Zotero connector can not save to Zotero

Juliwal
I am trying to save a citation from Google Scholar to Zotero, for example (tested):
https://scholar.google.de/scholar?cluster=13323381266892085366&hl=de&as_sdt=0,5
So I pressed the cite button in the first entry, selected APA in the pop-up window and pressed on the link "RefMan". A Zotero connector window pops up. I press okay. Then a small status window appears at the top right of my browser window. It shows the folder that is open in the running instance of Zotero and the following feedback:
"This item could not be saved because Zotero is not open or is unreachable. Please open Zotero and try again."

So I went through the procedures specified here:
https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/connector_zotero_unavailable
- reinstallation of Zotero Connector does not change the behavior
- http://127.0.0.1:23119/connector/ping gives the following feedback: Zotero Connector Server is Available
- Deactivating No-Script and HTTPS-Everywhere does not change the behavior - not even after a browser restart.

Some context:
I am running Zotero 5.0.74 installed with root-permissions under ubuntu 18.04 (for system wide usage). I wonder whether the behavior might be related to permissions.
Firefox is version 69.0.1 with Zotero connector 5.0.60

I also found that Zotero can not export BibTex and RIS-files, I extracted from the google-scholar page above. It states that I should test whether the file is correct.

Do you have ideas to re-enable the problematic functions?
  • adamsmith
    Before we troubleshoot the issues here (which should work) -- is there a particular reason you're not using the standard method to import into Zotero. i.e. the Save to Zotero icon? https://www.zotero.org/support/adding_items_to_zotero#via_your_web_browser
  • Juliwal
    The icon only allowed to save the webpage, not the citations on the webpage. Therefore, I could not use it for saving the citations.

    My problem was solved by installing Zotero in the home-folder without root-permissions. When doing so, I realised that previous Zotero updates (with root-permissions) had left files in the home directory that are owned by root. I assume, that Zotero was not able to access some of its ressources, when started from a user account. Insofar, I wonder why there are instructions on the web proposing the installation as root for system wide usage, e.g. (in German) https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Zotero/.
  • adamsmith
    I don't believe this is a general issue (which is why there are root install instructions -- although of course those aren't provided by Zotero), though if you're the only user on that computer, I find running Zotero as local user on linux much more convenient anyway (e.g., automatic updates work), so I'd not worry about it. If you do need multi-user install, we can troubleshoot further.

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