Snapshot not saved [Zotero Standalone] [Chrome connector]

bastien_berepion
Dear all,
I hope that I'm in the right place. Sorry for my english.
First of all, thanks for this really good software.
Each time I try to save a publication, Zotero tries to do a snapshot but it looks that in some case it was failing because I don't have the snapshot for some publication, for example, all the science direct publications.
Could you help me to have it please?
Best regards,
Bastien
  • dstillman
    Sorry, I'm not clear on the issue — what's the exact message or problem you're facing? (Feel free to respond in French if you prefer.)

    https://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_problems#provide_steps_to_reproduce
  • bastien_berepion
    Dear Dan,

    First of all, thanks for your reply and all my apologies, I realize that my explanation is really not clear. Below I will try to explain my case more clearly. Based on my new explanations, I have some question about the procedure describes on the link that your past i your previous message to allow me to give you the right data.

    In the past (2015) when I saved a new item like a scientific publication, for example from ScienceDirect or NCBI, Zotero take at minimum in attachment a snapshot of the webpage and the pdf if existing or reachable.
    I realize recently that now, Zotero attached only a link (even if in the "Automatically take snapshots when creating items from web pages" is checked) for some sites like NCBI and keep snapshots for some other like ScienceDirect.
    I hope this explanation will be clearer now

    I've read on the link in your previous message that you need the "Report ID". I'm not sure that my "problem" generates an error report.
    If you think that's necessary I provide you some "Report ID", could you tell me which one you need, from Zotero Standalone, Zotero Connector or both? And if requested, do need I generate reports for the two example reported above or only one (with ScienceDirect when Snapshots are added and/or with NCBI when only a link is added)?

    I hope that my explanations and questions are clear and understandable.
    Thanks in advance for your help
    Bastien
  • adamsmith
    On NCBI Pubmed -- since it doesn't have full text on the side -- Zotero has only been attaching a link for years.

    For Sciencedirect, do you have a URL exactly as you see it? I believe you wouldn't be getting PDFs if you're accessing sciencedirect through a proxy and using the connector, so that might explain it.

    (no error IDs needed for the time being).
  • bastien_berepion
    Dear Dan,

    Thanks for your answer.
    In fact, it means that in the past it was possible to have a snapshot of NCBI and not now but that's "normal" and not due to a bug.

    Regarding the pdf for ScienceDirect, you're right and I've read that on other subjects. A proxy allows me to access to the pdf of some journals on ScienceDirect but it block the connection between Zotero connector and Zotero standalone. So actually I need to previously download the pdf if I have access to it on the journal webpage and after create the new item by using another web access which doesn't pass through the proxy (like my mobile phone), either using the metadata research or Zotero connector (if no metadata or no pdf accessible for me) and after attaching the pdf inside the new item if I have it.
    It's another subject and I need to discuss with our IT department to evaluate if it's possible to open doors to Zotero to allow a normal usage without this manipulation. Until now, I don't have find information to help me to define without IT department how to process.
    Have you some trail to suggest to help me? If necessary, I can open a new subject to discuss more specifically on this aspect and try to understand the possible solutions.

    In any case, Thanks for your help

    Bastien
  • adamsmith
    (I'm not Dan ;))
    Various options for PDF download
    - this will work using the zotero Firefox add-on without Standalone
    - it will work when you're on a university IT, which is the case
    a) on campus
    b) when connected via VPN

    But I think you're also misconstruing the issue: if you're able to import from Sciencedirect to Zotero, it doesn't seem like the proxy is blocking communication between the two. It's just that you can't authenticate properly for PDF download. Which also means the fix (absent the methods above) is simpler: just import to Zotero regularly, then download the PDF and attach.
  • bastien_berepion
    Hi Adamsmith,
    Sorry, for the long delay of my answer.
    I think my previous explanation was not clear.
    I try again with my understanding of the situation

    There are two situations :

    1) When I'm connected via the proxy
    - I have access to pdf download of some journals (ScienceDirect recognize our Ip address and open access to pdf. So I can download it)
    - Zotero connector status is "Zotero Standalone is currently unavailable."
    - Zotero Connector can't do an update of the translators
    - Zotero standalone is not able to add a new item by using metadata in a pdf
    - Zotero Standalone can't do their update.
    - Zotero standalone is able to add a new item by using the ISBN, DOI or PMIB. It means, I can download pdf and if they contain metadata, I can create a new item by this way).

    2)When I'm using another internet access like my phone or my home access
    - I don't have access to pdf download ( because ScienceDirect doesn't recognize the Ip address)
    - Zotero connector status is "Zotero Standalone is currently available."
    - Zotero Connector is able to do an update of the translators
    - Zotero standalone is able to add a new item by using metadata in a pdf
    - Zotero Standalone is able to add a new item by using the ISBN, DOI or PMIB.

    If I correctly analyze the situation and understand the phenomenon, it looks to mean that our proxy doesn't allow the connection between Zotero connector and Zotero (status unavailable) and don't allow to Zotero connector to import in Zotero the attachment like the pdf.
    Is it correct?

    I plan to speak with our IT dept to see it it's possible to parameters our proxy to open access to Zotero but I prefer to have some base of work before and it's why I ask you if you have some suggestions?

    Thanks again for your help.
    (Sorry for the subject deviation)
  • adamsmith
    yes, that does sound like a proxy issue, and maybe two. One is that the proxy seems to intercept SSL traffic:
    https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/ssl_certificate_error
    that'd be all the update issues.

    The other one is that it also seems to block communication between Standalone and the connector. The connector communicates with Standalone on port 23119. I hope that helps with IT.
  • bastien_berepion
    Thanks a lot for your help.
    I'm sure that's a good work base for us.
    I keep you posted about the issue, it could help perhaps other people in the futur
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