1968279 - Firefox install link on new Windows 11 devices

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Installer, enhancement, P3)

Description

[Chris DuPuis]

A substantial number of users will upgrade to Windows 11 in a way that leaves no trace of Firefox on their device. To address these cases we can leave an install entry point in their personal files, which will migrate at a higher rate than the app itself. In particular the Documents and Desktop folder are backed up by OneDrive and other cloud storage products, and likely to find their way back onto a new device.

Idea to explore - We add a Firefox shortcut to the desktop today. Can we instead leave a small EXE file that runs Firefox if it’s installed but triggers an install if it’s not?

Comment 1

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 1: Firefox desktop launcher / installer r=mossop,nrishel

A substantial number of users will upgrade to Windows 11 in a way that leaves no trace of Firefox on their device. To address these cases we will leave
an install entry point in their personal files, which will migrate at a higher rate than the app itself. In particular, files in the Desktop folder are
backed up by OneDrive and other cloud storage products, and likely to find their way back onto a new device.

This app acts as a replacement for the desktop shortcut to Firefox.

When Firefox is installed on the user's machine, when the user launches this app, it finds the path to Firefox in the appropriate Windows Registry keys
and attemnpts to launch Firefox from that path.

When there is no Firefox installation found, this app will attempt to download and run the Firefox "stub" installer.

As a final fallback, this app will open the Firefox download URL in the default browser.

Jira link:
https://mozilla-hub.atlassian.net/browse/FIDE-2525

Comment 2

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 2: Install desktop launcher r=nrishel,mossop

Create installer script to install the device migration tool,
and conditionally enable it at install time.

Comment 3

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 3: Make installation and build of tool a config option r=mossop,mpohle,nrishel

Also install as a name based on the app name

Comment 4

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 3: Set up local web server for testing r=mossop,bhearsum

Also enhance the download_file() API to allow for better testability.

Comment 5

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 4: Add handling of non-release versions r=mossop,nrishel

This also cleans up some assumptions made about registry
key names.

Comment 6

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 5: Set PYTHON for mach r=mossop,bhearsum,ahochheiden

For better parity with CI builds that use mozharness, ensure that
the path to the appropriate Python executable is set in the
PYTHON environment variable.

Comment 7

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 6: Need to test on all brandings r=nrishel

Factored out a common.moz.build file to be used for
tests and product code

Comment 8

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 7: Add manifest to desktop installer r=nrishel

This is not strictly necessary, since there is still no UI for
this application. But it sets us up for making changes that
require a manifest.

Comment 9

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 8: Add a user prompt to the stub installer r=nrishel

If the command-line flag "/Prompt" is the only flag passed
to the stub installer, it will now ask the user before installing.
Also modified the desktop launcher to pass this flag
when it downloads and runs the stub installer.

Comment 10

[Chris DuPuis]

Attachment: Bug 1968279 - Part 9: Build desktop launcher by default r=nrishel

Remove conditional to build and include in the package.

Comment 11

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/75ca7d090ad5
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/706125d7e7be
Part 1: Firefox desktop launcher / installer r=mossop,nrishel,win-reviewers
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/2fd65f22ee0d
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/e32846e6512b
Part 2: Install desktop launcher r=nrishel,mossop,browser-installer-reviewers
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/be9dcefa6650
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/2b3dddfa6c51
Part 3: Set up local web server for testing r=mossop,bhearsum
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/20865a6fba1e
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/34126dbe33f4
Part 4: Add handling of non-release versions r=mossop,nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/d13416d992a8
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/43bdc23ee2d4
Part 5: Set PYTHON for mach r=mossop,bhearsum,firefox-build-system-reviewers,ahochheiden
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/5ecd7bf1b8d2
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/fc5f5100f977
Part 6: Need to test on all brandings r=nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/fc96b78820e3
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/1e6c4a2ee7cb
Part 7: Add manifest to desktop installer r=nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/2fdc45a739b9
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/baffa4f88c17
Part 8: Add a user prompt to the stub installer r=nrishel,browser-installer-reviewers
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/43674fbc2d89
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/65a884f376db
Part 9: Build desktop launcher by default r=nrishel

Comment 12

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/ac197dfb40e5
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/b6e18eefa05a
Revert "Bug 1968279 - Part 9: Build desktop launcher by default r=nrishel" for causing gtest failures on DesktopLauncherTest

Comment 13

[Cosmin Sabou [:CosminS]]

Backed out for causing gtest failures on DesktopLauncherTest

Push with failures

Failure log

Backout link

Comment 14

[Mayank Bansal]

When this landed, it increased the installer size on Windows (non shippable) by 206KB(0.2%)
The subsequent backout brought the size back to baseline.

Comment 15

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/bb6463e5f8bc
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/f2b7afe747a3
Part 1: Firefox desktop launcher / installer r=mossop,nrishel,win-reviewers
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/15d958ac18f8
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/209df17f647e
Part 2: Install desktop launcher r=nrishel,mossop,browser-installer-reviewers
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/96d9cbe5ec63
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/2a8edb9407ce
Part 3: Set up local web server for testing r=mossop,bhearsum
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/bf1edbf4fdb2
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/9b0c6df237ac
Part 4: Add handling of non-release versions r=mossop,nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/f6db7d79c609
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/ea2c7a3eeaf6
Part 5: Set PYTHON for mach r=mossop,bhearsum,firefox-build-system-reviewers,ahochheiden
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/f3876a2da15c
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/b4caf02bf965
Part 6: Need to test on all brandings r=nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/a7f8e07424fe
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/ace81a8d9917
Part 7: Add manifest to desktop installer r=nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/d99c3724ffd6
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/e69de4eca6fe
Part 8: Add a user prompt to the stub installer r=nrishel,browser-installer-reviewers
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/625a6b08d84f
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/63079b4dd5b2
Part 9: Build desktop launcher by default r=nrishel
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/08dbedd41efb
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/747e50133b4e
apply code formatting via Lando

Comment 16

[Cristian Tuns]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/f2b7afe747a3
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/209df17f647e
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/2a8edb9407ce
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/9b0c6df237ac
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/ea2c7a3eeaf6
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/b4caf02bf965
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/ace81a8d9917
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/e69de4eca6fe
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/63079b4dd5b2
https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/747e50133b4e

Comment 17

[Bridget Kaluzny]

Release Note Request: 145
Why is this notable: A user-visible change to the Firefox desktop shortcut for most Windows users
Affects Firefox for Android: No
Suggested wording: For most Windows users, the existing desktop shortcut for launching Firefox has been replaced with the desktop launcher, a small program that will launch Firefox if it is installed, but if it is not installed will prompt the user to install Firefox. This will provide an easy installation point for Firefox users who acquire a new Windows device, where Firefox will not be installed by default, but the desktop launcher program may have synced via OneDrive or other cloud storage product.
Bugzilla bug: 1968279: "Firefox install link on new Windows 11 devices"
[Links (documentation, blog post, etc)]: SUMO article, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-desktop-launcher
Sumo article doc version with pic: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OswhDissmzKZMaWuTaHbY__jbeggRDp3CM2VQtBew6Y/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ylpijdj533xm