1136415 - firefox -new-tab not really working as described in bug 1080319 as substitute for -remote

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core Graveyard :: X-remote, defect)

Description

[:aceman]

After upgrading to FF36, -remote command line option does not work from pidgin IRC client.
OK, I overrode its option to call firefox with the "new" options from bug 1080319:

firefox -new-tab "url"

Still doesn't work. Firefox says that another instance is running. Which is correct as I want it to open a new tab with the url in the running instance. So why does that fail if that is the intended operation?

I can add that the problem may be that I first start firefox from desktop icon and pidgin from another icon (KDE). But it also doesn't work when running the second command from the terminal. Probably because the 2 firefox instances are from different parent "terminals" so they can't communicate?

This is a big problem on linux as seen by other comments in bug 1080319.

Comment 2

[Frédéric Buclin]

I confirm that bug 1080319 prevents Pidgin from opening links clicked in chatrooms into a new tab in Firefox. Firefox 36 now just opens a new window with the about:home page. This was working fine till Fx 35.0.1.

Comment 3

[Frédéric Buclin]

Ah, I managed to fix that with:

 firefox -new-tab %s

in Pidgin: Tools > Preferences > Browser: manual > Command: firefox -new-tab %s

Comment 4

[:aceman]

I have done exactly that before my comment 0 and it DIDN't work.
Tried it today and it suddenly DOES work. also with %s in double quotes:
/full/path/to/firefox -new-tab "%s"

Strange. I will observe it for some time and the close the bug.

Comment 6

[Thomas Lange]

Related Pidgin bug report:

https://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/16589

Comment 8

[Loic]

Workaround: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1137696#c3

Comment 9

[Tom S [:evilpie]]

I am not sure what is going on here. Maybe the application name doesn't match? Can you try if passing "-a any" fixes your problems?

Comment 10

[Alexander]

For pidgin, one can set Browser to "manual"->"firefox %s" and it will start working again. Maybe not a great idea to remove the old option. Seems like a lot of userspace is relying on it.

Comment 11

[meistergore]

It also causes problem with skype, but skype has no option to workaround it.

Comment 12

[:aceman]

So as the -new-tab started working for me and also bug 1080319 was reverted in FF 36.0.1 (and pidgin now also works with the built-in --remote command), I would close this bug.