[tbb-dev] proposal for #28044 (Integrate Tor Launcher into tor-browser)

[intrigeri]

Hi,

(Mark asked me on #10760 whether "the standalone XUL app feature will
still be available in Firefox 68" so I figured I would reply in this
thread, that has more context.)

intrigeri:
> Mark Smith:
>> On 2/8/19 10:39 AM, intrigeri wrote:
>>> OK. I understand this will allow Tails to:
>>> 
>>>  - Build and ship a Tor Launcher extension (disabled in our main Tor
>>>    Browser profile, as per R3).
>>> 
>>>  - Run Tor Launcher just like we currently do, until we switch to
>>>    68esr in October. Once we're based on 68esr, we won't be able to
>>>    run Tor Launcher as a XUL/XPCOM extension anymore, and we'll need
>>>    to replace it with another tool.

>> Tails uses -app today, correct?

> Yes, we do this:

>   exec_unconfined_firefox \
>     -app "${TOR_LAUNCHER_INSTALL}/application.ini" \
>     -profile "${PROFILE}"

> … with a custom application.ini that contains (in Tails 3.12):

>   [App]
>   Vendor=TorProject
>   Name=TorLauncher
>   Version=0.2.16.6
>   BuildID=20190128
>   ID=tor-launcher at torproject.org
>   
>   [Gecko]
>   MinVersion=60.5.0
>   MaxVersion=*.*.*
>   
>   [Shell]

>> Has that been removed from Firefox now?

> Apparently not. With Firefox 65 on Debian, I've extracted
> tor-launcher at torproject.org.xpi from current stable Tor Browser, added
> the aforementioned application.ini in the same directory, and run
> "firefox -app /tmp/blah/application.ini". Then I see a Tor Launcher
> "Unable to start Tor" dialog and once I click through it, the "Connect
> to Tor" one.

> Does this mean it'll still work in Firefox 68esr?

I did the same test as above with Firefox 68.0a1 and it still works,
so apparently the standalone XUL app feature is still available.
Of course, that does not guarantee it will still be there is 68esr.

Does anyone know where Mozilla tracks the removal of this feature?
If not, I'll fall back to asking my Firefox release manager friends.

Cheers,
-- 
intrigeri