pdf viewer

bambuko · 04-02-2015, 06:11 AM

How does Calibre decide which pdf viewer (of 3 available on my pc) it uses?
There is one viewer (FoxitReader 1.1) that my Calibre seem to default to, which comes back with an error message:

Code:

Cannot open the file!
The file cannot be found or opened, the file name may be incorrect.
Please verify and try again.

and yet when I go into the library and open the file directly with FoxitReader, it is fine.

I have set another reader on my pc as default, and it remains a default reader on my pc, but calibre persist with using the original FoxitReader?

Is there somewhere in Calibre, where I can set the default reader it uses?

itimpi · 04-02-2015, 10:03 AM

Calibre just uses whatever is set as the system default for viewing PDF files - you never specify a specific program. If it is failing to launch then there is something wrong with the system settings for viewing that sort of file.

theducks · 04-02-2015, 10:25 AM

The one that HAS been set (the always use tick box in Open With properties) in the OS.

Double click on a PDF in Explorer... What opens the file, is what Calibre will use.

Don't want Calibre to use that one? Get and configure the 'Open With' plugin to choose the one you want.

you can add lines so there is an entry choice for each that you have:

A PDF
B PDF
C PDF

eschwartz · 04-02-2015, 11:38 AM

The latest version of calibre has its own Open With implementation, right-click on a format link in Book details.

bambuko · 04-03-2015, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

Calibre just uses whatever is set as the system default for viewing PDF files - you never specify a specific program...

system default is viewer A and Calibre insists on using B

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

....If it is failing to launch then there is something wrong with the system settings for viewing that sort of file.

Viewer B is launching fine when requested by Calibre, but then fails to open the .pdf file I want to view (and yet, viewer B works fine outside of Cailbre)

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

The one that HAS been set (the always use tick box in Open With properties) in the OS....

Well... that exactly the reason for my question. Calibre is opening with viewer B even though the OS always uses A (after I set it as default)

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Double click on a PDF in Explorer... What opens the file, is what Calibre will use....

If I single click (it's Linux) on .pdf in file manage it opens (by default) with viewer A, and yet Calibre will not use viewer A

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

...Don't want Calibre to use that one? Get and configure the 'Open With' plugin to choose the one you want.

you can add lines so there is an entry choice for each that you have:
A PDF
B PDF
C PDF

Thank you for that suggestion

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

The latest version of calibre has its own Open With implementation, right-click on a format link in Book details.

Yes, I am not using the latest version. Might try updating Calibre

Thank you all for your suggestions!

It's interesting that latest version addreses this:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre/+bug/1434990

kovidgoyal · 04-03-2015, 04:55 AM

Default programs on linux are an utter and absolute mess. calibre uses Qt which in turn uses xdg-open. So you need to set your default PDF viewer in a way that will work with xdg-open. Open a terminal, run

xdg-open file.pdf

to test it. How you change the default for xdg-open is completely distro and desktop environment specific. Personally, I gave up on linux's default programs long ago and just wrote my open replacement for xdg-open.

bambuko · 04-03-2015, 05:16 AM

Thanks Kovid!
As usual

you are spot on

xdg-open file.pdf replicates exactly what happens when I try to .pdf in Calibre (even with the same error message)

You've made my day - because I thought I was going Doolally

wlmb · 06-02-2015, 09:54 AM

I have a similar problem. exo-open and xdg-open do open my pdf's correctly, but just clicking on them in Calibre gieves me the error Failed to open URI "file:/...". I can open it from Calibre using the 'Open with' plugin. A related bug (I think) is that I cannot click open the containing folder from Calibre. I just upgraded to Debian/scratch.

kovidgoyal · 06-02-2015, 11:04 AM

The version of xdg-open on your system cant parse file:// URLs with percent encoding correctly.

wlmb · 06-05-2015, 10:51 AM

Yes kovidgoyal. I understand xdg-open uses exo-open and I verified that my exo-open gets confused with URL's that have '%' escapes. I already submitted a bug report.

loviedovie · 06-05-2015, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

The one that HAS been set (the always use tick box in Open With properties) in the OS.

Double click on a PDF in Explorer... What opens the file, is what Calibre will use.

Don't want Calibre to use that one? Get and configure the 'Open With' plugin to choose the one you want.

you can add lines so there is an entry choice for each that you have:

A PDF
B PDF
C PDF

Actually couple times Calibre messed up my viewer settings under Linux (installed it via Debian packages I think). Calibre became my default pdf viewer which was a terrible experience. I could not get rid of it, I tried every possible way under Linux to change it. I ended up wiping Calibre from the sytem and using manual zip method.

Future Science · 06-12-2015, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wlmb

I have a similar problem. exo-open and xdg-open do open my pdf's correctly, but just clicking on them in Calibre gieves me the error Failed to open URI "file:/...". I can open it from Calibre using the 'Open with' plugin. A related bug (I think) is that I cannot click open the containing folder from Calibre. I just upgraded to Debian/scratch.

I have this same problem after a system update (I guess).

bambuko · 09-12-2015, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The version of xdg-open on your system cant parse file:// URLs with percent encoding correctly.

Would this be responsible for the message I get when click to view .pdf file?
FoxitReader now opens fine, but I get this:

i

and yet, when I open this file directly in the folder (without using Calibre), FoxitReader has absolutely no problems with it

kovidgoyal · 09-12-2015, 11:11 PM

Yes. You need to fix xdg-open to unencode URLs before passing them to applications. Personally I gave up on xdg-utils (it is one of the worst codebases I have ever seen) a long time ago and wrote my open simple easy to maintain xdg-open. If you search in these forums you will find it.

eschwartz · 09-12-2015, 11:37 PM

As well as several other replacements here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...n_replacements

Kovid's is here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...en#post2897570

04-02-2015, 06:11 AM	#1
bambuko Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2014 Device: Kobo mini, Kobo Clara HD	pdf viewer How does Calibre decide which pdf viewer (of 3 available on my pc) it uses? There is one viewer (FoxitReader 1.1) that my Calibre seem to default to, which comes back with an error message: Code: Cannot open the file! The file cannot be found or opened, the file name may be incorrect. Please verify and try again. and yet when I go into the library and open the file directly with FoxitReader, it is fine. I have set another reader on my pc as default, and it remains a default reader on my pc, but calibre persist with using the original FoxitReader? Is there somewhere in Calibre, where I can set the default reader it uses?

06-05-2015, 10:51 AM	#10
wlmb Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: none	exo-open bug Yes kovidgoyal. I understand xdg-open uses exo-open and I verified that my exo-open gets confused with URL's that have '%' escapes. I already submitted a bug report.

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04-02-2015, 10:03 AM	#2
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	Calibre just uses whatever is set as the system default for viewing PDF files - you never specify a specific program. If it is failing to launch then there is something wrong with the system settings for viewing that sort of file.

04-02-2015, 10:25 AM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,251 Karma: 61360164 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The one that HAS been set (the always use tick box in Open With properties) in the OS. Double click on a PDF in Explorer... What opens the file, is what Calibre will use. Don't want Calibre to use that one? Get and configure the 'Open With' plugin to choose the one you want. you can add lines so there is an entry choice for each that you have: A PDF B PDF C PDF

04-02-2015, 11:38 AM	#4
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	The latest version of calibre has its own Open With implementation, right-click on a format link in Book details.

04-03-2015, 04:55 AM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,604 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Default programs on linux are an utter and absolute mess. calibre uses Qt which in turn uses xdg-open. So you need to set your default PDF viewer in a way that will work with xdg-open. Open a terminal, run xdg-open file.pdf to test it. How you change the default for xdg-open is completely distro and desktop environment specific. Personally, I gave up on linux's default programs long ago and just wrote my open replacement for xdg-open.

04-03-2015, 05:16 AM	#7
bambuko Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2014 Device: Kobo mini, Kobo Clara HD	Thanks Kovid! As usual you are spot on xdg-open file.pdf replicates exactly what happens when I try to .pdf in Calibre (even with the same error message) You've made my day - because I thought I was going Doolally

06-02-2015, 09:54 AM	#8
wlmb Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: none	I have a similar problem. exo-open and xdg-open do open my pdf's correctly, but just clicking on them in Calibre gieves me the error Failed to open URI "file:/...". I can open it from Calibre using the 'Open with' plugin. A related bug (I think) is that I cannot click open the containing folder from Calibre. I just upgraded to Debian/scratch.

06-02-2015, 11:04 AM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,604 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The version of xdg-open on your system cant parse file:// URLs with percent encoding correctly.

09-12-2015, 11:11 PM	#14
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,604 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes. You need to fix xdg-open to unencode URLs before passing them to applications. Personally I gave up on xdg-utils (it is one of the worst codebases I have ever seen) a long time ago and wrote my open simple easy to maintain xdg-open. If you search in these forums you will find it.

09-12-2015, 11:37 PM	#15
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	As well as several other replacements here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...n_replacements Kovid's is here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...en#post2897570