Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?[SOLVED]

[jakeyboy]

Okay people, I don't know if this is a linux/ubuntu/kubuntu specific problem, although I think it must be!  But when I want to upload a picture of any sort to say, a forum such as this, or any other website, I would like a preview of the file so I know it is the correct picture I am uploading. I used to be able to see a preview when I used Windows XP, but now I don't get any! I have tried using Firefox 2, Firefox 3 and Opera.  None of them seem to have this facility, and I am even running Firefox 3 under WINE with no luck, though I am sure I had this facility under XP.  Does anyone know if it's to do with the Kubuntu system file browser or something else?  A system setting or otherwise? Any help as usual would be greatly appreciated. 

PS:  I've checked, and I get a preview in "Konqueror", but I'd rather use Firefox.  If FF can't be configured then I suppose I'll just have to use Konqueror for image uploads.  Seems a bit inconvenient though??!  Any help??

[kubicle]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

PS: I've checked, and I get a preview in "Konqueror", but I'd rather use Firefox. If FF can't be configured then I suppose I'll just have to use Konqueror for image uploads. Seems a bit inconvenient though??! Any help??

While kde file dialogs do support iconic previews and a separate preview pane, the problem is that many browsers (like opera or firefox) use their own dialogs instead of kde ones.

There seems to be a few workarounds floating around. Here's one that may or may not work (I haven't tested myself since I don't use firefox):
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=36077
It seems to be packaged in the ppa repos, but only for jaunty:
https://launchpad.net/~kgtk/+archive/ppa

[jakeyboy]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

PS: I've checked, and I get a preview in "Konqueror", but I'd rather use Firefox. If FF can't be configured then I suppose I'll just have to use Konqueror for image uploads. Seems a bit inconvenient though??! Any help??

While kde file dialogs do support iconic previews and a separate preview pane, the problem is that many browsers (like opera or firefox) use their own dialogs instead of kde ones.

There seems to be a few workarounds floating around. Here's one that may or may not work (I haven't tested myself since I don't use firefox):
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=36077
It seems to be packaged in the ppa repos, but only for jaunty:
https://launchpad.net/~kgtk/+archive/ppa

Hi kubicle, thanks for the input, but I'm afraid I found it very difficult to follow the procedures, and although I did follow them, nothing changed! I ended up with a load of files and folders added to my home directory, and no change to the problem. Sorry, but thanks anyway.

[dibl]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

Firefox is a Mozilla product -- it is not part of KDE or Kubuntu. The KDE browser is Konqueror.

Being at the office, I had to look at Firefox on a Win XP box. If you click Tools>Options>Applications, you get a window where you can choose what happens when a .gif or .jpg or .png etc. image file is encountered. I would guess this is where you get a chance to choose how it is previewed. Some file types have a "preview" option, but the images do not all have that.

In Firefox for Linux, you would have to choose "Edit>Preferences", I think, to get to this same utility.

That's about all I can offer -- if you need more help with Firefox, you probably need to go to the Mozilla forums.

[jakeyboy]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

Firefox is a Mozilla product -- it is not part of KDE or Kubuntu. The KDE browser is Konqueror.

Being at the office, I had to look at Firefox on a Win XP box. If you click Tools>Options>Applications, you get a window where you can choose what happens when a .gif or .jpg or .png etc. image file is encountered. I would guess this is where you get a chance to choose how it is previewed. Some file types have a "preview" option, but the images do not all have that.

In Firefox for Linux, you would have to choose "Edit>Preferences", I think, to get to this same utility.

That's about all I can offer -- if you need more help with Firefox, you probably need to go to the Mozilla forums.

Yes dibl, I know about those options/preferences in Firefox. Trouble is, I cannot get FF-3 to install on my kubuntu box, so I have FF-2 running and it doesn't have that option. Looks like I'd be better off looking in the Mozilla forums as you've suggested. Thanks

[dibl]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

Trouble is, I cannot get FF-3 to install on my kubuntu box

Huh? That is strange!

If you look in Adept Manager, or Synaptic, what does the "Firefox" package say about the version? I just installed Kubuntu 9.04 on Saturday on a computer for someone else, and did

sudo apt-get install firefox

and it installed FF 3.0.8. I would expect the same version in the 8.04 repo.

No?

[jakeyboy]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

dibl -- If you check this thread -> http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3102624.0 <- you may get a bit more info to explain my particular FF 3 problem. Glad you are willing to help, I've noted your assistance in other posts/threads and you sure seem to know your stuff!

[dibl]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

OK.

After all that installing and uninstalling of different version of FF, it's hard to know where the trouble is/are -- did some of these installations come from downloaded tarballs, versus the repository packages? That's not an advisable approach for packages that are available in the repos -- your system has a package manager (dpkg) for good reason, and end-running it is not the way to keep your versions and dependencies well organized.

If I were attempting to fix it, I would get out of X with Ctrl-Alt-F1, and try this at the CLI:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

sudo apt-get remove --purge firefox

sudo apt-get install firefox

and if it does not install FF 3, take note of any errors, and use those for troubleshooting the problem.

[jakeyboy]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

Thanks dibl - I am going to try that now. First though, I have another problem. I can't run "nvidia-settings" I don't know where it's gone, but i just keep getting "command not found"? I'm fed up re-booting the system only to find no difference. I followed your nvidia/envyng tutorial before, and it worked perfectly, but now I don't know what I've done!! Sorry, that should probably be in another forum, but well.........since I have your ear......

Alas, no luck. No error messages, Just a bouncing icon and then nothing. Also, FF-2 was disabled after I followed your instructions, and only a "purge" on firefox got it back. I still have a firefox listing in the K menu too, which is confusing.

[dibl]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

On FF3 -- I dunno -- you didn't say what version it says in Adept ... ??

On nVidia -- did you upgrade to a new kernel? If so, you always have to reinstall the proprietary driver when you upgrade to a newer kernel. EnvyNG should work, but if you need to use the downloaded installer, that works too, just be sure to get out of X and shut down the X server first.

[jakeyboy]

Re: Graphics Preview in File/Web Browser?

Last version I installed was 3.0.8. Simply didn't run at all!

I have no idea if I was upgraded to a new kernel or not. Sorry to be so vague, but I'm really new to this and I seem to have gone through lots of stages without realising exactly what the effects were.

Edit: Followed your advice on Nvidia/EnvyNG. All seems to be running okay again. Thanks once more. FF-3? who knows??