Solved: Firefox opens external links in a new window AND new profile, instead of using the in-use browser settings
This is in Linux Mint 18, Fx 52.3.7 esr.
I'm posting this for others benefit, if some standard fixes don't work.
I'll cut to the chase. Once upon a...oops, sorry, Rock - wrong hat. One day links opened from external apps stopped opening in tabs in the current window as they had done for eons. I read numerous articles & posts on sites, including https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1193456 various fixes, which worked for some.
In mine, external links started opening a new window, using a different, old profile, but used the current Fx version. Changing the 3 about:config prefs mentioned in the linked post above, that control link opening behavior wasn't my problem or a solution. Also, disabled TabMix Plus, that has tab opening settings. Nada.
Even though I've used one profile almost exclusively since Jan. 2018, external links recently started opening in an old profile & new window. At first I thought it might be a desktop file issue, as some paths in old Fx launchers commands no longer existed. Cleaning out the defunct ones was a good idea but no solution.
I discovered the same old profile was always called by links in external applications. That lead to finding the old profile was back to the default profile in the profile manager. I edited the profiles.ini file (usually in the root "firefox" folder containing the profiles) & made the new profile the default. No change in link opening.
(you can access profile manager even if firefox is running, using the command: firefox -P -no-remote Don't monkey around with anything unless you know what you're doing or get help.
The old profile being set as default probably shouldn't have made external links open in a "new window" even if the profile in use wasn't the "default", because the Fx version in use said it WAS the default browser.
It wasn't the whole problem. The 3 about:config prefs are about links opening in same or new window, not, "open a different profile for external links only." That may be a bug or coded behavior that KB articles I've seen don't discuss.
The new Fx version & new profile still showed "Firefox is currently your default browser," and "Always check if Firefox is your default browser" was checked, as it had been. It said that, but wasn't respecting it.
I thought I'd outsmart the external apps & move the old profile. That just made them mad & complained that "the profile (or files?) you're trying to access (the old profile) can't be located," so links from external apps wouldn't open.
I checked Preferences > General tab again after hiding the old profile and now it said, "Firefox is NOT your default browser, moron." Little harsh. Somehow, as long as the old profile was accessible, even after the corrections - that I've done many times over years, external links were hell bent on using the old profile, long after it WASN'T the default.
Modified by JoeB
Chosen solution
@FredMcD - I must've dozed off. :) Actually it was both... and neither. Are you familiar with Schrödinger's cat?
cor-el said
Are you using the -no-remote command line switch?
Yes and no. Are you familiar with...
What I've found is there are many circumstances that cause external links to open in a new window or not at all. At least in Linux Mint 18 w/ Cinnamon desktop.
As cor-el hinted, one cause was if the -no-remote switch is used in the execute command (though not only if launching firefox from a terminal). I'll admit I'd forgotten that using -no-remote locks a profile in use.
But I discovered there were several ways to keep external links from opening in the current window in a new tab. There are about infinity + 1 combinations of variables. Some of the issues may involve the specific desktop & version being used (here, Cinnamon).
I'm almost positive some cases where external links didn't open in the same window or at all, were related to the specific desktop (Cinnamon, Mate, etc.) and how creating launchers is handled by the software, which determines how or if an application.desktop file is created.
For instance, creating a valid launcher on the (physical) desktop or in Menu (equivalent to Windows Start > Programs) then placing a launcher copy on the "panel" (essentially a quick launch bar), THEN EDITING the launcher on the panel, may cause link opening problems.
I wasn't seeing a "firefox is already running" message when clicking external links. Not even when using a launcher command with -no-remote (equivalent to Windows shortcut command): /opt/firefox/firefox -P {profile name} -no-remote. External links opened OK in another profile & new window (for me), as long as another profile existed & was listed in the profile manager.
The best bet in Linux (at least Mint 18.x w/ Cinnamon desktop) may be to create a launcher on the desktop or in the Menu. If you want, then send a copy to the panel. If the launch command needs changing for any reason, do it to the desktop or Menu launcher, then send a fresh copy to the panel.
Get rid of unused or invalid application.desktop files (which store apps' startup info) in ~/.local/share/applications/ {???}. The question marks are because the desktop file names created vary, depending on where the launcher was created (on the desktop, in the Menu or auto created by installing an app).
I also saw in some cases, it appeared that a new launcher (w/o the -no-remote) often caused the SAME execute command for same Fx version in the same path, using same profile - that 2 minutes earlier were the default browser, to require re-confirming it as default browser. Using an *identical* copy of the Firefox launcher - just in a different location (i.e., Menu & desktop), didn't necessarily remember it was the default browser / profile. That seems to be a Cinnamon desktop glitch.
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (4)
The header says the problem is solved, but the body of your post seems to say the problem is still there. Which is it?
Are you using the -no-remote command line switch?
Chosen Solution
@FredMcD - I must've dozed off. :) Actually it was both... and neither. Are you familiar with Schrödinger's cat?
cor-el said
Are you using the -no-remote command line switch?
Yes and no. Are you familiar with...
What I've found is there are many circumstances that cause external links to open in a new window or not at all. At least in Linux Mint 18 w/ Cinnamon desktop.
As cor-el hinted, one cause was if the -no-remote switch is used in the execute command (though not only if launching firefox from a terminal). I'll admit I'd forgotten that using -no-remote locks a profile in use.
But I discovered there were several ways to keep external links from opening in the current window in a new tab. There are about infinity + 1 combinations of variables. Some of the issues may involve the specific desktop & version being used (here, Cinnamon).
I'm almost positive some cases where external links didn't open in the same window or at all, were related to the specific desktop (Cinnamon, Mate, etc.) and how creating launchers is handled by the software, which determines how or if an application.desktop file is created.
For instance, creating a valid launcher on the (physical) desktop or in Menu (equivalent to Windows Start > Programs) then placing a launcher copy on the "panel" (essentially a quick launch bar), THEN EDITING the launcher on the panel, may cause link opening problems.
I wasn't seeing a "firefox is already running" message when clicking external links. Not even when using a launcher command with -no-remote (equivalent to Windows shortcut command): /opt/firefox/firefox -P {profile name} -no-remote. External links opened OK in another profile & new window (for me), as long as another profile existed & was listed in the profile manager.
The best bet in Linux (at least Mint 18.x w/ Cinnamon desktop) may be to create a launcher on the desktop or in the Menu. If you want, then send a copy to the panel. If the launch command needs changing for any reason, do it to the desktop or Menu launcher, then send a fresh copy to the panel.
Get rid of unused or invalid application.desktop files (which store apps' startup info) in ~/.local/share/applications/ {???}. The question marks are because the desktop file names created vary, depending on where the launcher was created (on the desktop, in the Menu or auto created by installing an app).
I also saw in some cases, it appeared that a new launcher (w/o the -no-remote) often caused the SAME execute command for same Fx version in the same path, using same profile - that 2 minutes earlier were the default browser, to require re-confirming it as default browser. Using an *identical* copy of the Firefox launcher - just in a different location (i.e., Menu & desktop), didn't necessarily remember it was the default browser / profile. That seems to be a Cinnamon desktop glitch.
Modified by JoeB
Given that you run Linux and looking at this question, chances are either another Firefox instance is invoked for opening external links in case you have multiple copies installed - in your case allowing it to run but in a separate profile - yet it opens the running copy (this can happen when not using -no-remote) or the action for it is somewhat malformed. Your distro may be confused and not be aware of the single (or same) Firefox instance for default browser related actions, so make sure to have 1 version first, then that your OS is aware of that single browser for all actions.