just how do you think the attachment which is a mime encoded text stream is going to become a file to be opened unless you download it? It is not! If you used windows then the file would be in a temp folder, but because you use an apple product you get to see the file in your face. Apparently that is how OSX works and apple users expect things to happen.

It strikes me as plain silly to save temp files on the desktop. But apparently to an apple aficionado it is normal.

Thanks - sort of.

I agree, it is plain silly to save a temp file on the desktop. This doesn't happen with e.g. Mac's own email client. And it's not a temp file - it's not deleted afterwards. If I open and look at it twice, I end up with 2 versions, three times 3 version etc.

So it would be great if there was a solution that has it create a temp file (which macs normally do, it's not far fetched).

I am sorry if my response sounds off.... but I really do not understand whey thy do it the way they do.

Have a read of this bug... I have linked to comment 4 which appears to sum up the mac users other expectations. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1387292#c4

But that bug was closed as a duplicate of the granddaddy. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=238789

It appears to me progress is bogged down in competing discussions of what is "normal" on a mac. AS OSX users make up a very small proportion of Thunderbird users and an even smaller proportion of developers I think progress is unlikely to happen unless someone with a bucket of money appears to hire someone to fix it.