1306163 - About dialog doesn't offer update to 50.0

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Description

[blud]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.0; WOW64; rv:48.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/48.0
Build ID: 20160823121617

Steps to reproduce:

On version 48.0.2, I clicked on Help, About Firefox.


Actual results:

The About window shows nothing about a newer available version of Firefox, and appears as though 48.0.2 is the latest up to date version of Firefox.


Expected results:

It should show that there is a newer version of Firefox that I can choose to install. Or at least have a "Check for Updates" button.


There is actually a newer version available, with security fixes, but my Firefox has been telling me that I'm already up to date and patched. The software needs a reliable feature built into it that lets the user check if there is a newer version available. Now I have to do that task manually outside of the software.

Comment 1

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

It hasn't been signed off yet by QA and hence updates haven't been enabled for it. Even after it has been signed off for updates they typically update a small percentage of users and then look at crash reports to see if there are any significant crashes. After all of that is done they send out updates to all clients. All of this has nothing to do with the update mechanism.

Comment 2

[blud]

But the version has been signed off on by QA enough to be available on the website. The user can go to the firefox website and see that there is a new version, the website will even warn the user that they are using an out of date version and they should get the latest version. That is at odds with the information the user is getting in Help About when they go to do a manual check (in this case).

I understand the incremental rollout with regards to automatic updates, but, I think the manual check should be available, and it should allow the user to get the new version, especially since the website has it. The way it is now, the manual check is unreliable.

Comment 3

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Sorry, there have been several of these recently for multiple versions. Reopening.

First try running with a new profile to check if there is a setting in the profile causing this.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-and-diagnose-firefox-problems#w_7-create-a-new-firefox-profile

Comment 4

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Bah... ignore comment #3.

Just checked and 49.0.2 is not available to update to at this time. Only 49.0.1 is available. This is not an app update bug and what you are asking for is to change the process used to make updates available. That isn't something that can be done in app update and I will try to find a component where the release drivers can discuss this with you.

Comment 5

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Hey Matt, could you take this? Looks like there might be something up with this installs config or it is how we are advertising updates atm. Might be the SSE2 watershed for example.

Comment 6

[Molly Howell (she/her) (mostly inactive)]

Hi, thanks for filing this report. We are definitely offering updates to at least 49.0.1 (and I think 49.0.2 should also be offered for manual checks in the About window, pretty sure I got it installed that way), so I'd like your help to try to figure out why you're not seeing them. To start with, I'd like you to collect two kinds of information and post both of them here. Then we'll see where that takes us.

1) Follow the instructions at [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox] to access the troubleshooting information and copy it to the clipboard, then post it here either as an attachment or a comment if that's easier.
2) Follow the instructions at [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/about-config-editor-firefox] to open the configuration editor, search for the preference called app.update.log and toggle it to true. Then, open the Browser Console either by selecting it from the Developer menu (wrench icon) or pressing Ctrl+Shift+J. Then open the About window. You should see some lines that start with "AUS:SVC" appear in the browser console; copy those lines and paste them in here.

Thanks again.

Comment 7

[blud]

Some time after posting the bug, I updated to version 49, just not through Help-About since it did not show up there.


But now, again, on a different computer running a different version of windows, this issue is occurring again. (I do not use sync either.)  When I launch firefox, it shows a pop up window titled "Software Update" which says Firefox 50.0 is available, and I can press "Ask Later" or "Update Firefox". But if I go to Help About (even after restarting firefox) it indicates that 49.0.2 is the latest version and there is no update. If I go to the plugin check page, it says I am using an old version of firefox.

Expected behaviour is that Help About should show (or allow me to check for and then it should show) 50.0 is available and let me update to it.

My update settings are:

"Check for updates, but let me choose whether to install them"

And this is unchecked: "Use a background service to install updates"

Comment 8

[Molly Howell (she/her) (mostly inactive)]

Okay, that might be a slightly different issue, but I still need the same information I asked for earlier in comment 19. If you can provide that, we can start investigating the problem. Thanks.

Also, changing the bug summary to reflect the now slightly more specific issue.

Comment 9

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Also, did you close the window titled "Software Update" before opening Help -> About?

Comment 10

[blud]

Robert, yes, I did close the window, as I mentioned probably too vaguely in Comment 7, "if I go to Help About (even after restarting firefox)". I didn't mention that after restarting firefox the "Software Update" window didn't pop up again, so, yes, it was not open at the time.
I see now in 50.0.2 when 50.1.0 is available and the Software Update window is open, Help About won't show any update available, but when the Software Update window is closed and, at least after you exit and start firefox again, then Help About will show 50.1.0 available.
This issue seems to only occur between integer versions of firefox, not decimal versions. So when 51 comes out I'll see if the bug still occurs or not.

Comment 11

[blud]

Unfortunately I didn't manually check for updates during the 2 day window after 51 came out and before 51.0.1 came out, so I wasn't able to see if this issue still occurs for me. Maybe I'll catch it for 52.

Comment 12

[blud]

Well, 52.0esr is available now, and when I check help about it does show up. So this bug no longer occurs for me.

Comment 13

[Molly Howell (she/her) (mostly inactive)]

Marking resolved, because the issue is no longer present according to the reporter.