firefox uses ftp proxy for updates when it is not selected

[Rocko]

Binary package hint: firefox-3.0

This bug is that if the manual proxy / 'use this proxy server for all protocols' box is ticked but disabled, Firefox still tries to use the manual proxy for ftp updates for plugins. To reproduce it:

1. Ensure that no flash plugins are installed and that you are using an ftp server in your system sources (eg I use the Australia / ftp.iinet.net.au mirror).

2. In FF3, select Edit / Prefs / Advanced / Network / Settings and choose Manual Proxy Config.

3. Enter an *invalid* proxy address and tick the 'Use this proxy server for all protocols' box.

4. Select OK so it is saved.

5. Select Edit / Prefs / Advanced / Network / Settings and choose 'Use system proxy settings' (keeping the 'use this proxy server for all protocols' box ticked - it will grey out).

6. Navigate to a site that wants a flash plugin (eg http://www.youtube.com) and when it asks if you want to install a plugin, choose the Adobe flash plugin and continue.

Result: Firefox fails to connect to the ftp server because it still tries to go through the proxy (you have to untick the 'use this proxy server for all protocols' box to stop it trying to do so). Note though that normal ftp site navigation still works fine.

Version information:

firefox 3.0~b5+nobinonly-0ubuntu3

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

 Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. You reported this bug a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue for you. Can you try with the latest Ubuntu release? Thanks in advance.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

I tried it with Firefox 3.0.5 on a VM running the latest Jaunty alpha, and Firefox didn't ask if I wanted to install the flash plugin (Synaptic says that neither the flash nonfree plugin nor gnash is installed, and YouTube confirms this). Has this functionality been removed from Firefox, ie the auto-prompting to install flash?

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Rocko, the feature shouln't have been removed, but since it is an alpha release, some things can be broken. Anyway, with "latest version" I actually meant the latest stabel version of Ubuntu (8.10 - Intrepid) ;) ; so I am making my question more precise: Is this still an issue for you when you try it with an up-to-date firefox release on your current Ubuntu installation? Thanks in advance.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

Ah, the latest stable release! No worries.

So I tried it with firefox 3.0.5+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.10.1 in Intrepid, and it was the same as in Jaunty - Firefox didn't prompt to autoinstall flash.

To test it, I uninstalled the flash plugin, created a brand new user (so as to run with a fresh firefox configuration), and tested it with that user. YouTube says I don't have the player installed, and firefox doesn't prompt to install it.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

After upgrading to Jaunty my system had no flash installed. I tried to install it with Firefox but it was trying to use some proxy which I used once a long time ago. So it couldn't download flash. In Firefox the proxy was set to use global proxy settings. In the global proxy settings the proxy was set to 'no proxy' but the manual settings was set to the proxy Firefox was trying to use. It was grayed out of course.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Please don't downgrade the bug. moving from incomplete => new is a backwards move. Leave incomplete if not sure.

Rocko,
Can you please post a screenshot of the dialog that asks you to install flash

Rocko and Adam:
Can you please both give us screenshots of the errors as well as dialogs you run into.
I have this sinking feeling that the 2 problems are not the same but without more ingo i cant say.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

Hmm. The official Jaunty release still doesn't prompt for installation, so it isn't something just broken in the alphas.

Attached is the settings screen.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

This is what Jaunty says.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

It turns out that Firefox is trying to use the manual proxy settings when downloading flash even though no proxy is set.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Firefox is trying to use 'one.two.three' as proxy.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Attaching screenshot of global proxy settings just in case. Sorry for them not being English.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

John: we've attached everything you asked for months ago and now the bug is expired. I don't understand why we should leave it as incomplete when there is no missing information. Usually a bug is set back to new after all information is provided. I think this report will get even less attention if it's incomplete and expired.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Still no action, setting back to new.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

Still an issue in Karmic and Firefox 3.5. Actually Firefox freezes too.
No issue if No Proxy is selected, it only happens when use system settings is selected.

[Adam Niedling (krychek)]

This is fixed in Maverick (maybe even in Lucid, I didn't try).