1581002 - Installer should pass `-first-startup` flag to Firefox

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Installer, enhancement)

Description

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Bug 1576507 added a FirstStartup service, which is used to signal to Firefox that it can take some time for perf-tuning, downloading patches and experiments via Normandy, etc. before the UI is ready: https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/toolkit/modules/toolkit_modules/FirstStartup.html

The reasoning behind this approach is that, since the installer invokes Firefox with ExecAndWaitForInputIdle, the installer progress bar will still be displayed until these initial first-startup tasks are completed. The user should not perceive any delay (or rather, any delay would appear to be a small part at the end of the install process, rather than a delay in the first startup of Firefox).

Currently FirstStartup has a hard 5-second time-out, so it will not drag the installation experience on indefinitely.

Comment 1

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Attachment: Bug 1581002 - pass -first-startup flag to Firefox from stub and normal intallers r?mhowell

Comment 2

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

I tested that this works using the full installer:

1. download installer from try run: https://queue.taskcluster.net/v1/task/AOw4315iT0ODHWHSnGWE5A/runs/0/artifacts/public/build/install/sea/target.installer.exe
2. Run Firefox (from installer) and load about:telemetry

firstStartup.statusCode should be set, to either 3 (SUCCESS) or 2 (TIMEOUT)

I attempted to test the stub installer, but couldn't figure out how to get it to run with my unsigned build from https://taskcluster-artifacts.net (bug 1580992) or my local server (not sure why). However, the way -first-startup is passed uses exactly the same NSIS macro (ExecAndWaitForInputIdle) in both installers, so I am confident that it will work once it's part of the signed Nightly builds.

Comment 3

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/6f35fd554277
pass -first-startup flag to Firefox from stub and normal intallers r=mhowell

Comment 4

[Daniel Varga [:dvarga]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/6f35fd554277