305551 - No warning before creating user-specified profile directory

Status: NEW

(Toolkit :: Startup and Profile System, defect)

Description

[VanillaMozilla]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8b3) Gecko/20050712 Firefox/1.0+
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8b3) Gecko/20050712 Firefox/1.0+

Users commonly use the Profile Manager for debugging extensions.  The Profile
Manager displays a prominent option to create a profile in a user-specified
directory.  If this option is used, user data files may become improperly mixed
with Firefox profile files.  Deleting the profile later may cause deletion of
user files with little warning.

It is very easy for users not to realize that no subdirectory will be created,
and there is no warning that files will be comingled.  On Windows system it is
common for users to use "C:\My Documents and Settings", but other directories
could be used.  Extensive data loss has been reported in numerous instances.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Start Profile Manager
2.Create a new profile in a user-specified directory.  This can be an existing
directory or a new directory.
Actual Results:  
A new profile is created in the specified directory.  No subdirectory is
created, and the profile files may be mixed with user files, either at the time
of creation or at a later time.

Expected Results:  
When creating a new profile directory, Profile Manager should warn user that:
(1) The directory and all its contents may be deleted in the future;
(2) The user should not store any files in that directory.
The warning should be prominent and unmistakable, so no reasonable user would
miss seeing it.

User files should not be mingled with profile or application files, and users
should be warned of this.

This bug is closely related to bug 302087, and should be fixed at the same time.
 This bug report requests a warning when creating the directory; the other
requests a warning when deleting it.

The same problem has been reported in previous reports, such as 18927, 270705,
278230, and 294779.

Comment 1

[linda]

could not close out prompt default window to open bookmark page....kept inisting on new default user.....I clicked yes for new default user and wiped out previous bookmarks........now I have to start all over again to find my data.

Comment 2

[VanillaMozilla]

Please don't add comments unless you are contributing to solving the problem.  Thanks.

Comment 3

[VanillaMozilla]

Feel free to take this.  I've been assigned to this, but I don't have the expertise to patch it.

Comment 4

[Simon Bünzli]

Attachment: warning sign and bold text when choosing a non-empty folder

This patch checks whether the chosen folder is empty and displays a bold warning and an exclamation sign should that not be the case. There are no further nag dialogs or checkboxes, but the warning should be visible enough to whomever it concerns.

I'll ask for review, if you agree on the way it's done.

Comment 5

[VanillaMozilla]

Nice job!

Instead of "The chosen folder is not empty!  Click Finish to create this new profile nevertheless.",
I suggest "Warning!  The folder is not empty!"  Then it's explicit that it's a warning.

Comment 6

[Simon Bünzli]

Attachment: screenshot

Comment 7

[Simon Bünzli]

Attachment: warning sign and bold text when choosing a non-empty folder

This patch includes minor improvements as suggested in the discussion at http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2040231#2040231
The modifications include the folder name in the warning and a beep when choosing a non-empty folder (for lack of a real OS-dependent warning sound).

It's about the best solution we've managed to come up with which doesn't interfere more than necessary with the installation process (no additional clicks required) but should still be concise enough for keeping anybody from accidentally creating the profile in a non-empty folder (unless so indented).

Comment 8

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

not a blocker, profile manager continues to exist for developers and QA only.  Will try to look at the patch later.

Comment 9

[Simon Bünzli]

Comment on attachment 211074 [details] [diff] [review]
warning sign and bold text when choosing a non-empty folder

Moving this off mconnor's plate in the hope of getting things rolling for Toolkit 1.9.

(In reply to comment #8)
> profile manager continues to exist for developers and QA only. 

Only as far as Firefox is concerned -- and even on Firefox' release notes the profile manager is mentioned to all users!

Comment 10

[Simon Bünzli]

Giving up on this one and hoping that the Profile manager UI gets removed completely (in bug 214675) and replaced with a more usable extension (enabled by bug 390771).

Comment 11

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to comment #0)
> The Profile Manager displays a prominent option to create a profile in a user-specified directory.

There is not such option. There are next options only in profile creation.
  - Create profile directory under standard profile location.
    - Create a profile entry in profiles.ini
    - Create profile directory under standard profile location
      (under ...\Profiles if MS Win)
  - Select existent profile directory.
    - Create a profile entry in profiles.ini
    - Use existent directory specified by user as profile directory.
      It's never "profile location under which Tb creates profile directory.
      So, warning should not be issued when "directory is not empty".
      If warning is issued, warning should be issued when directory is empty
      or when directory doesn't contain required prefs.js etc.
In both cases, directry used as profile is properly displayed in message by Profile Manager.

Bug 470927 is request for enhancement of "creation of profile directory under user specified directory".

> Expected Results:  
> When creating a new profile directory, Profile Manager should warn user that:
> (1) The directory and all its contents may be deleted in the future;

The warning is displayed upon delete profile if user choose "delete files" option. You didn't see such warning? Or the warning is enhancement afer this bug was opened?

> (2) The user should not store any files in that directory.

Good idea.

Comment 12

[VanillaMozilla]

(In reply to comment #11)
> There is not such option.

Yes there is.  The "Choose Folder" button adds profile files to the user-specified directory.  At a later time the PM can be used to PERMANENTLY delete the entire directory, user files and all.  There are many bug reports on this.


> The warning is displayed upon delete profile if user choose "delete files"
> option. You didn't see such warning? Or the warning is enhancement afer this
> bug was opened?

There is a warning, and maybe that's why Mozilla is not interested in fixing it.  The problem is that the warning is not sufficiently informative, and many users do not realize that their own files may be deleted.

Comment 13

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(In reply to comment #12)
> (In reply to comment #11)
> > There is not such option.
> Yes there is.  The "Choose Folder" button adds profile files to the
> user-specified directory.

So, next you stated in comment #0 is never applicable to the "Choose Folder" button. The "Choose Folder" button is option for using existent profile directory.
> Expected Results:  
> When creating a new profile directory, Profile Manager should warn user that:
> (snip)

Comment 14

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(a) for bug summay.
> No warning before creating user-specified profile directory

"Warning or no warning" in such situation can't occur, because "creating user-specified profile directory" will never happen when "Choose Folder" button is used. If bug summary correctly represents your report's summary, this bug is INVALID.

(b) for warning upon profile deletion.
> The problem is that the warning is not sufficiently informative (snip)

It's bug 302087. Keep "one problem or request per a bug", please.

Comment 15

[WADA:World Anti-bad-Duping Agency]

(off-topic)

As you pointed in other bug, following discussion exists on "profile manager UI", which is invoked by existence of bug 214675.
> http://groups.google.de/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_thread/thread/06900b8b97c2655d

Bug 506269 is for enhancement of remoting(-no-remote/without -no-remote). remote/no-remote related issues in multiple profile environment may be improved by the enhancement.

Comment 16

[VanillaMozilla]

This bug has a patch, but it's moot because it won't be checked in, and the UI will disappear or be replaced soon anyway.  Now please stop spreading bug spam.

Comment 17

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

In the process of migrating remaining bugs to the new severity system, the severity for this bug cannot be automatically determined. Please retriage this bug using the new severity system.

Comment 18

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

The severity field is not set for this bug.
:mossop, could you have a look please?

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