588913 - Remove 'rv:<version>' from UA string

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Core :: Networking: HTTP, defect)

Description

[[e-mail]]

If we take bug 588909, then the 'rv:' string becomes redundant.

This could have a major effect on sniffer compatibility. The only reason for removing it is that we'd duplicate it if we took bug 588909. So there are three possibilities: 1) don't take 588909 (use just 'Gecko'), 2) take it and drop 'rv', 3) duplicate the data.

I think 1) or 2) are preferable here, in that order.

Comment 1

[[e-mail]]

Attachment: patch

Removes 'rv:' entirely. UA now looks like:

Gecko/2.0b5pre (X11; Linux x86_64) Minefield/4.0b5pre

I think this is probably pushing it (comment 0), but we can give it a shot. The best alternative is probably

Gecko (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:2.0b5pre) Minefield/4.0b5pre

Comment 2

[[e-mail]]

Note that this change would break our recommended practice on http://geckoisgecko.info/ :

http://archive.bclary.com/xbProjects-docs/geckoGetRv/

If we do this, we'd have to change it to sniff 'Gecko/' instead.

Comment 3

[[e-mail]]

Not gonna do this.

Comment 4

[Gordon P. Hemsley [:GPHemsley]]

I think the existence of bug 729089 indicates the eventual intent of removing "rv:" from the UA string altogether, so reopening this for the future.

Now:
Mozilla/5.0 (<platform>; <OS>; rv:<x>.0) Gecko/<x>.0 Firefox/<x>.0

Later:
Mozilla/5.0 (<platform>; <OS>; rv:<x>.0) Gecko/<y>.0 Firefox/<y>.0

Future:
Mozilla/5.0 (<platform>; <OS>) Gecko/<y>.0 Firefox/<y>.0

This would, of course, require a change to the GeckoIsGecko recommendation.