From Bugzilla Helper: User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:0.9.3+) Gecko/20010815 BuildID: 2001081514 I know this is considered a feature, but I consider it a bug. I cannot get Mozilla to launch a helper application when I download an unknown file. For instance, I can't get Mozilla to launch xmms whenever I try to play a Shoutcast stream. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install a fresh copy of Mozilla, with no helper apps or plug-ins configured. 2. Log in as a regular user. 3. Lauch Mozilla and click on the URL about. 4. Notice how Mozilla asks if you want to download the file, or associate it with some application. 5. Close Mozilla. Now log in as root and repeat step #3. 6. Notice now that Mozilla will only let you save the file to disk. Even if you specify a helper application, Mozilla ignores it and insists on downloading the file. Actual Results: Mozilla insists on downloading any unknown file. Expected Results: Mozilla should ask whether you want to download the file or whether you want to launch an application with it.

reassign :mscott to take a look

--> XP Apps

I see this behaviour also.

I just wanted to add one thing. I understand that many Linux users would think that this feature is a good idea, and that I shouldn't be running Mozilla as root anyway. Well, if that's the case, then why let Mozilla run at all? I have no problem with the default behavior being "don't run plug-ins as root", but I definitely think there should be some kind of user option, under "Privacy and Security", that will let me disable the restriction. I think that will make everyone happy, and it shouldn't be too hard to implement.

Is this true that root can't launch helper apps? Where is the code that performs the check?

I usually run mozilla as root and I can confirm that helper applications are not working. It's very annoying. I know I should not run Mozilla as root, but I use Mozilla in a home PC and a Laptop, not a production server. I think there should be at least a hidden preference to disable this behavior.

Where is the Mozilla code that performs the "root check"????

Isn't this just bug 115819 (the "resolved" part of that; note that it has never been checked in).

Boris, I think you are right. Bug 115819 seems to describe (in part) the same problem. Colin, read that bug for a description of the cause of this behavior.

Yes, the patch from 115819 can fix this bug. Why the patch cannot get in?

I ran Firefox as root and successfully used a helper app for a PDF download, so this seems to have been fixed at some point.