1592359 : Changing download folder path temporarily

Created: 2026-04-14T18:46:20Z - current status: new

Anonymized & Summarized Issue: A user needs to download large files (multiple GB) from a data-sharing platform using Firefox but wants to avoid exceeding their home directory storage quota. They seek a way to temporarily change the default download location to a custom directory (e.g., /dust or another scratch space).

Solution: 1. Change Firefox Download Location: - Open Firefox and go to Settings (or Preferences on macOS). - Under the General tab, locate the Downloads section. - Click Browse to select a custom directory (e.g., /dust or another scratch space with sufficient quota). - Alternatively, enable "Always ask you where to save files" to manually choose the location for each download.

  1. Verify Scratch Space Availability:
  2. Ensure the target directory (e.g., /dust) has enough free space and is accessible. On Maxwell, /dust is typically a high-capacity scratch space for temporary files.
  3. Check quotas with: bash quota -s

  4. For /dust, confirm permissions with: bash ls -ld /dust

  5. Post-Download Cleanup:

  6. After processing the files, move them to a permanent location (e.g., project directory) or delete them to free up scratch space.

Note: If the user lacks permissions for /dust, they may need to request access or use an alternative scratch directory (e.g., /scratch or a project-specific path).

Sources: - No direct Maxwell documentation was referenced for this general Firefox/quota issue. The solution is based on standard Linux/Firefox practices.