Https-everywhere: Ruleset debugger can't be opened in Firefox

[jeremyn]

Type: code issue

HTTPS Everywhere 2017.11.21
Firefox 57
Windows 10

In Firefox, a debugging page debugging-rulesets.html is supposed to open when you go to about:addons > HTTPS Everywhere > click under General Settings > press Ctrl-Z. Chrome has similar functionality. This works on Firefox/Linux, Chrome/Linux, and Chrome/Windows, but not Firefox/Windows. Instead, nothing happens.

Ping @Hainish .

[jeremyn]

I found that the debugger will appear in Windows if I allow popups (about:preferences#privacy > uncheck Block pop-up windows). This isn't required in Linux, meaning the debugger will still open even with this box checked.

[Hainish]

I don't think there's much we can do about this, other than making ruleset maintainers & contributors aware that the debugging page exists and manually directing them to it. This could be added to CONTRIBUTING.md.

[Hainish]

The debugging page seems useful for both groups, and as such could probably be added to CONTRIBUTING.md under https://github.com/EFForg/https-everywhere/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#new-rulesets

[jeremyn]

@Hainish Do you know why the debugging page opens with popups blocked on Linux but not Windows? Maybe there is a bug, or maybe there is some extra permission we could request on Windows.

[Hainish]

@jeremyn I'm not sure why. I don't have a Windows system to test with, but I did just order a testing unit which will arrive on Friday, I can have a closer look then. This will also facilitate https://github.com/EFForg/https-everywhere/issues/13815, if we do decide to support Windows 10.

[Hainish]

I am aware of the free Windows Edge VMs (https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/) which run Windows 10, but unfortunately my current setup does not support this either.

[jeremyn]

There's also https://www.browserstack.com/test-on-microsoft-edge-browser#live-cloud , which is recommended by the Microsoft site you link.

[jeremyn]

Never mind, I realize now that you're looking for the Windows 10 VM to test on Firefox, not to test on Edge specifically.

[jeremyn]

You can download a Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO and use that to install into a VM. Of course licensing is an issue but this is another option and it doesn't involve buying new hardware. (I'm also not sure whether installing Firefox onto the Edge VMs is allowed by the Edge VM license either.)

[Hainish]

Thanks for linking me to that @jeremyn. For some reason it still isn't working in Qubes (xen) though. The VM looks like it's booting up with the startup windows logo, then just shuts down immediately thereafter. I'll see what I can do after I get the new hardware.

[jeremyn]

@Hainish Have you gotten a chance to confirm the problem on Windows 10? Or maybe @wonderchook ? It should be very easy to test.

[wonderchook]

I just tried this with pop-ups blocking turned on and the debugger came up fine with no issue.

I'm using FIrefox 52.5.0 and Windows 10.0.16299

[jeremyn]

@wonderchook Can you please try it with Firefox 57?

[wonderchook]

I can confirm this is an issue if pop-up blocking is turned on with Firefox 57

[Hainish]

Apologies, this is taking me a while to address. I have a Win10 testing machine now, but won't be able to get to this until Friday.

[Hainish]

Though if this is a new security measure added to Firefox 57 in Windows 10, my suspicion is we may not be able to bypass it.

[jeremyn]

It would be good to confirm that this is intentional behavior in Firefox, and not a bug on our side. Can you just ask someone at Mozilla if Firefox/Windows handles popup blocking differently than Firefox/Linux?

[Hainish]

I don't have any special access to the Windows engineers at Firefox. Opening a ticket on bugzilla is probably the quickest way to an answer.

[jeremyn]

@Hainish Are you going to open the Bugzilla ticket? You usually interact with Mozilla when needed.

[Hainish]

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1429624

[jeremyn]

I'm closing this issue in favor of the Bugzilla ticket that @Hainish opened (thanks @Hainish ).

[pipboy96]

See also #17352.

[pipboy96]

Reopening due to inactivity in Bugzilla ticket.

[FranklinYu]

Is this fixed?

[pipboy96]

@FranklinYu Yes.

[FranklinYu]

Is it fixed in Firefox or in HTTPS Everywhere? Has the fix been deployed? I failed to verify the fix right now.

[pipboy96]

@FranklinYu No, waiting for next release. The fix is currently in master branch.

[Hainish]

This has been marked as a regression in Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1429624