500098 - Firefox checks to see if it default and returns always false, even when true.

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[doc]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009060621 Minefield/3.0.10 

I built firefox 3.0.10 from source on windows XP.  This bug is not present in XP installations but is in Vista.

The problem lies in chrome://browser/content/preferences/advanced.js's gAdvancedPane.checkNow function.

This function makes a call to shellSvc.isDefaultBrowser , which always returns false, regardless of if firefox is the default browser.  This will cause the advanced.[js|xul] duo to make a popup alert asking you if you would like to make firefox the default browser, despite the fact that it already is the default browser.  Bug becomes very noticeable when the configuration is set for firefox to check at startup.

Most likely cause: the isDefaultBrowser function is probably poorly written.  In the context of checkNow, it is used in an if statement as "!shellSvc.isDefaultBrowser(false)".  This is needlessly complicated for what should be a simple function, and the function's design probably reflects this.  The name implies a simple truth value, but counter-intuitively it receives a boolean parameter whose value in this case is the opposite of the expected outcome, and the resulting value is further reversed by a '!', by this time the function is less reliable simply for the fact that is hard to use.  Hard to use functions are rarely the result of elegantly written code.




Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Build firefox on an XP system.
2.Make an installer and install on a Vista system
3.Go to preferences>advanced and set firefox to always check to see if it is the default browser at startup.
4.Restart firefox and opt to make firefox the default browser.  Repeat this step continuously.
Actual Results:  
 Firefox checks to see if it is the default browser and always indicates that it is not.

Expected Results:  
Firefox checks to see if it is the default browser and indicates the proper result.

Comment 1

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.2a1pre) Gecko/20090623 Minefield/3.6a1pre

Works fine for me with the latest official trunk nightly build.

Comment 2

[doc]

I just followed the above steps using the more up to date firefox 3.0.11 source, it still occurs.

I'm going to try now using 3.5rc2 to see if it is eliminated there.

Comment 3

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

This is a mass search for Firefox General bugs filed against version 3.0 that are UNCO and have not been changed for 200 days.

Reporter, please update to Firefox 3.6.10 or alter. Firefox 3.0 is no longer supported and is no longer receiving updates. After you update, please create a fresh profile, http://support.mozilla.com/kb/managing+profiles, and test to see if your bug still exists. If you still the bug, then please post a comment with the version you tested against, and the problem. If the issue is no longer there, please set the RESOLUTION to  RESOLVED, WORKSFORME.

Comment 4

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

No reply from reporter, INCOMPLETE. Please retest with Firefox 3.6.12 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.