Latest DT version on the latest macOS. Select some text in Firefox, right mouse click opens context menu. Select “DEVONthink 3 – new text memo”. DT goes to the beach and plays ball there…
Update This works ok from Chrome, but there the “Create formatted note” entry is missing. DT actually does create the text note – it’s there after a restart, when an orphaned document in the inbox is detected, which contains the text I selected.
When I try to create a formatted note that way, I only get a beep. Doing the same in Safari works like a charm.
Bugs? Some user error/misconception? Borken Apple framework?
Is DEVONthink allowed to automate Firefox?
Most likely poor services support by third-party browsers. Services just receive whatever the source application provides (or not) and this also determines which services are available in the end.
It’s not. Neither was it for Chrome nor Safari, but with these two, it asked me for the required permission. Not so for FF. How would I add it to the apps that DT is allowed to automate – there doesn’t seem to be a UI control for that in Settings.
Also, if it’s not permitted to automate, I understand the beep in the case of the formatted note. But the beach ball for a new text memo? Either it’s not allowed to a text note? Either it’s not allowed to automate, then it should beep for everything. Or it’s allowed, than it shouldn’t go beachballing. BTW: FF does not have any useful AppleScript support, so DT would have to use some other mechanism?
The joys of macOS, especially after denying the request once. Try a dummy script executed via DEVONthink’s script menu, does this cause a prompt? Otherwise the only option is to completely reset the TCC (" transparency consent and control") prompts via the Terminal. And yes, broken TCC settings can freeze an app.
Nope. A simple activate does just that, without prompting. I’ll read up about TCC.
Update A slightly more complicated script run from DT actually triggered the permission dialog. So, permission granted. FF now listed under “DEVONthink 3” in “Privacy & Security/Automation”. Still, selecting the “new formatted note” service results in a beep. But a “text note” is created correctly.
I suppose that the missing AS support in FF is what prevents creation of a formatted note. The TCC database now says that kTCCServiceAppleEvents is enabled for org.mozilla.firefox, same as for Chrome and Safari.
Actually I just confirmed that this “wonderful” macOS citizen didn’t deliver anything to DEVONthink. Its services menu is full of other useless options, e.g. “Show Info in Finder” or “Show in Finder”.
The corresponding (to AS support) bug in Firefox is registered for 23 years:
And there’s supposedly someone working on a prototype implementation who’s waiting for input from someone else for two years. Talk about “not high on the priority list”.
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An assignee doesn’t necessarily mean that the work gets done 