748910 - Setting Firefox as the default browser in the installer breaks migration check for the default browser

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Installer, defect, P5)

Description

[Asaf Romano (gone)]

The migration wizard attempts to default to migration from the user's default browser, so that for Next->Next->Next users, we'll import from the right browser (If it's not IE, which is the fallback for the migration wizard). However, these next->next->next users are also very likely to next->next the installation wizard, which defaults to setting Firefox as the default browser. As a result, the migration wizard will fail to find out the previous default browser (in which case IE is the fallback).

Comment 1

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Mano, to solve this will either require removing the ability to set as default from the installer which I doubt will happen or to hand off some information in some manner so the migration wizard can get this information. Since the default browser is determined by the path to the app would the path in a file be sufficient?

Comment 2

[Asaf Romano (gone)]

Actually, on Windows Vista and above, the default browser is not determined by its path, at least not by the public api.

Ideally, the installer would mimic the behavior of nsOSHelperAppService::GetApplicationDescription("http"), which does the following:
* On Vista and above, it just uses the default-programs api (QueryCurrentDefault)
* Otherwise, it reads the legacy registry entry, parses the path from it, and reads the FileDescription field for the file referenced. That's, afiact, always the same as what 1) does (per my testing results detailed in bug 748569 comment 2).

Saving this output to a file is definitely sufficient.

Comment 3

[Asaf Romano (gone)]

But yes, if the installer can grab a path, that would work just as well.

Comment 4

[Asaf Romano (gone)]

Robert, any idea who could look into this? I'd have to learn NSIS scripting in order to fix this.

Comment 5

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

I can take the writing of the install path to either the registry or a file if you can write the patch for getting the migration code to read this value. Would a registry value be enough?

Comment 6

[Asaf Romano (gone)]

That would be very helpful, many thanks! :)

If by regisrty value you're referring to the "storage" place for the default browser previously-set. - then sure, i can read that. About the other registry key - in which the default browser was set until Vista - please see my previous comment.

Comment 7

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

Not a problem and yes, the Vista and above API's for setting / getting the default handler will be used as appropriate for getting the path. iirc, the NSIS plugin we created for Vista and above already handles this.