1551720 - Theme resets when tearing off tab to new window

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(WebExtensions :: Themes, defect)

Comment 1

[bmark]

Use release on Mojave 10.14.4, when I tear off an open tab to a new window, the theme resets. I have the Spring Theme set up, and when I tear off, everything resets and goes pink.

Comment 2

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

I can't recreate this locally, but I saw it on Brianna's machine. Any new window for any reason changes the theme to some non existent theme with pink text.

Comment 3

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

It's an interaction problem between Firefox Color and themes.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/firefox-color/

Comment 4

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

I can reproduce. Firefox Color updates the theme when a new window is opened, and on extension startup. When another theme is installed, Firefox color's theme is overridden, until a new tab is opened or the browser is restarted.

This is not really a bug in Firefox, nor Firefox Color - the features work as designed. Global themes cannot be used together; one of the two must be disabled. (It is however not obvious from the UI (e.g. about:addons) that a dynamic theme has overridden a static theme. This is a separate issue.)

Brianna, does this description match with your observed issue? Does disabling Firefox Color solve your issue?

STR:

1. Install Firefox Color from https://color.firefox.com/
2. Install any other theme, e.g. pick one from https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collections/4757633/spring-themes/
3. Open a new window.
4. Visit about:addons and go to the Themes tab.

Expected:

• Theme should not change.
• The active theme should be shown (the one from step 2 in this case). Or if Firefox Color is active, the UI should show that.

Actual:

• Theme is reset to the default theme as set in Firefox Color.
• The theme from step 2 is shown as active, even though it is not the active theme.

Comment 5

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

I helped Brianna reproduce and this is definitely the behavior she was seeing.

Shouldn't Firefox Color know a global theme is being used and not update the theme?

There's got to be a bug here somewhere. It's really confusing behavior.

Comment 6

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

Firefox Color could use the browser.theme.getCurrent and browser.theme.onUpdated event to keep track of whether it should be the active theme. Firefox Color would then have to keep track of the most recently active static theme, and activate the dynamic theme if it detects on startup that the theme is equal to the most recent static theme. This logic is fragile and falls apart if the static theme is removed, or if another dynamic theme is active.

The most reliable way out for the user is to disable Firefox Color if they want to use a different theme.

There's got to be a bug here somewhere. It's really confusing behavior.

I agree that it's confusing. I think that this aspect can be improved by showing dynamic themes that overrides the static theme in about:addons (so that the user knows that they may have to disable an add-on to regain control over the browser's appearance).

Comment 7

[David Durst [:ddurst]]

As this is not the first version of this kind of bug stemming from dynamic vs static themes, it's clear that we need to do something to address dynamic themes' presence (especially when in conflict with a static theme) -- but certainly also a note for Firefox Color.

I'm going to WONTFIX this, but also noting Product that we need to get some ownership of this situation locked down.

Comment 8

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

QA has rediscovered this issue: https://github.com/mozilla/FirefoxColor/issues/837