1629522 - Message list is not focused when Thunderbird launches

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Description

[Ali Savas]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/81.0.4044.92 Safari/537.36

Steps to reproduce:

Launch Thunderbird. For someone using a screen reader, it now looks as if the focus has landed in an undefined area. To get to the message list, press TAB several times.

Actual results:

After Thunderbird has launched, the focus is not set on the message list. It looks like the focus is in an undefined area. This bug has existed for several years now and needs to be fixed.

Expected results:

Once Thunderbird has launched, the focus should be on the message list of the last selected folder. This happened with all email programs I know. If the focus is set directly on the message list, it is no longer necessary to press TAB several times to get to the message list. This also makes the operation much easier for inexperienced users who use a screen reader.

Comment 1

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

On trunk we fixed this, so that if you untick the "When Thunderbird launches show the Start Page .... ". If unticked it will go to the first message instead.

Comment 2

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Bug 1620310.

Comment 3

[Firefox Bug Husbandry Bot]

Resetting severity to default of --.

Comment 4

[Firefox Bug Husbandry Bot]

Because this bug's Severity has not been changed from the default since it was filed, and it's Priority is -- (Backlog,) indicating it has has not been previously triaged, the bug's Severity is being updated to -- (default, untriaged.)

Comment 5

[Ali Savas]

Also in version 77 B1 the message list is not focused when Thunderbird launches. A start page is not set up.

Comment 6

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Was this working in 68?

Comment 7

[Ali Savas]

No, it did not work with version 68 either.

However, I have a strange phenomenon here. On my PC at home I have the problem that the message list is not focused immediately, although no start page was defined. Here on my work PC I do not have this problem. Here the message list is focused as desired.

Both PCs have version 78 B3 installed.

Now you could call the problem solved, but I am still looking for a reason why this does not work at home.

Comment 8

[Alex ARNAUD]

However, I have a strange phenomenon here. On my PC at home I have the problem that the message list is not focused immediately, although no start page was defined. Here on my work PC I do not have this problem. Here the message list is focused as desired.

Are you sure on your two PC you've the same Thunderbird version and the same setting without start page?

Best regards.

Comment 9

[Ali Savas]

Not exactly the same profile, but the same account and same sttings, yes.

Comment 10

[Alex ARNAUD]

(In reply to Ali Savas from comment #9)

Not exactly the same profile, but the same account and same sttings, yes.

Is it the same Thunderbird version in both computer?

Do you have extension in one computer and not in another?

Comment 11

[Ali Savas]

Not exactly the same profile, but the same account and same settings, yes.

Is it the same Thunderbird version in both computer?

Yes.

Do you have extension in one computer and not in another?

Yes, one. E-Mail-Alert, but I removed it and this is still Happening.

Comment 12

[Alex ARNAUD]

(In reply to Ali Savas from comment #11)

Not exactly the same profile, but the same account and same settings, yes.

Is it the same Thunderbird version in both computer?

Yes.

Do you have extension in one computer and not in another?

Yes, one. E-Mail-Alert, but I removed it and this is still Happening.

Thanks for all the details you've provided but unfortunately they don't help me to understand where the issue could come from.

Some more questions to help me help you:

• Is it the same Windows version?
• Is it the same screen reader and screen reader version?
• Does your profile are both Imap or both pop or they different in this?
• Do you have change the storage format of the mail?

I'm sorry for so many questions but without more details I'd not be able to help you as on every computer I've tried it just works.

Thanks in advance.

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Maybe John can advise

Comment 14

[Ali Savas]

(In reply to Alex ARNAUD from comment #12)

• Is it the same Windows version?

Yes.

• Is it the same screen reader and screen reader version?

Yes.

• Does your profile are both Imap or both pop or they different in this?

I have set up several e-mail accounts on both PCs. Most accounts I still use are only IMAP accounts. On the PC where this problem occurs there are still two inactive POP3 accounts set up, but they are no longer used. I would like to keep them, however, as I read the messages from time to time.

• Do you have change the storage format of the mail?

Yes, I do not keep local copies. However, this is the case on all PCs. On my private PC, where this problem also occurs, I have changed the location of the Thunderbird profile, it is on a different drive. However, I don't think it has anything to do with this.

I'm sorry for so many questions but without more details I'd not be able to help you as on every computer I've tried it just works.

No problem!

Comment 15

[Jonathan Michalon]

Looking to the source code here, it won't set the focus if either:

• an URI is given where to open TB forcefully (disables automatic focus)
• no default account is set
• no folder is known as inbox
• the folder is not in the current view

Maybe one of these things happen on one of your setup but not the other for whatever reason?

Comment 16

[Ali Savas]

Unfortunately I cannot tell you if the problem is caused by any of the above mentioned problems. I am not aware that any of these conditions apply to me.

I would be happy to have a developer connect to my PC via Teamviewer or other remote maintenance software to identify the problem in more detail.

Comment 17

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

We have several potentially same / related.

I believe this bug report is the oldest of them. FWIW, bug 1620310 happened in version 76

Comment 18

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

I think we may want to back out bug 1620310 and look for another solution for that later.

Comment 19

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Will take care of that later today.

Comment 20

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/507a1c3997e7
Back out changeset d318ed3f2347 (bug 1620310) - which needs a new solution. r=mkmelin

Comment 21

[Alex ARNAUD]

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #18)

I think we may want to back out bug 1620310 and look for another solution for that later.

I don't understand why it doesn't work here but for all user I'm aware of it just work.

@Magnus: why do you think the solution we propose doesn't work? Which one do you propose?

Comment 22

[Alex ARNAUD]

(In reply to Magnus Melin [:mkmelin] from comment #18)

I think we may want to back out bug 1620310 and look for another solution for that later.

Just to be sure I'm clear: As I'm aware of this is a regression. It was just a long-standing broken behavior and user use third-party extension to workaround it.

Comment 23

[Jorg K (CEST = GMT+2)]

Magnus, how do you intend to handle the backport of the backouts here? You didn't even set any target or status, so this bug was completely undetectable by any query, yet, it is needed in TB 78 :-( - What is your plan for quality control to avoid omissions like this one?

Comment 24

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Due to trunk bustage, this hasn't been (even!) in a nightly yet. I don't want to request uplifts before that.

Comment 25

[Jorg K (CEST = GMT+2)]

As I said: There were no tracking/status flags so the bug was undetectable unless someone had it on their personal to-do list which doesn't lend itself to an overall cross-check.

Comment 26

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Attachment: backout.patch

Attaching the backout to get approvals put somewhere...

[Approval Request Comment]
Regression caused by (bug #): bug 1620310
User impact if declined: various complaints/confusions about startup folder, see the see toos
Testing completed (on c-c, etc.): yes
Risk to taking this patch (and alternatives if risky): not risky, back to 68 behaviour

Comment 27

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Note, in bug 1629522 we are backing out bug 1620310.

We are enabling 68->78 updates in the next week. What is the next step?

Comment 28

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(comment 27 is incorrectly posted in this bug)

We should fast track this for 78.2.2, which will see users updating from 68.

Comment 29

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Yes, we should take this for 78.2.2. The backout was also in 81 beta so it's not really fast tracking.

Comment 30

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Comment on attachment 9172363 [details] [diff] [review]
backout.patch

[Triage Comment]
Approved for esr78

Comment 31

[Rob Lemley [:rjl]]

Thunderbird 78.2.2:
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/comm-esr78/rev/f8160cc1af57

Comment 32

[Ali Savas]

Unfortunately, this bug has not been fixed for me. I still have to press TAB three times to get to the message list. The start page is disabled for me.

Comment 33

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Please file a new bug. This one is closed.

Comment 34

[Rob Lemley [:rjl]]

This needs to be set fixed then for 78 since an uplift was done.