1599708 - browser.newtab.privateAllowed and .extensionControlled are cleared when an unrelated add-on is disabled/removed

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(WebExtensions :: General, defect)

Description

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

STR:

1. Install https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-homepage/
2. Install https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-override/ and allow private access in the post-install doorhanger.
3. Open a new private browsing window. Open a new tab in that private window. You should see the newtab from the add-on at the previous step.
4. Visit about:addons and disable the first newtab add-on (from step 1).
5. Open a new private browsing window. Open a new tab in that private window.

Expected:

• At step 5, the newtab should still be the extension's newtab, like step 3.

Actual:

• The default newtab page is opened instead.

This is because in the current implementation of the newtab preference, the relevant prefs are unconditionally cleared whenever the internal "extension-setting-changed" event is emitted when there is no reported change: https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/cce8b90aece0f42e5025e45282de16066eeaa662/browser/components/extensions/parent/ext-url-overrides.js#89-90,120

Reproduced on Firefox 70.0.1 and Firefox Nightly 72.0a1 buildID 20191126212708

Comment 1

[Shane Caraveo (:mixedpuppy)]

Attachment: Bug 1599708 fix setting newtab when setting is updated

Comment 2

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/3dc2c0a968db
fix setting newtab when setting is updated r=robwu

Comment 3

[Cosmin Sabou [:CosminS]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/3dc2c0a968db

Comment 4

[Alex Cornestean]

Hello,

Verified the fix on the latest Nightly (72.0a1/20191128214853) under Windows 10 Pro 64-bit and MacOS Catalina 10.15.

Following the provided STR, upon reaching step 5, the new tab will be the extension controlled new tab as specified in step 3, confirming the fix.