Could not start a Firefox session in background; windows pop up on desktop instead

[Jarno Suni]

Binary package hint: firefox

A Firefox session is opened automatically when you start Firefox, if you have chosen "show windows and tabs from last time" in Startup preferences. Furthermore, if you do not close Firefox 3 explicitly before logging out, the saved session will be opened automatically after logging in next time. A Firefox session can contain a lot of windows that are opened on top of each other on the desktop and you can not use your computer while windows keep popping up.

I would like to get Firefox opened in background so that I can use my computer while Firefox is starting up. I can do so in Mandriva 2008 spring / Gnome / Firefox 2; (I didn't test in Ubuntu Gnome): I could continue working in terminal while Firefox is starting; Firefox does not steal focus or pop up, if you click or type in e.g. a terminal window after you have started Firefox startup. I would expect similar behavior in Xfce / Xubuntu / Firefox (and other applications).

I can not start Firefox minimized by command "kstart --iconify firefox &", either. Even if I could, I am not sure, if this would open the session minimized, when Firefox starts automatically after logging in. (I can start e.g. OpenOffice.org iconified to the Task List by respective kstart command in Xubuntu 8.04, but not in 8.10, see Bug #20767 for details.)

I am using Xubuntu 8.04 & Firefox 3.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

On Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 09:17:08PM -0000, Jarno Suni wrote:
> Public bug reported:
>
> Binary package hint: firefox
>
> I could not start Firefox iconified by command "kstart --iconify firefox &". Same with firefox-3.0.
> I am using (X)ubuntu 7.10.
>
> See also Bug #20767
>

firefox uses gtk_window_present to get on top. Do you see the same
behaviour on gnome?

 status incomplete

 - Alexander

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Sorry, I have tested with Xfce only. The bug exists in Firefox of Xubuntu 8.04.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Dear Alexander Sack, I did not address the bug to Gnome, and if you use Gnome instead of Xfce, why don't you try yourself, if the behavior with Firefox can be seen on Gnome, too?

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Same behavior in Firefox in Xubuntu 8.10 Alpha5. Firefox can block pop-up windows when you click a link, but can you prevent Firefox from being a pop-up when it starts (with possibly several windows saved in last session)?

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Alexander Sack, kstart does not work better with Firefox in Ubuntu 8.10 beta Gnome, but starting Firefox normally without kstart opens Firefox windows background, if you start working on another application after giving command firefox.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

KDE works the same way as Gnome, i.e. does not pop up.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Alexander Sack, I tested again opening a Firefox session that has many windows in ubuntu 8.10, but no success this time. It is slightly different installation now: Originally xubuntu 8.10, but I installed later "sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop". The session by which I tested is different, too. I wonder what more I have to install and/or configure to enable opening in background in Gnome?

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

I tested again in _Gnome_ and now it seems to work in the other machine, too. I don't know what caused pop-up before.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

I tested this for Xfce 4.6 beta3, Firefox 3.0.5 official, ubuntu 8.10 otherwise.

In Window Manager Settings / focus /
-New window focus: unchecked
-Raise on focus: unchecked
In Window Manager Tweaks / Focus /
Activate focus stealing prevention: checked

Even then when I start a Firefox session, a window of it raises and steals focus. Fortunately other windows of the session do not raise and steal focus again.

Is this a bug in Firefox or in Xfce or both?

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=4854

[Lionel Le Folgoc (mrpouit)]

Is this still reproducible with Xfce 4.6 final in jaunty?

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Yes, if Firefox is configured to show windows and tabs from last time in startup. I.E. this test fails then with Xubuntu Jaunty's Firefox:
http://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=4854#c6
The Firefox pops up even if the new window focus is disabled in Window Manager settings.

[Lionel Le Folgoc (mrpouit)]

Marked as invalid upstream, let's follow.

[Jarno Suni (jarnos)]

Could this be fixed in Firefox?