[Bug 270194] [NEW] Firefox saves files opened via an external viewer as editable in /tmp

[zeitkunst]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: firefox

This occurs in an up-to-date release of Ubuntu 8.04.1.

Firefox saves opened files as editable in /tmp, meaning that any edits
to the file are lost on reboot.

To reproduce:

1.  Open a file (such as *.doc or *.odt) from a link in Firefox, launching an external viewer.
2.  Make some edits to the file.
3.  Save the file.
4.  Logout and reboot.
5.  Find that your file is not there anymore because /tmp was erased.

_This is data loss, pure and simple._

The desired behavior should be one or more of the following:

 * Files opened via an external viewer should still be saved in the "downloads folder" (wherever the user has set it)
 * Files opened via an external viewer should be saved in /tmp with read-only bits set, so that the user has to rename/move the file when saving.

Firefox should not allow the user to open and edit a file in a location
that is known to be erased.  Any behavior like this is reckless with the
user's data.  The user should not be assumed to know that /tmp is erased
on reboot, nor be assumed to know that opened files get saved somewhere
different than saved files; if Ubuntu were Slackware or Gentoo, then
perhaps.  But Ubuntu prides itself on user-friendliness, and I have to
say that this bug has caused myself and others much data loss on a
number of occasions.  I cannot in good conscience recommend Ubuntu to
others if bugs like this--that cause data loss, remember--are allowed to
exist.

** Affects: firefox (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: data data-loss firefox loss tmp

** Tags added: data data-loss firefox loss tmp

-- 
Firefox saves files opened via an external viewer as editable in /tmp
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/270194
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