1959023 - Firefox menu bar changes and incorrect menu opens when window is inactive

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Core :: Widget: Cocoa, defect, P3)

Description

[Sam Johnson]

Attachment: Screen recording

After bug 1941595, when using Firefox with multiple monitors on macOS, the Firefox menu bar options change when activating a window on another monitor. While this is annoying, it also causes undesirable behavior: When you try to open the Tools menu, the Profiles menu opens instead, because the Profiles option gets added when Firefox comes to the foreground.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open Finder window on screen A.
2. Open Firefox window on screen B.
3. Note that when the Firefox window is active, the menu bar has a Profiles menu.
4. Click the Finder window to activate it. Notice that the Profiles menu disappears from the Firefox menu bar on screen B.
5. Attempt to open the Firefox tools menu (without first activating the Firefox window). Note that Profiles opens instead.

See attached screen recording demonstrating the issue.

Comment 1

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

Set release status flags based on info from the regressing bug 1941595

:bradwerth, since you are the author of the regressor, bug 1941595, could you take a look? Also, could you set the severity field?

For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 2

[Steven Michaud [:smichaud] (Retired)]

Bug 1941595 (whose fix caused this bug) was a regression caused by the fix for bug 1765391. The fix for bug 1765391 landed on the 135 branch. Could you test with FF 134 to see if this bug also happens there? You can download it here.

When you run FF 134, to keep it from automatically updating you'll need to set "Firefox Updates" to "Check for updates but let you choose to install them".

Comment 3

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

I'll get to work on this.

Comment 4

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

(In reply to Sam Johnson from comment #0)

Thank you for filing. I know that macOS Firefox has an issue where sometimes there is a "Profiles" menu and sometimes there is not, but I can't get your Steps to Reproduce to work for me. Please help me understand better, and maybe I will be able to reproduce.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open Finder window on screen A.

The menubar is on screen A, yes?

2. Open Firefox window on screen B.

I am dragging a new Firefox window from screen A to screen B. Should I be doing something else?

3. Note that when the Firefox window is active, the menu bar has a Profiles menu.
4. Click the Finder window to activate it. Notice that the Profiles menu disappears from the Firefox menu bar on screen B.

Which screen has the Finder window? When I click on a Finder window (on either screen), I get the Finder menubar, as I should. There seems no possible way that clicking on a Finder window would leave me with the Firefox menubar. Also, the menubar is on screen A, not screen B, unless there's some other step I should be taking to get it on screen B.

5. Attempt to open the Firefox tools menu (without first activating the Firefox window). Note that Profiles opens instead.

Thanks. I know there is a real issue here, I just need to be able to reproduce the Bug properly so I can be sure my changes will fix it.

Comment 5

[Sam Johnson]

(In reply to Brad Werth [:bradwerth] from comment #4)

Hi! No problem:

The menubar is on screen A, yes?

Which screen has the Finder window? When I click on a Finder window (on either screen), I get the Finder menubar, as I should. There seems no possible way that clicking on a Finder window would leave me with the Firefox menubar. Also, the menubar is on screen A, not screen B, unless there's some other step I should be taking to get it on screen B.

There should be menu bars on every screen. You must enable "Displays have separate spaces" in System Settings > Desktop > Mission Control (which is enabled by default) for this to be the case. I'm guessing this is the source of the confusion.

I am dragging a new Firefox window from screen A to screen B. Should I be doing something else?

No dragging is required :)

Comment 6

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

Set release status flags based on info from the regressing bug 1941595

Comment 7

[Donal Meehan [:dmeehan]]

Adding a need-info for Comment 5.

Comment 8

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

I've confirmed that D242071 fixes this issue, while introducing other unwanted side effects. I'm working on a more robust fix.

Comment 9

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

Attachment: Bug 1959023 Part 1: Only set the macOS menubar when the app is active.

This prevents windowDidResignMain from altering the menubar when Firefox
is not the active app. This avoids menubar changes on multiple monitors
when switching from one window to another. When Firefox becomes active
again, it will update its menubar, which is typically the same menubar
as it had before.

Comment 10

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

Attachment: Bug 1959023 Part 2: Prevent macOS menubar from flickering when quitting Firefox.

This also prevents the momentary appearance of a gray, disabled-looking
menubar when quitting.

Comment 11

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/e83d5903503a
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/d5a7a9312160
Part 1: Only set the macOS menubar when the app is active. r=spohl
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/f98f9519e1ca
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/22d132009c6f
Part 2: Prevent macOS menubar from flickering when quitting Firefox. r=spohl
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/a8e9b2d39815
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/42066cb4cde1
apply code formatting via Lando

Comment 12

[pstanciu]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/d5a7a9312160
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/22d132009c6f
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/42066cb4cde1

Comment 13

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

The patch landed in nightly and beta is affected.
:bradwerth, is this bug important enough to require an uplift?

• If yes, please nominate the patch for beta approval.
  • See https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Requesting_an_Uplift for documentation on how to request an uplift.
• If no, please set status-firefox141 to wontfix.

For more information, please visit BugBot documentation.

Comment 14

[Simona Badau, Desktop QA]

Reproduced the initial issue using Firefox 141 with two monitors on macOS 15.
Verified as fixed using Firefox 142.0b4 with 2 monitors on macOS 15 - the Profiles menu no longer disappears when changing the focus to another app from the other monitor.

Comment 15

[Ryan VanderMeulen [:RyanVM]]

Should we uplift this to ESR140? It cherry-picks cleanly.

Comment 16

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

(In reply to Ryan VanderMeulen [:RyanVM] from comment #15)

Should we uplift this to ESR140? It cherry-picks cleanly.

Yes we should. I'll request uplift.

Comment 17

[Brad Werth [:bradwerth] (out until Jan 5)]

Comment on attachment 9497179 [details]
Bug 1959023 Part 1: Only set the macOS menubar when the app is active.

ESR Uplift Approval Request

• If this is not a sec:{high,crit} bug, please state case for ESR consideration: macOS menubar is one of the most visible interface elements. If it appears darkened, users think the app is broken in more serious ways.
• User impact if declined: Users will see a disabled-looking menubar in some situations.
• Fix Landed on Version:
• Risk to taking this patch: Medium
• Why is the change risky/not risky? (and alternatives if risky): This patch was incorrectly associated with a regression. It changes some fundamental UI code that could cause such regressions.

Comment 18

[Ryan VanderMeulen [:RyanVM]]

Comment on attachment 9497179 [details]
Bug 1959023 Part 1: Only set the macOS menubar when the app is active.

Approved for 140.3esr.

Comment 19

[Pulsebot]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-esr140/rev/54220dbe8c70
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-esr140/rev/e54a3a9b572b

Comment 20

[Simona Badau, Desktop QA]

Verified as fixed using Firefox 140.3.0 on macOS 15 with two monitors. The Profiles option is present on the second monitor, and the correct options are displayed when clicking the Tools menu.