Firefox 48 right-click context menu does not work for "Open link in new tab / new window / new private window"

[Prem Kurian Philip]

OS: Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon (64-bit) on Dell Inspiron 15 SE
Application: Firefox 48 downloaded from the Linux Mint 18 repositories

How to replicate the bug:
1. Open any URL
2. Right click on any link.
3. Try to open the link in new tab, new window or new private window. Nothing happens.

Expected behaviour: The link should have opened in the new tab, new window or new private window.
Actual behaviour: Nothing happens.

Additional issues: The context menu opens up with a lot of unrelated menu items. Example: the play, mute options show up in the context menu even when you right click on a text link.

This behaviour is consistent and it occurs even in Safe Mode in Firefox. HOWEVER, this issue does not exist in the Mozilla build downloaded from:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/#en-US

So it is clearly an issue with the version of Firefox version from the Mint repositories.

Attempted resolution methods:
1. Ran Firefox in Safe Mode with all plugins/extensions disabled (result: the problem persists)
2. Refreshed Firefox settings (result: problem persists)
3. Used CTRL-click and SHIFT-click on links (result: the pages open in new tabs/windows as expected)

I had raised this same issue with Mozilla:

Bug raised with Mozilla:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1292996

[Prem Kurian Philip (pkphilip)]

This video indicates the issue with totally unrelated and irrelevant menu items showing up in the context menu when you right click on anything. Example: Right clicking a text link can show up the context menu with options for play, mute etc..

[phil (ebran-philippe)]

I installed Linux Mint 8.3 64bit cinnamon this morning
Worked fine for 4-5 hours
problem ( right click menu a mile long, not relevant to the part I clicked ; show everything : audio, video , pictures menus) and open in new tab doesn't work
At the same time, in Preferences, search tab is not accessible
In the top menu, the search engines have disappeared (see attachment )

like for Prem Kurian Philipp, starting in safe mode didn't change anything
Removed Firefox with the software manager, restarted Linux, re installed Firefox with the software manager to no avail

[altair4 (altair4mint)]

It's always bad to show a workaround in a bug report because then it will never get fixed but for some reason the fix for another bug fixes this one as well: https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/1610643/comments/5

atlanto (atlanto) wrote 12 hours ago: #5

afaict, in about:config, the value of distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale is "data:text/plain,distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale=en-US" on LM18.
It should be just "en-US".

[Prem Kurian Philip (pkphilip)]

Can confirm that Altair4's fix works: Set the distribution.searchplugins.defaultLocale to en-US.

[Roger Peartree (pereiradorogerio)]

It also affects me. I'm running Mint 18 x64 Cinnamon. I will try Altair's fix now and see if the problem goes away. Many thanks for this workaround, Altair.

[Roger Peartree (pereiradorogerio)]

Ok! I can also confirm that Altair's fix works like a charm. Now the right click menu went back to normal size and "open link in a new tab" works again. Again, many thanks Altair, you are a genius.