1138986 - Tab Utilities and Tab Utilities Lite 1.5.28.1 break location bar input

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Extension Compatibility, defect)

Description

[Gingerbread Man]

Steps to reproduce:
1. In a brand new profile, install either Tab Utilities or Tab Utilities Lite, then restart Firefox when prompted.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities/
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities-lite/

2. Type an address into the location bar, then either press the Enter key or click the Go button.

Actual results:
Nothing happens. The Browser Console shows,
ReferenceError: params is not defined tulib.js line 99 > eval:63:6

Expected results:
The typed address should load. The aforementioned error shouldn't appear in the Browser Console.

Notes:
In the description for Tab Utilities, the author notes, “Stop at Fx28 to get full TU functionalities.” Therefore, I suggest marking both add-ons as incompatible with Firefox 29 and later. Also, I don't know if there's any policy about add-on authors telling users to shoot themselves in the foot, but it seems reckless to have that sentence there.

Also in the same description is mentioned, “Note: There will be no update before Oct.” which refers to October of last year. The support link for Tab Utilities Lite points to a Mozillazine thread. The author last posted there on 2014-10-26. Since then, bug reports have accumulated there and in the reviews section, and there's also a mention of an e-mail support request going unanswered.
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=13840109#p13840109
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=13949921#p13949921

For the first add-on, there's an alternative called Tab Utilities Fixed.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities-fixed/

Comment 1

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

I just tried this on Firefox Beta on Mac OS and couldn't reproduce the problem. Can you reproduce it reliably?

Comment 2

[Gingerbread Man]

Yes, this isn't a sporadic issue. It happens in the release version, beta, developer edition and nightly. Fresh profile for each. Setting platform to Windows 7 x64.

Also, at startup the following errors are present in the Browser Console:
Failed to hook TU__openNodeIn: invalid property id tulib.js:22:0
JavaScript 1.7's let expressions are deprecated tulib.js:82:117

Opening the New Tab Page adds the following:
NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS: [JavaScript Error: "setTabValue only accepts string values" {file: "resource:///modules/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm" line: 1824}]'[JavaScript Error: "setTabValue only accepts string values" {file: "resource:///modules/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm" line: 1824}]' when calling method: [nsISessionStore::setTabValue] tulib.js line 99 > eval:5:0

NS_ERROR_XPC_JAVASCRIPT_ERROR_WITH_DETAILS: [JavaScript Error: "setTabValue only accepts string values" {file: "resource:///modules/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm" line: 1824}]'[JavaScript Error: "setTabValue only accepts string values" {file: "resource:///modules/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm" line: 1824}]' when calling method: [nsISessionStore::setTabValue] tulib.js line 99 > eval:12:0

Comment 3

[YF (Yang)]

I am sure this problem occurs for Fx33+ on Windows 8.1 and was made the following fixes:

https://github.com/yfdyh000/tabutils/commits/Fixed
> https://github.com/yfdyh000/tabutils/commit/d9f8e29c14173f11bf17c13bc127ce465a7644f9 Fix urlbar enter hook for Fx33+.
> https://github.com/yfdyh000/tabutils/commit/478253160816c992bfb3217b435028a129ffb7fb Fix the urlbar stop works with NoScript enabled

Comment 5

[Gingerbread Man]

Attachment: broken_locationbar_linuxmint.png

I can also reproduce this under Linux Mint KDE 17.1, so Platform: All was appropriate after all.

I've seen this under two operating systems, someone — comment 3 — created a fork due to this and other issues, and many others have reported the broken address bar, e.g.
Bug 1145453
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities/reviews/669488/
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities/reviews/650474/
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities/reviews/663266/
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities/reviews/662448/
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities/reviews/651816/

Please explain what more is needed for action to be taken.

Comment 6

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

Thanks for the additional info. The compat overrides have been added.

Comment 7

[Gingerbread Man]

(In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #6)
> The compat overrides have been added.

It's been a few days, but I still don't see a difference. Both add-ons have a green Add to Firefox button and the version details say “Works with Firefox 17.0 and later”.

> Thanks for the additional info.

Sure thing, no problem.

Comment 8

[YF (Yang)]

(In reply to Gingerbread Man from comment #7)
> (In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #6)
> > The compat overrides have been added.
> 
> It's been a few days, but I still don't see a difference. Both add-ons have
> a green Add to Firefox button and the version details say “Works with
> Firefox 17.0 and later”.

I now see this:
Not available for Firefox 38.0

After click the gray "Add to Firefox" button:
This add-on is not compatible with your version of Firefox because of the following:
    Mozilla has marked this version as incompatible with your Firefox version.
Install Anyway
View other versions

Comment 9

[YF (Yang)]

Jorge, could you add a guide link for these outdated add-ons page? foregoing on the original description. I have seen such tips, but I don't know its name and rules. And, maybe have a block for the request, because I still not have a reviewed after a few months.


Associated with it and outdated add-ons:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities-phoenix/

Should go to (although it is not a perfect fixes, but it is essential to works in the latest versions at this moment):
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities-fixed/


I really hope that people can easily get the add-on that can works, rather than disappointment or complain in the add-ons reviews. Thanks.

Comment 10

[Sergey Rozhenko]

FF 31.6(esr) now shows the addon as incompatible, which is wrong. It's fully compatible with 31.*, but incompatible with 32+.

Comment 11

[Gingerbread Man]

(In reply to YF (Yang) from comment #8)
> I now see this:
> Not available for Firefox 38.0

(In reply to Sergey Rozhenko from comment #10)
> FF 31.6(esr) now shows the addon as incompatible

How bizarre. I still see no change in Firefox 37. I even tried a brand new profile, just to be sure. And no, the user agent string isn't tampered with (it wouldn't account for what's listed under version details anyway).

Comment 12

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

(In reply to Sergey Rozhenko from comment #10)
> FF 31.6(esr) now shows the addon as incompatible, which is wrong. It's fully
> compatible with 31.*, but incompatible with 32+.

This bug was filed for 29, which is where this behavior supposedly began. So, unless something was reverted on 29 after this bug was filed, I would expect the compatibility override to still be valid. Maybe Gingerbread Man can confirm?

(In reply to YF (Yang) from comment #9)
> Associated with it and outdated add-ons:
> https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities
> https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities-phoenix/
> 
> Should go to (although it is not a perfect fixes, but it is essential to
> works in the latest versions at this moment):
> https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/tab-utilities-fixed/

We don't do that on AMO. If the original developer wants to fix their add-on, they still can, and we shouldn't remove their listing. There are a number of reviews pointing to the updated version, so that should help users who are looking for alternatives.

Comment 13

[YF (Yang)]

I found it, like the Chromifox Basic[1], it have says:
    Note from Mozilla: This add-on has been discontinued. Try FXChrome instead.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/chromifox-basic/


We have any rules or description document about the "Note from Mozilla"?

Comment 14

[Gingerbread Man]

(In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #12)
> This bug was filed for 29, which is where this behavior supposedly began.
> So, unless something was reverted on 29 after this bug was filed, I would
> expect the compatibility override to still be valid. Maybe Gingerbread Man
> can confirm?

I've now tested each add-on in Firefox 29.0.1, Firefox 32.0.3 and 33.0.3 in Windows 7 and Linux Mint.
* 29.0.1: working location bar.
* 32.0.3: working location bar.
* 33.0.3: broken location bar.

1. The report was filed for Firefox 36, then it was changed to Firefox 33 at comment 3.
2. The description of Tab Utilities 1.5.28.1 says in bold text, “Stop at Fx28 to get full TU functionalities.”
3. Tab Utilities 1.5.28.1 was posted on April 5th 2014, while Tab Utilities Lite 1.5.28.1 was posted on April 6th 2014. Back then, Firefox 28.0 was the latest version.
4. I suggested setting compatibility to ≤ Firefox 28.0 based on that information.
I'd tested these two add-ons in Firefox 36.0 and Nightly 39 in Windows 7. I later also tested in Linux Mint. This verified that the problem affects the current version of Firefox, and isn't fixed in a subsequent release.
Regression testing is very tedious and time-consuming; I saw no reason to go further for an abandoned add-on whose author acknowledged problems with a specific Firefox version.


Can you please explain why I'm still seeing a green “Add to Firefox” button on the links mentioned at the top of this report's description? Clicking them normally shows a compatibility-related error message in a doorhanger notification, but this won't happen if add-on metadata updates are disabled (extensions.getAddons.cache.enabled set to false). As I mentioned, I tried a brand new profile (also no preference lock file).

Comment 15

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

(In reply to YF (Yang) from comment #13)
> We have any rules or description document about the "Note from Mozilla"?

I think we only did this once, for Firefox 4 if I recall correctly. We also only did this for add-ons that had been abandoned for quite a while. I won't do this unless I'm certain the original add-ons have been abandoned, and I don't think that's the case.

(In reply to Gingerbread Man from comment #14)
> I've now tested each add-on in Firefox 29.0.1, Firefox 32.0.3 and 33.0.3 in
> Windows 7 and Linux Mint.
> * 29.0.1: working location bar.
> * 32.0.3: working location bar.
> * 33.0.3: broken location bar.

Okay, thanks, I updated the overrides so they start with Firefox 33.

> Can you please explain why I'm still seeing a green “Add to Firefox” button
> on the links mentioned at the top of this report's description? Clicking
> them normally shows a compatibility-related error message in a doorhanger
> notification, but this won't happen if add-on metadata updates are disabled
> (extensions.getAddons.cache.enabled set to false). As I mentioned, I tried a
> brand new profile (also no preference lock file).

The appearance of the buttons depends on many factors (platform, application version, add-on version, compatibility, ...), so it's difficult to know. It could be a bug on the site, but we don't have any resources dedicated to fixing stuff on AMO at present.

Comment 16

[Gingerbread Man]

Attachment: Works with Firefox 17 and later.png

(In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #15)
> The appearance of the buttons depends on many factors

What about the Version Information listed? Shouldn't that be the same for everyone?

> (platform, application version, add-on version, compatibility, ...)

Platform: Windows XP x86, Windows 7 x64, Linux Mint 17.1 x64
Application version: Firefox 37.0.1
Add-on version: 1.5.28.1
Compatibility: what you set it to

> It could be a bug on the site, but we don't have any resources dedicated to
> fixing stuff on AMO at present.

Are you saying I should just forget about it? It's frustrating to see this get marked fixed and be unable to verify it.

I don't get either add-on as a top match when searching for “Tab Utilities” in the Get Add-ons pane; only Tab Utilities Locales 1.2.1 shows up. So it seems the compatibility override is working there, but not on the web pages.

Comment 17

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

If you get the compatibility warning on Firefox when you try to install it in Firefox 33 or above, then this bug is working correctly. The color of the AMO button, if incorrect, is a separate issue (and probably not something that will be fixed soon). The visibility of these add-ons in the about:addons search is also unrelated.

Comment 18

[Gingerbread Man]

(In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #17)
> The color of the AMO button, if incorrect, is a separate issue (and probably not something
> that will be fixed soon).

The button color and the version details. I've looked and looked, but I can't find a relevant report. I just filed a new one. If it ends up indefinitely on the back burner, then that's that.
* Bug 1152648

Comment 19

[Sergey Rozhenko]

(In reply to Gingerbread Man from comment #14)
> I've now tested each add-on in Firefox 29.0.1, Firefox 32.0.3 and 33.0.3 in
> Windows 7 and Linux Mint.
> * 29.0.1: working location bar.
> * 32.0.3: working location bar.
> * 33.0.3: broken location bar.

I've looked at my mails and can also confirm it started with version 33.0.0, not 32 as I previously said.