NoDesktopFile: Firefox safe mode

[jhansonxi]

Binary package hint: firefox

There is no desktop file for Firefox safe mode. My submission (English only):

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Firefox (Safe Mode)
Comment=Launch Firefox without addons
GenericName=Web Browser
Exec=firefox -safe-mode
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=firefox.png
Categories=Application;Network;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png
StartupWMClass=Firefox-bin
StartupNotify=true

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

There never has been. Why is a firefox safe mode menu entry important? Im gonna mark this as a wish list.
I personally think running it from terminal can give you output you wouldnt mormally get from a menu entry.

[jhansonxi (jhansonxi)]

Analysis:
1. Firefox is the default web browser.
2. With the default installation configuration non-admins can install addons in Firefox. Addons can be installed graphically from the Firefox web site.
3. Addons can break Firefox and prevent it from loading.
4. Ubuntu bills itself as "easy". Text terminals do not qualify as "easy". For a non-technical desktop user it should be as easy to disable a broken extension as it is to install one. The safe mode has a GUI to allow selective disabling of Extensions and Themes.
5. There is no menu entry for Firefox safe-mode as there is in Windows for Firefox and IE7.

Conclusion:
Either a desktop file needs to be added for Firefox safe mode or the base package needs to be installed with the "xpinstall. enabled" set false and only allow extensions and themes to be installed globally by the admin.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

taking the bug. Will figure out if desktop team considers this menu bloat.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

I will revisit later

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

This should get a decision/discussion discussion for gutsy. Thus, moving to 'in progress' and milestoning for tribe-3 so I won't forget.

[will_in_wi (will-in-wi)]

Perhaps a script that if firefox crashes or fails to load for some reason it should restart in safe mode and pop up a dialog saying so. This might be pushed to upstream.

[Henrik Nilsen Omma (henrik)]

"Either a desktop file needs to be added for Firefox safe mode or the base package needs to be installed with the "xpinstall. enabled" set false and only allow extensions and themes to be installed globally by the admin."

Having two ways of starting firefox from the menu is not user friendly. The answer is to deal with plugins gracefully. That may mean blocking installs by default, but pointing people to Add Applications when attempting to install a plugin. This should be discussed as feature development for Hardy.