been different from WinXP so it took a little time to learn. That was true of everything in Linux and I expected it when I decided to try Linux.

My present PC is getting a little long in the tooth now and will need replacing soon. It is unlikely I will go back to Windows now, though there are a few things I need Windows for so I will almost certainly go for dual boot when I do replace the present computer.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 01:56 PM

I also used to run a dual booted XP/Ubuntu system, but for the last year or so also abandoned it for virtual second systems. I keep XP running native and have Ubuntu/Kubuntu as virtual machines, both under Sun's VirtualBox and under VMWare player. Both seem to work well for me.

Mick

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Simon G
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 12:52 PM

I've used dual boot many time over the year and I'm not a big fan. Hosting secondary OSes always works best for me with Virtual Box or similar.

Over the summer I had Ubuntu running native with a hosted XP for the few things that didn't run on Ubuntu that I needed. I kept hitting problems with printing, too few printer manufacturers support by Ubuntu, so I gave up and reverted to Vista running native, Ubuntu hosted. I really liked Ubuntu a lot and was so disappointed when it just got too difficult.

Simon

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Tootler
Date: 15 Jan 10 - 05:58 AM

I have a similar setup to RichD - Dual boot Ubuntu/WinXP With a FAT partition to store my data so it can be accessed from either system. The only difference relevant to this case is I use the Linux version of the Adobe's own reader rather than the Evince viewer.

I had not thought to save the pdf file to the Ubuntu home folder. When I tried it it saved no problems and will open OK in the FAT partition after manually copying.

I have had a similar problem with Audacity where the Linux version will not save project files to the FAT partition so I now keep my Audacity files in my Ubuntu home folder. Using an NTFS partition for the data does not resolve the situation (which I was recommended to do in the Ubuntu help forum) as I tried saving to the WinXP partition and had the same problems. It seems that there is a problem with saving files from some Linux Apps to Windows partitions.

Rich.
When I saved the Tax Return from the website the filename offered was "viewTaxReturnPdf.pdf" - the *.pdf suffix was already there! You must have accidentally deleted it during the saving of the file.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: GUEST,RichD
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 09:49 PM

After a bit more experimenting, and finding it will open in XP, the solution may be embarrassingly simple.

For some reason, the downloaded file is called 'viewTaxReturnPdf'. When I renamed it to 'viewTaxReturnPdf.pdf', all was well and it opened in Ubuntu. A dot makes all the difference.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: artbrooks
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 08:57 PM

There are several Firefox add-ons that emulate IE. Maybe one of those would help.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: GUEST,RichD
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 06:48 PM

I can't help Tootler, except to say I've just had the same problem, so he won't feel so alone!

I've got a dual boot setup using Windows XP and Ubuntu 9.10. I have a FAT partition for data so that I can get to it from either OS. I'm using the default Firefox browser and Evince Document Viewer 2.28.1.

As Mr Codger said, the tax site handles all the data input through encrypted web pages, then when you've finished it offers you the opportunity to print or download a pdf version of the finished form.

It wouldn't let me save it to my FAT partition, but it did save to my home folder in Linux and will open there. When I manually copy it from Linux to the FAT partition, it refuses to open "Error opening file: Permission denied".

The permissions look OK and according to Evince there's no security on the pdf (I'm surprised at that, I'd have expected it to be protected from editing at least).

Very odd, and annoying.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Newport Boy
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 05:07 PM

I've used the online return for a number of years, the last 5 with Firefox, the last 2 on Linux. I've not had a problem.

I wonder if the message was a Linux file permissions problem? I don't know Ubuntu, or how your system is set up.

Phil

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Artful Codger
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 04:12 PM

Um, I believe he said that the result (i.e., the completed return) was sent from the tax-prep site in PDF. The form entry would have been handled through secure web pages. Statements from various institutions are usually supplied as PDF documents, due to the platform independence of this format.

If the text is selectable, it might be possible to paste it into some word processor document (preferably another PDF file--saving the blank document as PDF before pasting may help resolve conversion difficulties). If a FAT32 or NTFS file system is the problem, he might be able to save the file to a thumb drive (though I'm guessing the save function is completely unavailable). On my Mac, I'd use the program Grab to take a window shot of the forms--there must be similar utilities for Windows, if it can't be done using the native PrScrn shortcuts.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: treewind
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 02:37 PM

You do taxes online? IN Firefox?

PDF allows forms in documents - I don't know how they work but I assume that means you can fill in the boxes and then save the file with your text saved in the boxes, and then you send that back to the revenue...

And on some installations with Firefox and Adobe reader installed, when Firefox downloads a PDF it embeds the Adobe reader in the Firefox window, so it looks as if Firefox is displaying the PDF but it's really Adobe reader's code that's doing the work.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 11:26 AM

The link given by Simon G suggests that you may be able to get a save by dragging the pdf to someplace(?).

As an alternative - can you print the pdf? At least you'd have a paper record of the return while you work out a way to get it saved as pdf.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 11:20 AM

You do taxes online? IN Firefox?

The only option was to save as a PDF? That's strange. I have very little experience with Linux, but surely you have some program that will do PDF in Linux.

Did it specifically say it was "encrypted"? That would be even stranger. Perhaps it is just that Firefox has not been told which application to use. Browsers do not 'decrypt'.... saving the file should not be a problem, no matter what you'd use to view it.

It's important to be clear on what does what and what formats are available for saving.

Subject: RE: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Simon G
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 11:12 AM

It appears to be a Acrobat Reader bug.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acroread/+bug/414862

You need to save a partition formated in something other than FAT32 or NTFS, your desktop maybe

Subject: Tech: Saving encrypted pdf from Firefox
From: Tootler
Date: 14 Jan 10 - 10:52 AM

I've just been completing my (UK) tax return.

When I got to the end, I selected the option to save my return to disk. This came up as a pdf file but when I tried to save it I got a message stating "You do not have permission to write to this file".

I rang the help desk and the man who answered the phone was able to tell me how to save the file with Internet explorer in Windows. As I am using Firefox in Ubuntu Linux, this was not a lot of use. Unfortunately the man on the help desk did not know to do this in Firefox and did not even know what Linux was, so pleasant as he was he was not a lot of use either.

It seems that the pdf is sent in an encrypted format and you need to check or uncheck something that enables the browser to decrypt and save the file. I have had a look round Firefox but have not found how to do this.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Geoff