Chrome bug bedevils file storage in the cloud

Those utilizing Chrome connected Windows and different platforms whitethorn person problem storing files complete a network.

For astatine slightest nan past 10 days, Chrome type 109 – nan existent unchangeable merchandise – has balked erstwhile asked to prevention files utilizing a cosmopolitan naming normal (UNC) path. A bug report connected nan rumor was submitted January 17, explaining that record redeeming grounded connected Chrome 109.0.5414.94 (32bit) for Windows.

Other browsers, specifically Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge (based connected Chromium) look to beryllium capable to complete this task properly.

The problem manifests itself aft browsing for a record online, clicking connected nan prevention action and trying to shop nan information connected a networked shared instrumentality aliases unreality server. As indicated successful nan bug report, doing truthful produces an correction connection that nan package cannot beryllium opened because it contains strategy files.

Windows users, however, are not nan only ones facing this issue. The Register tested the bug demo code submitted by a different bug reporter.

The demo codification implements nan showOpenFilePicker() method that's portion of nan File System Access API. That peculiar method allows nan personification to take a remotely stored file. When we attempted to unfastened a Dropbox record connected macOS Ventura 13.2 pinch Chrome Version 109.0.5414.119 (arm64), we encountered an error: "Can't unfastened this file."

Google has been talking up nan File System Access API since 2019. It was antecedently known arsenic nan Native File System API, but that sanction sewage nixed for "inclusivity reasons."

Before that, it was known arsenic nan Writable Files API. It represents an effort to supply developers pinch a measurement to fto web apps entree files and directories connected section devices.

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It's part of Google's Project Fugu, which intends to springiness web apps nan aforesaid capabilities of autochthonal level apps – a extremity Apple has been widely accused of undermining done its timid improvement of WebKit-based Safari. Recently, however, Apple has accelerated its browser improvement successful an effort to make Safari much competitory now that European and UK regulators look fresh to unit nan institution to let rival browsers connected iOS.

The Chrome record bug, presumably domiciled location wrong nan Blink rendering engine's file strategy code, has been assigned to beryllium fixed, ideally by January 31, 2023, erstwhile nan stable trim of nan type 110 code has been scheduled. It has been bumped to privilege 1 because, arsenic a Google package technologist put it, "blocking UNC paths collapsed a number of morganatic usage cases." ®