364440 - Back up prefs.js to avoid situations where Firefox "forgets" my options

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[turningoff]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.8) Gecko/20061025 Firefox/1.5.0.8
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.8) Gecko/20061025 Firefox/1.5.0.8

I realize that a number of firefox updates are for security.  Nonetheless, after 45 years as a programmer and having been clobbered numerous times by updates to products that broke them, I prefer to decide for myself if I wish to update.

So, of course, I have firefox set up that way.  Nevertheless, from time to time firefox surprises me and I curse mightily because it declares that it has downloaded an update.

It seems to be very easy for the automatically check for updates flag to get set without the user realizing it.  I think this probably happens if firefox loses its context data, or whatever you call it, if a system crashes or loses power as happens to mine out here in the boonies.  Sure, I am slowly training my brain to remember that I have to go back in and set this, but it is very easy for it to slip by if you don't have a distinct home page or just happen not remember that firefox is going to pull the rug out from under you.

Firefox saves bookmarks in a backup area.  It ought to save the settings of various options also, and if when it starts up it can't find the flags and bookmarks wherever it looks, it should restore the most recent ones.


Reproducible: Always

Comment 1

[turningoff]

Another reason this would be useful is then the user doesn't have to paw thru resetting the other options like the various large fonts of which there are 5-6 things to set if they have been lost, not to mention remembering which font and sizes they were.

Comment 2

[Jesse Ruderman]

Your problem with automatic updates is bug 335798, which doesn't really have anything to do with the problems you've had with Firefox "forgetting" your options.  I'm restricting this bug to just cover backing up prefs.js.

Comment 3

[turningoff]

I disagree with that, if I am understanding you correctly.

My understanding is that if I uncheck tools>options>advanced>update>automatically check for updates for firefox, I prevent firefox forcing its updates on me without my consent, and that the reason I am getting slammed by updates is that that setting, like the tools>options>fonts settings "gets lost" because firefox loses these settings when it does not close cleanly.  If that's correct, firefox retrieving the most recent backup of these settings would solve at least my problem.

The other bug you refer to is about the policy of forcing updates on people.  Let me point out that forcing updates is pretty arrogant.  You only have to look at the postings in the support forum to see time and time again where an update has been buggy.  People have lives, they are engaged in activities where firefox being mangled by an update in terms of some feature crucial to them is a big problem at inopportune moments.  They are adults and have the right to choose to change the software they are using or not, not have a paternal (and wrong) decision made for them about updating.  I can tell you that if firefox goes to not even telling people about updates, I will switch to a less arrogant browser.

However, firefox is not alone in this arrogance.  Adobe Reader does it also.  In their case, they love to drop printer support in their newer versions, but they at least make the older versions available on their web site.  This was an annoyance, but somewhat understandable when they dropped support for my several years old Compaq printer, but the latest version drops support for an hp printer I bought less than a year ago.  I can't figure out if they hate hp, or are in league with them to sell newer printers to customers who don't figure out what's going on.  Well, I digress, but it's the same mindset.

Comment 4

[Jesse Ruderman]

What do you disagree with?  I'm just saying that the two problems you describe, "Firefox sometimes forgets my prefs" and "Firefox should not force updates on users (at least with its default settings)", are best treated as separate issues in need of fixes.  There's already a bug on the latter so this can cover your proposed solution to the former.

Comment 5

[turningoff]

They both involved not recovering information which the user has set using tools..

I'm so glad firefox forced this latest update on me.  The previous version had finally fixed longstanding problems with viewing pdf.  This morning I tried to view a pdf file and it froze firefox.  So I restarted and tried with a different pdf file and it froze again.   If you go to not even giving users a choice about upgrading, they won't have a few days to check the support forum and see if this type of stuff is happening before deciding whether to upgrade.  Goodbye IRS forms, goodbye my weekly online newspaper until a fix comes out.  Well, it's just end of year tax planning, not April 15, that's something.

Comment 6

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

This bug was reported on Firefox 2.x or older, which is no longer supported and will not be receiving any more updates. I strongly suggest that you update to Firefox 3.6.3 or later, update your plugins (flash, adobe, etc.), and retest in a new profile. If you still see the issue with the updated Firefox, please post here. Otherwise, please close as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
http://www.mozilla.com
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+mode

Comment 7

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

No reply, INCOMPLETE. Please retest with Firefox 3.6.x or later and a new profile (http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles). If you continue to see this issue with the newest firefox and a new profile, then please comment on this bug.