Linux and Sars docs

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Chicken Boo

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I've been having endless issues doing my tax return online using Mint 13 and Fedora 17. Despite doing every Adobe update I can find, docs still refuse to open and I had to eventually use a windows machine to get anything done. Now I finally got the return done and they emailed me pdfs with the results, and I can't view them! even in Google Docs. WTF. What is SARS doing to their docs?? Has anyone had success viewing Sars docs on a linux system? HOW??
 
Chicken Boo said:
I've been having endless issues doing my tax return online using Mint 13 and Fedora 17. Despite doing every Adobe update I can find, docs still refuse to open and I had to eventually use a windows machine to get anything done. Now I finally got the return done and they emailed me pdfs with the results, and I can't view them! even in Google Docs. WTF. What is SARS doing to their docs?? Has anyone had success viewing Sars docs on a linux system? HOW??
Click to expand...

I was able to view SARS docs on my Linux Mint 13. I have Adobe installed ... but dont think it opens the doc inside your browser like in Windoze. It downloads it and then you open it seperately. I have not tried doing a actual return on my Linux.
 
Well I couldn't even open sars docs in windows in Foxit. Had to download Adobe, which I didn't want to do.
 
I used the flash based method of doing the return. No problems.
The PDF needs adobe, as they use some Adobe specific features for submitting the return.
 
I resolved the problem by installing Chrome, I don't like Chrome, but it works better with SARS and their documents.... Go figure.
 
Ditto, Chicken Boo. I can't file this year on any Linux browser. As far as I remember I managed to file my return last year, using Firefox on PCLinuxOS, but this year - the site won't recognise the flash plugin. It opens my return using Acrobat but won't save inputs. I installed Chrome, as per beans100 above, but total no go - this installation has no acrobat plugin, efiling site does not recognise Flash plugin.
Now filing using Firefox on Mac.
 
Worked for me after I installed the Adobe PDF Reader. I like to use the flash interface and then just use Adobe to read saved documents.
 
I had issues as well on Linux. Ended up using my wife's PC to submit my tax return online.
 
Virtual machines.

This is why they exist. Because windows developers are too lazy to make anything for any other platform
 
I just did mine on my phone using the efiling app for Android. It's an air app, so sars really have a thing for adobe products.

I will try doing my missus's from Kubuntu tomorrow.
 
I just did my missus's return using FF 16.0.2 (from repositories) on Kubuntu 12.04 (32-bit) with Acrobat 9.5.1. You have to run it on a 32-bit system to get it to load inline in the browser. If it isn't inline you can't file. My 64-bit Kubuntu brought up Acroread as an external app to the browser. Everything worked, but I couldn't save or file it.
 
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OK, I have found the solution.
To get adobe reader pdf's displayed within the browsers, you can use mozplugger. Apparmor needs to be temporarily disabled in Firefox. (I have tested in 64 bit Kubuntu 12.04). SeaMonkey on Scientific Linux 6.3 has no problem.

For Kubuntu, you can use either mozplugger or kpartsplugin. The kpartsplugin will open Okular within the browsers.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=652&attachmentid=29602

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/album.php?albumid=652&attachmentid=29600
 
Use Chrome, not chromium

@ocky mozplugger didn't work to "save [changes] online", I think because it actually runs the stand-alone app and only makes it look like it is embedded.

@beans100 thanks, using chrome (NOT CHROMIUM) with it's build in flash thing did work!
https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/
(I installed it on my 64bit ubuntu 12.10 quantal quetzal using the ubuntu software center)

Before this I tried the flash 11.x from the software center, but it appears that sars doesn't recognize the flash version as it insists that I use acroread. Acroread didn't work for me as it doesn't embed and always open a new window (I read somewhere this may only be an issue on 64bit). As I recall I've submitted my tax on linux using embeded acroread ever since efiling first came out, this is the first time I couldn't get it to work :(.
 
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@amanica, I have not tested the save online function because I completed my return way back in early July, but that's bad news and SARS should be made aware of both those problems i.e. flash and acroread.
So just to make sure, you had success with flash 11.5x in Chrome 23 but not with 11.2x in Firefox ?
Acroread will always open in a new window in Chrome 23. Sars should revise their 'instructions'...

Chrome users please note that the latest version (from 8) of Chrome has come out with a built-in PDF viewer. You need to disable it in order to be able to submit your return through eFiling. To disable it in Chrome: Enter about:plugins in the address bar and click Disable underneath the entry for “Chrome PDF Viewer.” The Adobe Reader plug-in will automatically be enabled, if you have it installed.
Click to expand...

On a 32 bit Xubuntu 12.04 OS, acroread will open embedded without the need of mozplugger and as long as apparmor is disabled. I will install Chrome 23 on this 32 bit system to check whether both acroread and flash will work.
 
ocky said:
So just to make sure, you had success with flash 11.5x in Chrome 23 but not with 11.2x in Firefox ?
Acroread will always open in a new window in Chrome 23. Sars should revise their 'instructions'...
Click to expand...

@ocky Yes exactly: Chrome Version 23.0.1271.64 and Flash Version 11.5.31.2 worked. (64bit Ubuntu 12.10)

On firefox version 16.0.2 and flash version 11.2.202.251 I get:
"While the new forms introduced this tax season can be accessed using version 9 or later versions of Adobe
Flash Player, eFilers are advised to download Adobe Flash Player 10.1 for increased security and better viewing."
 
Thanks for feedback confirming that.
Might be a good idea to tell them about it HERE
(I wonder why they don't use some other less antiquated method in preference to adobe reader.)
When I filed in July all was hunky dory. :o
 
AstroTurf said:
Yep, this is why I have a winows xp virtualbox running.
Click to expand...
I also have a vbox with xp, but a different philosophy, my vbox xp never uses the internet - no viruses, no slowdown, and almost 5 years since I built the image!

I rather look for workarounds in linux.
 
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