| How
to Use USPS Click-N-Ship with Firefox/Linux (Updated: 2010-05-27) |
The problem:
I sell stuff on eBay, and their handles into the USPS and UPS shipping/print label system works well. However, when I try to use the USPS Click-N-Ship system directly, it puts Firefox and Acrobat Reader into some kind of continuous loop and I never get to print out the label. I have discovered a workaround that allows me to print their labels, but not without a bit of work.
Set up in Firefox (as of 3.6.3):
In Firefox (under Linux) click "Edit" in the pull-down menu and select "Preferences."
Select the "Applications" tab at the top and type "pdf" (minus quotes) in the search bar.
Click the action next to "PDF document" and select "Save File."
Select the "Save them on my computer" radio button and click "OK."
Close the "Firefox Preferences" dialog box.
Printing the label:
Go to Click-N-Ship and follow the directions to print the label. When you get to the part where the Acrobat Reader print dialog box should appear, instead you will see the "Save to Disk" box. Rename the file appropriately (with .pdf extension) and save the file to your disk. Open the file with Acrobat Reader. The print dialog box will automatically appear allowing you to print the postage as you normally would.
Remember that the PO only allows Priority and Express options for Click-N-Ship. If you want anything else, you have to take your package down to the PO. Editorial: In my opinion, this is probably done to squeeze more money from people who could otherwise benefit from cheaper services like Media Mail (formerly "Book Rate") or Parcel Post. I don't see that it actually costs them more money to allow me to print a label, with my paper and ink, on my equipment, that costs me less.
Restoring Firefox (so you can use Acrobat plugin as usual):
To reset Firefox's ability to internally use the Acrobat Reader plugins, open a fresh tab and type "about:config" (without the quotes) into the address bar and press Enter. In the "Filter" bar, type (minus quotes) "plugin" and right-click "plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types." Select "Reset" from the pop-up menu that appears. Close the tab.
Now if you look at preferences, you will find the PDF plugin has been restored.
