[tor-bugs] #14631 [Tor Browser]: Users that try to run from DMG files run into "Another copy of Firefox is running"

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#14631: Users that try to run from DMG files run into "Another copy of Firefox is
running"
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     Reporter:           |      Owner:  tbb-team
  arthuredelstein        |     Status:  new
         Type:  defect   |  Milestone:
     Priority:  normal   |    Version:
    Component:  Tor      |   Keywords:  tbb-usability, uxsprint2015, tbb-
  Browser                |  usability-stoppoint-app
   Resolution:           |  Parent ID:
Actual Points:           |
       Points:           |
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Changes (by mcs):

 * cc: brade, mcs (added)


Comment:

 Replying to [comment:4 gk]:
 > What is causing this?

 I assume that the DMG images we create use a read only file system.  This
 is not a problem for most Mac applications, but since Tor Browser needs to
 write to the Firefox profile Bad Things Happen.

 My guess is that it will be extremely difficult to prevent Firefox from
 writing to the profile (since there are so many components within Firefox
 that assume they can do so).  It might be better to just improve the error
 message to read something like:
   You cannot run Tor Browser from a read-only filesystem.
   Please copy Tor Browser to your Desktop or Applications folder before
 trying to use it.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/14631#comment:5>
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