Force view text file instead of download in Firefox?

Often times I'll click on a random link to a .sh or .py or .cpp or ... file in Firefox, and all I want is to view the code. I don't have a Firefox handler set up for every text file extension under the sun, and I don't want to have to. Is there an easy way to force Firefox to view the file as text instead of trying to save (or open in external app)?

davr

Posted 2009-09-18T16:05:47.547

Reputation: 4 809

Possible same on SO: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9191925/how-to-force-firefox-to-open-a-file-which-does-not-have-a-txt-extension-as-if-i

– Ciro Santilli 新疆改造中心法轮功六四事件 – 2015-04-23T05:50:14.063

Answers

Maybe you should give this addon a try. I've never used it but it looks like it might work for you.

djhowell

Posted 2009-09-18T16:05:47.547

Reputation: 3 535

1Yes this is a great addon. It's really annoying that the world is moving away for this way of working (take chrome that wants to save everything) – Davide – 2014-06-30T16:31:59.543

I use that addon, it works pretty well. – Powerlord – 2009-09-18T18:08:08.453

3Good old firefox...this was originally reported as a bug 9 years ago. This extension was made 3 years ago. Bug still not fixed...but at least I can use the extension. – davr – 2009-09-18T21:13:08.410

Answered HERE

to display file add below line(s) in .htaccess

AddType text/plain .txt
AddType text/plain .log

This is signal Firefox that you don't have to download the file instead view file as plain text.This technique can be applied to all the files that you need to view instead off download.

Azmat Karim Khan

Posted 2009-09-18T16:05:47.547

Reputation: 121

1This is server-side configuration. If it is configured properly, things work. But more often than not it is configured wrong, and the point is working around that bad configuration. – Jan Hudec – 2019-09-03T09:03:39.437

Open options and go to the applications tab, maybe that will help. Other than that, I'm not sure. Try searching for an extension.

Linus

Posted 2009-09-18T16:05:47.547

Reputation: 679

Applications tab: that would require me to add something for each and every file type, I was hoping to do it all at once. extension: I looked, but couldn't find any that did what I wanted. Hence why I am asking on here – davr – 2009-09-18T16:29:50.400