Thunderbird does not open http URL anymore with Firefox v36.0

Bug #1429275 reported by Joerg Albert
6
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
exo (Ubuntu)
New
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

In Firefox the "-remote" option was removed in version 36.0 (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1080319).
Unfortunately the current Thunderbird in Ubuntu 14.04 still uses this option.

When I click on an http URL in a email an empty Firefox windows opens and ps reports a firefox instance with "-remote "OpenURL(...)".

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: thunderbird 1:31.5.0+build1-0ubuntu0.14.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-46.77-generic 3.13.11-ckt15
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-46-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.7
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: joerg 2280 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: joerg 2280 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20150223201856
Channel: Unavailable
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
CurrentDmesg: Error: command ['sh', '-c', 'dmesg | comm -13 --nocheck-order /var/log/dmesg -'] failed with exit code 1: comm: /var/log/dmesg: Permission denied
Date: Fri Mar 6 22:28:40 2015
Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 # interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-06-10 (269 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140416.2)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.2.1 dev eth0 proto static
 192.168.2.0/24 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.2.179 metric 1
IwConfig:
 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
PrefSources:
 prefs.js
 [Profile]/extensions/{eecba28f-b68b-4b3a-b501-6ce12e6b8696}/defaults/preferences/vsw.js
Profiles: Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=31.5.0/20150223201856 (In use)
RelatedPackageVersions: totem-mozilla 3.10.1-1ubuntu4
RfKill:

RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: thunderbird
Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
WifiSyslog:

dmi.bios.date: 07/04/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: P1.60
dmi.board.name: B85 Pro4
dmi.board.vendor: ASRock
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrP1.60:bd07/04/2013:svnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:pvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:rvnASRock:rnB85Pro4:rvr:cvnToBeFilledByO.E.M.:ct3:cvrToBeFilledByO.E.M.:
dmi.product.name: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.product.version: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.sys.vendor: To Be Filled By O.E.M.

Revision history for this message
Joerg Albert (jal2) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Joerg Albert (jal2) wrote :

Prereq to reproduce this bug:
- firefox must be the default browser in the system (calling ubuntu-bug changed this ...?)
- no instance of firefox is running before I click on the URL in the email in thunderbird

Then an empty firefox window opens and I see with ps

joerg@quad:~$ ps aux | grep firefox
joerg 26700 45.0 0.8 1120428 264164 ? Sl 22:42 0:01 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox -remote openURL(http://rover.ebay.com/rover/4/0/8?eecl=3&eesi=DE&i=163076f5f11IIb602II66492cII16307528776II3&eepc=/181673136653&bu=43203452891&segname=B10583E-00&crd=20150305123840&emParams=i&sojTags=emid%3Dbu%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Ccrd%3Dcrd)

Revision history for this message
Joerg Albert (jal2) wrote :

It seems like editing /usr/share/xfce4/helpers/firefox.desktop fixes this bug (as suggested in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1080319#c39); not only for thunderbird, but also for xfce4-terminal and apport-bug. Redirecting this bug to the package libexo-helpers and marking the other two as duplicates.

affects: thunderbird (Ubuntu) → exo (Ubuntu)
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