1200920 - Use pref to change remote new tab location

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: New Tab Page, defect)

Description

[Olivier Yiptong [:oyiptong]]

It is useful to change the remote new tab page location using a pref.

While we don't do page signing (yet?), it is extremely useful to be able to use a different version of the page when developing and when doing automation to test Firefox.

Other pages that fit a similar profile also have the page origins under a pref:

1) datareporting.healthreport.about.reportUrlUnified
2) browser.uitour.url

Comment 1

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

(In reply to Olivier Yiptong [:oyiptong] from comment #0)
> It is useful to change the remote new tab page location using a pref.
> 
> While we don't do page signing (yet?), it is extremely useful to be able to
> use a different version of the page when developing and when doing
> automation to test Firefox.

While convenient, such a pref is very prone to hijacking. We had to remove it in bug 1118285. We added an API instead that should be usable for any automated tests you may need to write.
 
> Other pages that fit a similar profile also have the page origins under a
> pref:
> 
> 1) datareporting.healthreport.about.reportUrlUnified
> 2) browser.uitour.url

These 2 pages don't have a similar profile, in that they are of no interest to search hijackers.

Comment 2

[Olivier Yiptong [:oyiptong]]

Thanks, Florian. Would you have a link to the API?

Comment 3

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

See this file http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/browser/modules/NewTabURL.jsm but looking at how it's used in attachment 8614432 [details] [diff] [review] may be more helpful.

Comment 4

[Olivier Yiptong [:oyiptong]]

That is excellent. Thank you!