211602 - Need to clarify New Issue Note at http://www.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla1.4/README.html#new-issues

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(www.mozilla.org :: General, defect)

Description

[Robert Schwartz]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20030624
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20030624

If Mozilla 1.4 is installed in to a directory that was used by a previous
version of Mozilla and that directory still contains plug-ins or xpi's, Mozilla
1.4 will crash on start up with an error message indicating a problem in xpcom.dll

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.uninstall 1.3.1 using the Windows Add/Remove Control Panel Applet or
MozillaUninstall.exe.
2.Install 1.4 to old directory containing old plug-ins or xpi's
3.
Actual Results:  
Crashed with xpcom.dll error message

Expected Results:  
Provide expanded information under
http://www.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla1.4/README.html#new-issues:

Windows users: If you upgrade from a previous version of Mozilla to Version 1.4
 and it crashes on startup with an error message indicating a 
problem in xpcom.dll, it is most likely that the crash was caused by
an incompatibility between 1.4 and your old plug-ins or xpi's.

To avoid this problem, or to work around it if it has occured,
uninstall your installed version of Mozilla using the Windows Add/Remove
facility or MozillaUninstall.exe.
Then rename or completely delete the directory the old Mozilla was installed in.
Finally, install version 1.4 in a new empty directory.

NOTE: You will not lose your mail, news or profile data 
(such as bookmarks, preferences and cookies) but plug-ins 
and xpi's may be lost, unless they are saved in a renamed 
directory or copied or backed-up to a new directory.

After installation of Mozilla 1.4 you may copy your old plugins
to your new plugin directories, but do not use your old Java plug-ins
unless you previously installed Java 1.4.2, see above.

If you use a spellchecker xpi, you should download a new version specific 
to Mozilla 1.4




More information at #205277, #211363, #211484, #211353 #211458.

See also:

http://www.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla1.4/README.html#new-issues

    * If you are experiencing crashes on startup in xpcom.dll it is very likely
that there is an incompatibility with some third-party extension. To work around
this problem, uninstall your previous version of Mozilla, and completely delete
the Mozilla install directory before performing the new install. You will not
lose your profile data (such as bookmarks, preferences and cookies) but any
third party extensions and plugins may be lost.

The following threads from mozilla news should be reviewed:

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=3F025523.7020102%40tired.of.hotmail.spam.com&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26safe%3Doff%26group%3Dnetscape.public.mozilla.browser

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=1gsEa.9843%248l.638006%40news2.telusplanet.net&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26safe%3Doff%26group%3Dnetscape.public.mozilla.crash-data

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=bd80i7%248nu1%40ripley.netscape.com&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26safe%3Doff%26group%3Dnetscape.public.mozilla.crash-data

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=69809db8.0306300031.6ddf51cf%40posting.google.com&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26safe%3Doff%26group%3Dnetscape.public.mozilla.crash-data

http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&group=netscape.public.mozilla.crash-data&safe=off&selm=126ee2c2.0307010854.95f60f0%40posting.google.com

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=bdt56b%24voivv%243%40ID-106624.news.dfncis.de&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26safe%3Doff%26group%3Dnetscape.public.mozilla.qa.general

Comment 1

[Charles Fenwick]

Agree.  

The release notes just don't cover the case of the third party extensions and 
how uninstall won't catch then;they have to be manually deleted.

As the installation instructions stand, a user could reasonably follow them and 
still encounter problems, because the instructions for uninstalling just 
mention using add/remove programs, which won't do the job if there's a third-
party extension.

This is something that needs to be until the notes until one of the reccomended 
fixes is implemented (bug 210731, etc).

Changing to correct component as well.

Comment 2

[Michael Lefevre]

fixing the assignees as well...

Comment 3

[Michael Lefevre]

actually, the default assignees probably aren't useful... apologies for spam...

Comment 4

[Daniel Wang]

The file reads:

   To work around this problem, uninstall your previous version of
   Mozilla, and *completely delete the Mozilla install directory*
   before performing the new install.

The instruction seems fine to me; I think details on .xpi, java,
plug-ins will just confuse the user.

Comment 5

[Robert Schwartz]

I do not agree with <a
href="http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=211602#c4">comment #4</a> It
assumes that the intended target of the proposed change completly lacks
technical sophistication. Allow me to refrence the project web site:

<a href="http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.0/faq/general.html#1.1">1.1. For whom is
Mozilla 1.0 intended?</a>

    Mozilla 1.0 is a fully functional technology demo for those interested in
seeing what can be done with Mozilla technology, and those who want to create
Mozilla-based products and packages. <em>The intended target audience is the
development community.<em> Mozilla is free software, so any person or company is
free to alter and redistribute it under the terms of the licence.

    While Mozilla 1.0 (as released by mozilla.org) is ready to be used
comfortably by the general user – and those wanting to use Mozilla as released
by mozilla.org are more than welcome to do so – mozilla.org has no resources to
offer end-user support. However, mozilla.org always invites new testers and bug
reporters.

---------

I think we should assume that users who install Mozilla have a sufficent level
of technical sophistication to be able to understand an expanded explanation. I
further believe that these users, (and I count myself in their number as I am
not a developer but I have a sufficent level of comprehension to be able to
understand the problem and suggest the language change) want a disscursive
explanation of the problem and its solution. Do as I say and don't ask
questions, is not an attitude that most Mozilla useres will suffer gladly.

Comment 6

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

no longer valid.