167923 - launching second mozilla instance opens profile window not new browser window

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 122698

(SeaMonkey :: General, defect)

Description

[Craig Ringer]

Mozilla 1.1
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.1) Gecko/20020826
Installed system-wide

Alternate summary:
mozilla -remote does not launch a new mozilla instance if no existing instance
found.

I'd categorize this more as a useability issue than a true bug. When there is a
running instance of mozilla and mozilla is invoked again
('/usr/local/mozilla/mozilla'), the profile selection dialog is displayed
instead of creating a new window. This is true for -mail etc too. This by its
self isn't really broken (though IMHO not desireable) however:
 - there is no indication to the user _why_ its asking for profile selection
 - the profile selection doesn't indicate that a profile is locked 'till the
user tries to activate it
 - there is no option to override this behaviour and have mozilla launch a new
window instead.

It seems to me that Mozilla should probably just open up a window with the
expected function. I'm achieveing the same effect with little scripts:

-----
#!/bin/bash
/usr/local/mozilla/mozilla -remote 'xfeDoCommand (openBrowser)' || \
( echo ".... launching Mozilla" && /usr/local/mozilla/mozilla )
-----

but it'd be nice to have mozilla -remote start a mozilla instance if one did not
already exist, and/or have a new mozilla instance detect if there is a single
locked profile and open a new window instead of the profile dialog.

I'm pretty sure this behaviour is fairly recent... Mozilla 1.0 as shipped in
Debian doesn't do it, at least, but behaves as I'd expect it to.

Sorry if this is a dup, covering previously discussed issues, etc - but I did
what I could to check this out before submitting a bug.

BTW the reason I think this is an issue is the use of mozilla in GUI toolbars,
menus etc, where as you can imagine clicking the "mozilla" button again would
_not_ be expected to open a profile select window but rather a new browser window.

Comment 1

[Jo Hermans]

That's because the profile is locked (see bug 147160). Netscape 4 warned you
with a dialog box, but Mozilla shows you the profile-selector (so you can use
another profile) without mentioned why.

Since bug 147160 is already closed, I'm marking this as a dupe of bug 122698,
becuase that might provide a solution later.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 122698 ***