265412 - Profile not selected when default browser is started and USB configuration is used.

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Toolkit :: Startup and Profile System, enhancement)

Description

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20041001 Firefox/0.10.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20041001 Firefox/0.10.1

I have currently two issues with firefox, not real errors
but somehow unsatisfying behaviour.

1)
I have installed Firefox on my USB memory stick as described by
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/support/tips.html#oth_usb.

everyting is working fine when you start Firefox from firefox.bat.

Firefox is selected as the default browser on the PC in question.
When i click on a link (e.g in Outlook ina mail with links) that requires a
browser Firefox is correctly started from the memory stick but unfortunately
it is started without profile. So in this case it is started using
default settings. I loose the Theme, the Extension and all custom
security settings.

Is is possible to somehow remember the profile even when Firefox is
started as default browser and not from firefox.bat? 
(Addon or Modification in the Registry?)

2)
I would like that firefox starts automatically when i plugin the
USB stick. Is it possible to add somethig like an autostart.ini file
in order firefox is automatically started.

3)
Is it possible to have a USB-Stick solution for UNIX based operating
systems (Solaris, Linux) as well?
(I do not require the UNIX solution to be located on the same 
USB-memory stick like the Windows configuration)

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.Configure USB memory stick for firefox (as described in Tips and Tricks)
  including profile configuration (settings, themes and extensions)
2.Make shure Firefox is the default browser.
3.Run a file that requires a browser as execution program.

Actual Results:  
Firefox is started, but with default configuration.
It does not find (or know about) the configured profile.

Expected Results:  
Default Browser startup should know about
where to find the correct Firefox profile.

Further issues in short:

1) Autostart from USB stick insertion?
2) USB stick solution for UNIX operating systems?

Comment 1

[Benjamin Smedberg]

These are all interesting questions, but none of them are bugs or even valid
RFEs. Bugzilla is not a support mechanism, it would be much better for you to
post your questions on the newsgroups, try netscape.public.mozilla.browser

Comment 2

[Bill Mason]

*** Bug 265510 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 3

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

(In reply to comment #1)
> These are all interesting questions, but none of them are bugs or even valid
> RFEs. Bugzilla is not a support mechanism, it would be much better for you to
> post your questions on the newsgroups, try netscape.public.mozilla.browser

"netscape.public.mozilla.browser" IS NOT A VALID URL

You misunderstood my report. It is NOT AT ALL a request for support.
I am reporting a serious bug in Firefox 1.0.PR for profile access under certain
conditions. The profile access mechanism must wurk under all conditions or
firefox has a severe security problem.

All the remaining information was meant as additional comment
in order for you to understand my point of view. I am able myself to find
some solution for items 2) and maybe even 3) but since you are not accepting
them as valid subjects the solutions will never find its way to an official release.

Unfortunately the request has been INVALIDATED and the profile access
bug will never be fixed.

Comment 4

[Benjamin Smedberg]

netscape.public.mozilla.browser is a newsgroup.

Using Firefox from a USB key isn't a supported method (at least for 1.0, I am
trying to support it in the 1.1 release): there are fairly serious issues where
the portable profile contains absolute paths. When we do start supporting
portable installations such as this, we need to look at how the default browser
settings might automatically choose the correct profile, but we can't cross that
bridge till we come to it.