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[Bug Watch Updater <880596@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

** Changed in: firefox
       Status: New => Expired

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/880596

Title:
  Option '-app' missing from Firefox above version 3

Status in The Mozilla Firefox Browser:
  Expired
Status in “firefox” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  $ firefox --version
  Mozilla Firefox 7.0.1
  $ apt-cache policy firefox
  firefox:
    Installed: 7.0.1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.11.04.1
    Candidate: 7.0.1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.11.04.1
  ....
  $ xulrunner --version
  Mozilla XULRunner 2.0 - 20110402003021
  $ uname -r
  2.6.38-11-generic
  $ lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 11.04
  Release:	11.04
  $ cat /etc/issue
  Ubuntu 11.04 \n \l

  -----
  There has been an '-app' command line option for Firefox, which should have been introduced in Firefox 3:  

  http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2007/08/using-firefox-3-as-a
  -xul-runtime-environment.ars

  ... which would have allowed Firefox to run XUL application via
  `firefox -app /path/to/application.ini`.

  
  However, that switch does not seem to work any longer in newer Firefoxes: 

  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5900814/does-the-app-command-line-option-work-properly-in-firefox-4
  http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7869546/single-file-app-with-xulrunner-possible

  
  I have performed the following test in Firefox 7 (versions as given above): 

  * Generate a small XUL application (bash):

  ###
  mkdir xultestapp
  mkdir -p xultestapp/chrome/content
  mkdir -p xultestapp/defaults/preferences
  cat > xultestapp/application.ini <<"EOF"
  [App]
  Vendor=XULTest
  Name=xultestapp
  Version=1.0
  BuildID=20111024
  ID=xultestapp@xxxxxxxxxxx

  [Gecko]
  MinVersion=1.8
  MaxVersion=2.*
  EOF
  cat > xultestapp/chrome/chrome.manifest <<"EOF"
  content xultestapp content/
  EOF
  cat > xultestapp/chrome.manifest <<"EOF"
  manifest chrome/chrome.manifest
  EOF
  cat > xultestapp/defaults/preferences/prefs.js <<"EOF"
  pref("toolkit.defaultChromeURI", "chrome://xultestapp/content/main.xul");
  EOF
  cat > xultestapp/chrome/content/main.xul <<"EOF"
  <?xml version="1.0"?>

  <?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin/" type="text/css"?>

  <window id="main" title="xultestapp" width="300" height="300"
  xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul";>

    <caption label="Hello World"/>
    <separator/>
    <button label="More >>" />
    <separator/>
    <description id="more-text" hidden="true">This is a simple XULRunner application. XUL is simple to use and quite powerful and can even be used on mobile devices.</description>

  </window>
  EOF

  ###

  * and now if I call xulrunner,  it works:
  ###
  xulrunner xultestapp/application.ini
  ###

  * however, if I use firefox:
  ###
  firefox -no-remote -app xultestapp/application.ini
  ###

  ... Firefox just starts as usual, ignoring the XUL application
  specification.

  
  Can anyone explain if/when/why was this option removed - and if there is a similar functionality in newer Firefoxes? 

  Many thanks in advance, 
  Cheers!

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