ISSUE: Some extensions (example NoScript) will fail to move on first run after moving from one location to another in Firefox Portable 67.0.2. This is due to the reliance on a file called addonStartup.json.lz4 in the profile directory that stores full paths. This file is not portable.
STATUS: We have a resource called dejsonlz4 that allows us to unpack the file back to a regular json but don't yet have a way to recreate the compressed lz4 version after adjusting paths. The file format is not well documented and does not seem compatible with standard lz4 tools to compress and decompress. I've asked the author to add creation abilities in this github Issue.
WORKAROUND: The Firefox Portable 67.0.2 release adds the ability in the launcher to detect moves and delete the addonStartup.json.lz4 file on start. If you then close Firefox Portable, wait for all processes to close, and the relaunch, Firefox will recreate the file and dependent extensions will work again. If this fails, you must manually disable and re-enable affected extensions for them to work again.
FUTURE: We're researching the mozlz4 and josnlz4 file formats to determine how to recompress for a future release so the launcher can properly portablize this file.
TEST FIX: Please see the current test fix in this comment: https://portableapps.com/comment/242855#comment-242855
FIXED IN FIREFOX: The fix has rolled out to all channels of Firefox. It will roll out to Thunderbird over the coming days: https://portableapps.com/node/60496#comment-242877
FIXED IN THUNDERBIRD: The fix has rolled out to all channels of Thunderbird. It will roll out to SeaMonkey over the coming days: https://portableapps.com/node/60496#comment-244144
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This bug has expanded and the previous trick of deleting the affected file no longer works. I'm working on a fix to land in Firefox Portable 69 as Firefox 69 is being launched today.
UPDATE: The earlier workaround appears to be working and the fix is not yet complete, so I've pushed out 69.0. I'll work on the fix for the next release or a revision in the near future.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Hi. I'm glad to see this is being resolved soon.
When this happened in the past, I've simply closed down the browser immediately and started it for a second time, then all the extensions with all their data were loaded properly. If you have multiple extensions installed, it's definitely faster than stopping & starting each and every one separately.
I do the same thing and it's working like a charm. Just close and wait for 10 seconds and re-open and everything works.
Portabilizing application... 14 at the moment
Thanks for the tip, I didn't think it would work, but closing down FF immediately after loading and waiting a short while to load it again, seems to work and all the extensions load properly.
Hi John: see this bugzilla: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1575293 : there are some people there that would be prime candidates to ask for information. Hope this helps
Does this mean that any app is going to break if you download a portable Firefox app? I downloaded a portable app and am getting this issue, where I can't open the app at all and the splash screen comes and then goes away. Is this still being worked on or any kind of workarounds yet? The workaround here isn't working for me.
From what I saw only Firefox Portable have this problem where two file are still not portable and it is causing to lose your setting from choosing your thing and disfonctionning your addon.
But is the app with the splash screen and not starting bug is with Firefox?
Portabilizing application... 14 at the moment
This bug only affects Firefox and only in the way stated due to a specific proprietary config file in Firefox itself. It affects nothing else. You're talking about a separate bug.
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Confirming that this issue also affects Thunderbird 68 and later.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Any status on a fix for this yet?
Is this a bug that needs to be fixed by Mozella or here?
+1
I would also like to know if you have had any progress on fixing the bug or a workaround to upgrade Mozilla Portable.
When any progress is made, this bug will be updated. Anyone is free to contribute as well.
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This https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1429838 need to be resolved to fix this bug.
We've been adjusting the paths in extensions.json reliably for years. The problem is that it's now in a proprietary and poorly documented variant of an open format that we can't easily adjust.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
There seems more issues not only with extensions.json (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1429838#c14)
And looking through duplicate of this bug (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1606947), I think this bug is related to current issues with portable Firefox and Thunderbird
This issue also had affected Tor Browser.
It's only the listed file in the main post for Firefox/Thunderbird Portable. We adjust paths for all other affected files so things work as you move.
Tor doesn't have a helper app and won't work as you change paths. Even its preferred way of launching, the shortcut it creates, is a hard-coded full path.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Hello,
It looks like the Firefox issue has been fixed. I haven't lost any extensions using ESR.
The problem still remains for Thunderbird. I only use one extension and it's an extension I can live without if I have to.
What's happened in the last week? Now the problem is I can't send email using the current old version. I can receive it but I can't send it. Even after checking the outgoing SMTP settings according to Microsoft (for it's accounts), it's not authenticating.
That means having to go into OWA to send email, which my account has no problem of doing. Which also defeats the purpose of Thunderbird.
Should we assume portable Thunderbird is being abandoned? Yes? No?
Thanks
I certainly hope not!
Has there been any progress on this issue? Just curious and looking for an update.
(As long as my TP 60 continues to work without any issues, I'm fine waiting until this gets resolved.)
So what's the status on this?
It's been awhile now and I heavily depend on Thunderbird PortableApps version.
As do I. Excitedly waiting!
I've arrived at what seems to be a working test solution. I'm going to post a test build tomorrow and, provided it works for others, updated versions of the Mozilla apps that will allow extensions to be properly portable again.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Wonderful! Thank you so much!
That's great news! Thanks for the update, John!
Ok, I've put together a test patch for the current release of Firefox Portable that appears to fix the issue of extensions becoming disabled after moving paths. Please first make a backup of your current Firefox Portable install. Then download the below ZIP and unzip it to your FirefoxPortable directory using 7-Zip Portable or similar. It will replace FirefoxPortable.exe and add some helper files to bin as well as including the updated source.
Download FirefoxPortablePatch-2020-03-09.zip
MD5: dffa6d5b5c1387b15c141cf2dbd72578
SHA256: d0e3cc1031d2dc507ea1706f8caa67559b999b7f96d74417e51f753cbb5a8ace
VirusTotal scan
Please post a note back with your results as soon as you are able. You can test just by moving to a different drive or changing the name of the FirefoxPortable directory. Please post the paths used. Thanks!
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Ok, I did that. Everything seems to be fine. Bear in mind I'm using the ESR of firefox.
Mozilla is bugging me to update the browser, though. The little green arrow appears on the upper right next to the menu button. I thought that updates was done through you?
This bug is fixed in Firefox Portable Stable 74.0. The fix will be added to other Firefox channels and Thunderbird over the next few days. I'll update this ticket as it happens.
UPDATE: Fixed in Firefox Portable ESR 68.6.0
UPDATE: Fixed in Firefox Portable Test 75.0 Beta 2
UPDATE: Fixed in Firefox Portable Developer 75b2
UPDATE: Fixed in Firefox Portable Nightly 76
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
This is great! Thank you so much!
That should be soon
Is there any update on a 68.6 build of Thunderbird?
Thanks for all you do on these apps.
That's great news. Thanks for the updates, John!
Those are all unstable/experimental versions. When will it be fixed in stable firefox versions; 71.0, 74.0 etc?
John said above "fixed in Firefox Portable Stable 47.0" - I'm pretty sure he actually meant to say 74.0
It was fixed in Stable first and then the others within about a day. I'm still working on TB and SM but took it easy due to illness.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I downloaded FFox portable 74.0, then installed over existing 71.0 setup and now the bug no longer occurs when I move the portable folder around.
Thanks!
Hope you recover soon!
Thank you so much John!
Get well soon!
John, I hope you're on the road to recovery. Sorry to hear you were ill for a time there.
Sorry to hear about your illness.
What I wanted to say about Thunderbird can wait.
I hope it wasn't the Covid19 thing. By the time you are able to get around to it Tbird v. 99 will be needed LOL. So far none of our household has gotten it yet. COVID19
Cheers
Please test Mozilla Thunderbird, Portable Edition 68.10.0 Dev Test 1 and report your findings there.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
This is fixed in today's released of Thunderbird Portable stable and test. It will roll out to SeaMonkey over the coming days.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thank You Very much Your work....!!! Great job, works fine !!
> SeaMonkey over the coming days.
Any updates here? The current Seamonkey download is approaching a year old.
Moderator at portablefreeware.com
Not even close to official releases, but he is one of the devs and his builds are mentioned in the Seamonkey forum. He does provide zip files and both 32 and 64 bit versions. For testing purposes only. Read his disclaimer https://www.wg9s.com/comm-253/
Though it is somehow in beta-state only, it might be a good idea to support this valuable project by building a portable-app with this version - I personally would give it a try even as a dev-version
mh
Hello,
I still have the problem of extensions that do not load correctly every other time on a usb key that is in exFat format.
Firefox is up to date and with some indispensable plugins for navigation. And the Firefox theme (black) is never conserved.
I copied the "installation" of Firefox on another key in NTFS and I have no problem.
This would be an issue unrelated to this specific bug. Please ensure you've updated Firefox Portable (not just Firefox within using the auto updater) to the latest version. If the issue persists, please make a new forum post in the Firefox Portable forum and include the complete details (OS version, install path, theme having the issue, etc) and steps to reproduce and I'll get right on it.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
SeaMonkey Portable is fixed with today's release of 2.53.6 as well.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!