814740 - Sync doesn't sync all tab behavior prefs

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Sync, defect)

Description

[Max]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux x86_64; rv:17.0) Gecko/17.0 Firefox/17.0
Build ID: 20121120063459

Steps to reproduce:

1. Install Firefox on new computer.
2. Sync new Firefox (including preferences) to existing account.



Actual results:

The preferences that appear in the dialog box were in sync.


Expected results:

All preferences, including those in about:config, should be in sync.

Sync is a great idea, and it works great as far as it goes. But it's a bug to have to research the workaround for every misfeature with every new installation.

Comment 1

[Gregory Szorc [:gps]]

I'm interpreting your bug report to be "Sync should sync all preferences." If that is not correct, please ignore the following paragraphs and clarify what you do mean.

Sync only syncs a subset of prefs from about:config. If we were to sync every pref, this would have unintended consequences, including making Sync itself not work!

There are likely many prefs that we should sync be aren't currently. Are there particular prefs you think we should sync but aren't currently?

Comment 2

[Max]

Thank you for your prompt response. I see now that "preference" really means "parameter."

My issues are mostly about tabs, which are central to my use of Firefox. I have two main use models:

1. In bookmark sidebar, I open a folder of bookmarks ("Open All in Tabs"). This creates a 
   stack of tabs.
2. If I open a link, it's pushed on the stack.
3. When I'm done with a page, I close the tab.
4. When the stack is empty, I go back to the bookmark sidebar for the next folder.

The second use model:

1. I click "Open a new tab" (or CNRL-T). The cursor is positioned for a url.
2. I enter a one- or two-letter keyword. The bookmarked page appears in the tab.

For me the clean interface to support these actions is:

browser.tabs.onTop;                    false
browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab;   false
browser.newtab.url;                    about:blank

Thanks!

Comment 3

[Gregory Szorc [:gps]]

So, it sounds like you want Sync to sync the 3 prefs:

browser.tabs.onTop
browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab
browser.newtab.url

Currently, we don't appear to sync any of those.

Asa: what do you think about syncing these tab behavior prefs?

It's worth mentioning that you can add prefs to sync by adding prefs. All prefs under "services.sync.prefs.sync." hold the names of preferences to sync. Just define new prefs for the missing ones you want to sync. e.g.

  services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.tabs.onTop true

Comment 4

[Max]

> Just define new prefs for the missing ones you want to sync. e.g.
>
>  services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.tabs.onTop true

It sounds like this addresses my issue. Best of all, I can add more when I want.

I wonder if there's a way to publicize/facilitate this feature. How about a new Status state
that's like "user set" but called "user synced." Whatever value is set is then propagated
to sync and then to all the clients that choose "user synced" for that preference.

Comment 5

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

I'm not in a hurry to add more prefs until we sort out what makes sense across form factors. Let's hold on this for now.