1279554 - The default "about:newtab" page can be opened instead of Activity Stream "New Tab" page at browser startup

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox Graveyard :: Activity Streams: General, defect)

Description

[Paul Oiegas [:poiegas], PM for (Ecosystem QA, Services QA, WebCompat QA, Hubs QA teams)]

Attachment: about newtab opened instead of AS new tab.mp4

[Affected versions]:
- Firefox 45.0 and up
- Activity Stream 1.0.19-dev

[Affected Platforms]:
- All Windows
- All Mac OS
- All Linux

[Prerequisites]:
- Latest Activity Stream add-on version (1.0.19-dev) was previously installed on a clean profile.

[Steps to reproduce]:
1. Start Firefox browser with the profile where Activity Stream add-on was previously installed.
2. As soon as the browser window appears, open a "New Tab" page as fast as possible (spam click on new tab button could help too).
3. Observe the "New Tab" page content.

[Expected results]:
Opened "New Tab" page has the Activity Stream content displayed. 

[Actual results]:
Opened "New Tab" page has the default browser content displayed (old tiles).

[Notes]:
- This is a very edge case, the reproducibility rate depends on catching the right moment to open the new tab. Probably it occurs before AS add-on is initiated.
- Attached screen recording with the issue.

Comment 1

[Paul Oiegas [:poiegas], PM for (Ecosystem QA, Services QA, WebCompat QA, Hubs QA teams)]

Filed in GitHub as https://github.com/mozilla/activity-stream/issues/837

Comment 2

[Vlad Bacia-Mociran [:VladB]]

This issue cannot be fixed in the current version of Activity Stream add-on. It will be fixed when the add-on gets into Gecko.

Leave issue as NEW for tracking purpose.

Comment 3

[Kate Hudson :k88hudson]

This is fixed in the system-addon, as the pref overrides the New Tab page completely.

Comment 4

[Paul Oiegas [:poiegas], PM for (Ecosystem QA, Services QA, WebCompat QA, Hubs QA teams)]

Marking this as verified as Activity Stream is no longer available as an add-on. Also, it was implemented in the browser a few years ago, where the issue is no longer reproducible.