pdf files and firefox

[jerbear]

I'm happily using the latest version of mozilla firefox (now 0.9.1) with one minor annoyance. I have acrobat reader installed, and I can open pdf files via the command
>acroread filename.pdf
I have also copied the associated browser plugin file (nppdf.so) to the firefox plugin directory (/usr/lib/firefox/plugins). Firefox claims the plugin is installed. If I go to the about:plugins page I see the following:

nppdf.so

File name: nppdf.so

MIME Type Description Suffixes Enabled
application/pdf Portable Document Format pdf Yes

However, if I click on a weblink for a pdf file, it doesn't open properly or display anything. I end up with a blank page. Does anyone else have this working properly? I'm running RedHat 8.0 btw.

Thanks,
Jeremy

[Dark Ninja]

Well, I realize this is a workaround, but why don't you get a program like xpdf and have it be the default application for PDF files. Then, when you click on a link to a PDF file, it'll ask you what you want to do -- save it or open it. Just open it using the default program.

Well, that's why I do anyway. Just a suggestion.

[jerbear]

That does work to some degree, but it doesn't really save me anything: I'm a PhD student in optics/physics, so I come across pdf files pretty much daily, a fair number of which I end up printing out. xpdf doesn't print directly - it just exports a ps file. kghostview will actually send files to the printer, but for some reason the pdf files it prints are rather streaked. acroread prints everything perfectly, but right now I have to go through the hassle of saving the pdfs to disk and opening them from there with acroread.

I've also tried using the windows reader with crossover plugins v 2.1.0. This works a touch better since I can actually get a pdf file displaying in the browser window - kind of. The pdf file loads, but the mouse remains in an hour glass shape as long as it's inside the window, and none of the acrobat buttons or scrollbars are accessible.

JB

[Uranus]

I can open files with Adobe Acrobat Reader directly - I think you can as well.
Sam

[sharth]

the plugin is for embedded pdfs.

in the firefox options (linux comp is dead at the moment so i can't find the exact spot) there is a place to associate file extensions with certain applications. Thats probably what you want.