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Where can I download Chemical engineering Pdf's for free?

Help me not download .pdfs I don't want!

  • How do I keep Firefox from saving every .pdf file I look at onto my desktop? I love everything about my new Mac except one thing. When I view a .pdf file in Firefox (using either Preview or Adobe Reader) the file is automatically saved to Desktop. Since I look at dozens of .pdfs every day, this means that there are tons and tons of random files cluttering up my desktop. What's more, since these .pdfs are often from the arXiv or Math Reviews, they have meaningless filenames, so I have to open each one in order to see whether it's something I want to trash. What I would like: either a) to be able to view .pdfs in Firefox without downloading the file to my Mac at all; or b) to have the download automatically go to a folder "Temp Downloads," which I would trash every once in a while. What's more, for the files I _do_ actually want to keep, I would like it if it prompted me to choose a filename for the download -- as it is, I seem to have no choice except for the meaningless filename that the file comes with. I've already tried changing the Preferences in Firefox to the Temp Downloads folder -- this works for ordinary downloads, but the .pdfs I view still go to the desktop. I installed the PDF Download plugin, which also didn't help. Using OS/X 10.4.10, Intel processor, Firefox 2.0.0.3, if this matters. Any ideas, or am I fated to a life of tedious Desktop cleaning?

  • Answer:

    Have you looked into http://www.docufarm.com's service? After installing their browser plugin, you'll be shown an easy-to-navigate copy of the PDF as long as they've processed it in the past. This also applies to other document types, too.

escabeche at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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ODINSDREAM I KISS YOU -- this is not totally perfect (I have to control-click on the "download pdf" point on the arXiv, then scroll down to "view on docufarm", rather than one-clicking) but this is a hell of a lot better than what I was doing before. Other suggestions are still very welcome, but in 15 minutes I got a great workaround for something that's been bugging me for weeks. AskMeFi is great.

escabeche

You can change the downloads directory in the preferences (Firefox / Preferences / Main). Aside from that, I don't know what you can do, but if there is something, I'd love to know about it. Oh, there is also https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/636 which gives you a few more options (view as HTML is one of them).

synecdoche

I had this exact same problem. A little googling brought me to http://www.schubert-it.com/pluginpdf/. I've been using it ever since.

alopez

Oops, I should have read more carefully. Still, the PDFDownload Plugin might be helpful.

synecdoche

This has been one of my major complaints as well, but I figured out a workaround. It only happens if you select "Open File" instead of "Save File." I am still annoyed by this (I don't want to have to save these stupid little things and delete them later) but at least they go somewhere where I can ignore them.

dondiego87

Tuwa

I had this exact same problem. A little googling brought me to Schubert|it PDF Browser Plugin. I've been using it ever since. Have you actually got that thing working? I've tried installing it several times but still get the open/save dialog when clicking PDFs. It doesn't even show up in about:plugins. (I put it in /Library/Internet Plug-Ins like the read me said.)

DakotaPaul

Tuwa: the solution given there works for general downloading, but for whatever reason not for opening .pdfs. I believe it would work if I used "save file" instead of "open file," but then I'd have to do something else to open the file! I tried the Schubert|it browser plugin, which seems just the thing, but couldn't get Firefox to see it for whatever reason. So far, DocuFarm remains in the lead (except that I don't think I can print from DocuFarm preview.)

escabeche

escabeche: really? How strange. Don't mind me; I'm just a Mac-less guy who remembered the other thread. I will say it's odd that this is the behavior Apple's gone with; when I had one of their laptops briefly the UI seemed perfectly intuitive and sensible.

Tuwa

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