How to run a command automatically after a download completes

Add-ons Development
1

How to run a command automatically, after a download completes in firefox desktop browser.

Note: I am not an add-on developer.

I used to be able to do this with add-on Download Status Bar (DSB) by Szalgiris user cmd. You can define any user cmd to run as the “virus scan” cmd. See Download Status Bar :: Add-ons for SeaMonkey - Download Status Bar by Szalgiris. Pic of options screen below:

DSB by Szalgiris user cmd 20220324 v2
DSB by Szalgiris user cmd 20220324 v2880×788 42.4 KB

This add-on is no longer supported under latest Firefox is there another add-on or another way I could do this?

I need an add-on that can, after downloading file, trigger a script and pass name of downloaded file, so this is sequence:
. Firefox download complete then
. Run user defined command on this download (parameters for name and file checksum needed ). Examples: create a log file; run a windows batch file; run ad-hoc virus scan; or run a command script for TTS the name of the file downloaded.

Is it technically possible for a web-extensions add-on to implement this like the old add-on?

This is similar to the discussion on firefox - How to run a command automatically after completing download? - Ask Ubuntu where one suggestion mentioned:
Context command executor – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)
Native messaging - Mozilla | MDN

That is hard to setup and is NOT integrating into download process. Although another alternative is have a separate download manager and change content type action (Manage file types and download actions in Firefox | Firefox Help) it’s a work laptop and installing a separate download manager is not an option. I would really like a simple method I can use on both Home and Office PC.

I am currently using Download Status Bar (S3) but it does not have a user defined command option like “Download Status Bar by Szalgiris”

Is there an add-on that currently solves this?

1 Like
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The numerous “Open with” extensions use the native messaging approach (i.e., you install a companion application). I don’t know whether any of those are generic enough to work for you.

3

I assume you’re talking about an add-on like “open with Chrome” where a url link is passed to an intermediate node.js app listening on a local port for data which it then passes to google Chrome browser app. I have only seen those add-ons triggered by selecting a menu action or button action. Is it possible to write an addon that will automatically trigger when a download completes in the browser and then trigger an “open with” action?

I might be able to fork “Download Status Bar (S3)” and adapt some code snippets into the existing add on if I can get a clear idea what is possible and what is not possible under web extension restrictions. I doubt “Download Status Bar (S3)” developer would be interested in the enhancement.