Evolution Flatpak cannot print emails to PDF

Project Discussion
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Evolution (3.34.1 from Flathub) running as a Flatpak cannot print emails due to bug Printing to a file cannot write outside the Flatpak sandbox (#515) · Issues · GNOME / evolution · GitLab and https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=192748 This bug effects only emails - calendar, tasks etc, print ok.

However you can do a print-to-file, but the output seems to be placed into the containers file-system, so it cannot be accessed. For me a workaround to this was to run Evolution with access to the users /home file system enabled:

flatpak run --filesystem=home org.gnome.Evolution

I was wondering if this shouldn’t be a usual sandbox permission for Evolution or if there is a security reason it is not enabled?

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I can’t believe it but this seems still an issue as of today on Silverblue! Seriously? How exactly is one supposed to print anything to a PDF file? Well, I can do it but the resulting file is hidden inside that container/sandbox stuff! Come on!

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Which flatpak are you using? I am not seeing this issue anymore in 3.38.2 (3.38.2-1.module_f33+10736+4f8d5006). See also Evolution Flatpak - Printing email to file gives directory error
Hope this helps. cheers.

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Just did it on F33SB using the Evolution Flatpak 3.38.2 (3.38.2-1.module_f33+10736+4f8d5006). Printed directly to my Brother printer.

Of course I did realise such, sorry for implying otherwise. But for the record …

Screenshot from 2021-01-12 12-03-49
Screenshot from 2021-01-12 12-03-49606×683 45.2 KB

Check out https://github.com/tchx84/Flatseal

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Hi Stephen - I think the issue here was specifically related to print-to-file (PDF) printing.

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You do realise, that we are talking about exporting/printing to a PDF file, do you? I can print to my sister’s physical printer as well, that is not the problem.

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Please see my edits above. I used flatseal some time ago to give Evolution access to my home dir, that is all that is required to print to PDF.

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