
    <p>
      A while ago I visited a web site that is an archive for old
      historical documents. It is a data base from where documents can
      be downloaded as pdf-files. As a visitor I can login to the
      archive as a guest.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      When I find a document of interest after search I can right click
      on the pdf icon and download the document.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      But I can not. No download when I click on the pdf icon. This is
      the first time I visit this archive so I do not know exactly how
      it works.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      It was time to investigate the root cause.</p>
    <p>
      I use Firefox on a Linux machine. I tested several methods to see
      if any would solve the issue. I tried by changing settings for
      pop-ups. I changed Firefox security settings. I disabled VPN. I
      disabled Firefox extensions for blocking trackers.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      I tested also the Chromium browser as well as the Epiphany
      browser.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      All those methods resulted in no difference; nothing
      happened.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      I was in contact to a friend on Windows and also staff at the
      Archive, both telling me that from Windows it worked, including
      with Firefox. So now I knew the archive works and that it works on
      Firefox.</p>
    <p>
      So I thought, can this somehow be related to Linux?&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      I asked in a Linux forum if someone on Linux could test to
      download.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      One person in the forum tested and solved the problem. I would not
      define it as a Linux problem, but a site design that affected
      Linux users.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      The trouble was something I had not thought of: The User
      Agent.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      When my browser contact a web site, my browser can tell the site
      what kind of browser I use, which operating system I use and more.
      This information can be used by the site to optimize the
      presentation of the content for me.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      For to me unknown reason, maybe a mistake, maybe related to some
      old design compatibility issue, this site did not accept the
      information my user agent provided.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      The solution is to tell the web site I am something else.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      In the browser has Developer tools. When opening the developer
      tools from meny, typically a developer window with tools and
      analytics is opened at the bottom part of the web page. One tool
      is network. Within network I can simulate how the site looks on
      different devices, with different network connections and also
      with different User Agents.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      The tools are similar in both Firefox and Chromium. The exact list
      of standard options differ and Chromium has more options
      preloaded.</p>
    <p>
      In this specific case, when I in Developer tools on Firefox change
      User Agent to Chrome Desktop, which relates to Chrome on Windows
      as I understand, and then reload the web page I can now download
      the pdf file from the archive.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      When this web site interpret me to be this other type of user,
      they can understand each other without any issue.&nbsp;</p>
    <p>
      I have reported back to the site owner and hopefully this specific
      site will not need this work around for the browser User Agent in
      the future.</p>