276422 - "firefox -chrome [...]/bookmarksManager.xul" can't use default profile

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: Bookmarks & History, defect)

Description

[Nigel Tao]

I am writing a separate program that launches the browser's bookmarks manager. 
For epiphany, it's a simple "epiphany -b".  For firefox (or mozilla), as per
http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.phtml?title=Chrome_URLs, I tried
"firefox -chrome
chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul" and it works
great... provided that I don't already have an instance of firefox up and
running.

If I already have a firefox window open, then it will ask me to pick a
profile, because "the default profile is already in use".  This does not
seem to happen on Windows.

If I remove the "-chrome" so that it's just "firefox
chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul" then it doesn't
ask me to chose my profile (but the bookmarks manager UI is then
embedded inside the usual firefox window, which is unacceptable).


Bugfix request is to allow "firefox -chrome
chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul" to be able to use the
already-in-use default profile.

I don't know if this is a bug in the bookmarksManager XUL, but there wasn't a
bugzilla component for Profile Management or Chrome, so I filed it under Bookmarks.

If it matters, I am running Firefox 1.0 on Fedora Core 3 Linux.

Comment 1

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

our current startup script doesn't use -remote bits if you're specifying
command-line options.  the quick solution is to simply use the correct -remote
syntax and you'll be fine.

Comment 2

[Nigel Tao]

I've played around for 40 minutes, and I don't know what "the correct -remote
syntax" is.

firefox -remote 'openurl(chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul)'

is the same as

firefox chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul

in that the Bookmarks Manager chrome ends up inside the regular chrome (with
File/Edit/View/... menu, Back/Forward Buttons, Location Bar, etc.), which is
unsatisfactory.

firefox -remote 'xfeDoCommand(openBookmarks)'

does not seem to work (although openBrowser does), despite what (the possibly
out of date, referring to Netscape 4.x) http://www.mozilla.org/unix/remote.html
says.  Indeed, looking at the code at
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/xpfe/components/xremote/src/XRemoteService.cpp
does not suggest a way to proceed.

Should I now file a bug (feature enhancement request) to patch
XRemoteService::XfeDoCommand to accept "openbookmarks"?  Or should I file a bug
so that openurl(chrome://...) does not open a new window, but just instantiates
the chrome?  Or is there a better way?

Comment 3

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

This is an automated message, with ID "auto-resolve01".

This bug has had no comments for a long time. Statistically, we have found that
bug reports that have not been confirmed by a second user after three months are
highly unlikely to be the source of a fix to the code.

While your input is very important to us, our resources are limited and so we
are asking for your help in focussing our efforts. If you can still reproduce
this problem in the latest version of the product (see below for how to obtain a
copy) or, for feature requests, if it's not present in the latest version and
you still believe we should implement it, please visit the URL of this bug
(given at the top of this mail) and add a comment to that effect, giving more
reproduction information if you have it.

If it is not a problem any longer, you need take no action. If this bug is not
changed in any way in the next two weeks, it will be automatically resolved.
Thank you for your help in this matter.

The latest beta releases can be obtained from:
Firefox:     http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/
Thunderbird: http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/releases/1.5beta1.html
Seamonkey:   http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/

Comment 4

[Nigel Tao]

Still reproducable.

Firefox 1.0.7, Ubuntu Linux 5.10.

Comment 5

[marc_bouffard]

I am having very similar problems that seem to be related to the use of a chrome and -remote.

If I have a regular firefox window (no custom chrome) open (in fedora core 4), and I issue:

/bin/firefox -remote "openURL(www.google.com)"
or
xremote-client "openURL(www.google.com)"

Then the window that is already opened will load the requested URL as it should.

But if the existing window has any custom chrome at all (/bin/firefox -chrome chrome://path/to/xul), then issuing the -remote command will always open a new instance of the browser window with the default chrome.  Oddly enough, the -remote "ping()" command return with a status of 0 (as it should), it's just that the openURL doesn't care.

I cannot get a custom chrome window to respond to any form of -remote command.  This is VERY easy to test, and happens 100% of the time for me (in both FF 1.04 and FF1.07).  Simply open up a browser window with any custom chrom components and try to issue a -remote "openURL()".  

Comment 6

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

sorry for bugspam, long-overdue mass reassign of ancient QA contact bugs, filter on "beltznerLovesGoats" to get rid of this mass change

Comment 7

[Steve England [:stevee]]

Reporter, do you still see this problem with the latest Firefox 2? If not, can you please close this bug as WORKSFORME. Thanks!

Comment 8

[u279076]

Due to lack of reporter feedback and the inability to reproduce this bug, it is being resolved as INCOMPLETE.  Reporter, feel free to reopen this bug if you still are experiencing this issue and wish to provide us with more information so that we can help.