1737436 - Update user agent code for SeaMonkey

Status: ASSIGNED

(SeaMonkey :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg)]

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #1242294 +++

Because of faulty or sometimes even deliberately forked up user agent checks we need to set the base version to Gecko 68 and also implement a generic override mechanism. Just setting or removing Firefox will no longer work.

Porting https://github.com/WaterfoxCo/Waterfox/pull/2185 might be a solution for SeaMonkey 2.53 and 2.57.

As a start set the base Gecko version to 68 in 2.53.10b1 and up.

Comment 1

[Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg)]

Attachment: 1737436-version-25310.patch

As discussed as a first step set the ua hard to 68. 78 or later would break google and others.

Comment 2

[Dmitry Butskoy (:buc)]

You know that I profess another way -- ie. "setting or removing SeaMonkey" instead of "setting or removing Firefox". AFAIK it is kinda "Vivaldi way", when by default you mimic to the well-known browser, and only for some particular sites still use your "real" UA.

So, basically, we should preserve the options implemented in bug #1242294, which allow users to choose the "default" UA way (either FF+SM or FF only). Then the new generic override mechanism should be implemented over it. IOW kinda two-level overriding (first for defaults, second for some known sites).

For example, if you still prefer FF+SM upstream, then you collect "all the banking" sites and provide "FF only" for them. If (like in Fedora) you prefer FF only, then the banking is OK "by default", but you should preserve "SM" for correct work of sites like "firefox.com" (accounts), "thunderbird.net" (addons), "seamonkey-project.org", and maybe also sites that are tolerant of UA strings (duckduck.go etc, you can derive such a list from Vivaldi) for statistical needs (if any).

Depending on what default UA is used, distribution can use either upstream's or its own json file for the overrides.

It might be a good idea to make these overrides possible for mail domains as well (it will not be surprising if some large mail site forgets about SM existence completely and starts marking mails as a spam due to UA header string).

Comment 3

[Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg)]

Then the new generic override mechanism should be implemented over it. IOW kinda two-level overriding (first for defaults, second for some known sites).

That is the plan. Not a 1:1 port. I didn't look at the Waterfox code yet. Plan is like now with a minimum 68 version and overrides via json for bad sniffing sites. The first patch here just switches from 60 to 68 as the fallback.

Comment 4

[Ian Neal]

Comment on attachment 9247422 [details] [diff] [review]
1737436-version-25310.patch

[Triage Comment]
r/a=me for this interim fix

Comment 12

[Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg)]

Initial patch target 2.53.10
https://gitlab.com/seamonkey-project/seamonkey-2.53-mozilla/-/commit/8379b2347eb4aab30f2a44e13f26103bc3e9989c
Set user agent version to Firefox ESR 68. r=IanN a=IanN

Comment 13

[romko.b.m]

(In reply to Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg) from comment #12)

Initial patch target 2.53.10
https://gitlab.com/seamonkey-project/seamonkey-2.53-mozilla/-/commit/8379b2347eb4aab30f2a44e13f26103bc3e9989c
Set user agent version to Firefox ESR 68. r=IanN a=IanN

User Agent Switcher 0.7.3 by Chris Pederic January 4, 2011 after conversion with http://addonconverter.fotokraina.com/
requires more fields to fill in (App Code Name, App Name, App Version)
so I am not sure enough that I know well how to fill them in with the only one string you suggest:
«Firefox ESR 68. r=IanN a=IanN»

Comment 14

[Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg)]

Followup for 2.53.15. Set to 91:

https://gitlab.com/seamonkey-project/seamonkey-2.53-mozilla/-/commit/b0bfb7e3a1c68831c10d6ec6a98fec1cac2d41f1
Set user agent version to Firefox ESR 91. r=IanN a=IanN

Comment 15

[romko.b.m]

(In reply to Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg) from comment #14)

Followup for 2.53.15. Set to 91:

https://gitlab.com/seamonkey-project/seamonkey-2.53-mozilla/-/commit/b0bfb7e3a1c68831c10d6ec6a98fec1cac2d41f1
Set user agent version to Firefox ESR 91. r=IanN a=IanN

no such option.
option exists useragentswitcher.version
if set = Firefox ESR 91. r=IanN a=IanN
then on next reboot sets back 0.73

Comment 16

[Frank-Rainer Grahl (:frg)]

The version is the default one presented to websites. Currently not exposed in the ui. The variable useragentswitcher.version with value 0.73 is not something SeaMonkey sets.probably an add-on.