Fx2 external rss reader subscription is broken - a fix

Stebs · Post by **Stebs** » January 16th, 2007, 8:21 am

Tried it all again, restored original FeedConverter.js and modified it again, also with the debug line:

debug("FeedConverter.js: ", (clientApp.persistentDescriptor + " " + args));

uncommented and that new debug-code after that, and this time, this message appears all the time: "Firefox doesn't know how to open this address, because the protocol (feed) isn't associated with any program."
In Options though, "Subscribe to the feed using:" is associated with Thunderbird, path to exe is correct.
Still nothing relevant in Fx Error Console.

Now I have no single clue what to try next.
BTW, is there a space behind the strings "-mail " and "feed: " ?
Looking at those here in Forum suggests there are spaces behind them, with copy and paste, there is no space behind...

Well, perhaps somebody who got this to work could just send me the modified FeedConverter.js (for Firefox 2.0.0.1) ?
mozillazine.20.stebs@spamgourmet.com
Thanks alot!

alta88 · Post by **alta88** » January 16th, 2007, 9:42 am

yes, any Fx updates will overwrite Feedconverter.js, so the patch needs to be added again.

stebs, i can send you mine (Fx2.0.01) but it's just what's posted. the log message prints the args in a comma delimited list; there is in fact no comma in the string sent to the OS.

Stebs · Post by **Stebs** » January 16th, 2007, 10:15 am

Yes, it would help me if you could post me your file... so I can at least rule that out as source of my problems.
Until now, I never ever saw any message in my Fx Console that has to do with Feeds.... so I don't have any log message with args...

If it still doesn't work with your Feedconverter.js, then I think I will simply give up.
Perhaps it has to do with something completely different (My Windows XP not being English, my Firefox not being installed in the default location, my Fx simply not "accepting" this work-around, or the humidity of the air not being "right" here?) :roll:

Stebs · Post by **Stebs** » January 16th, 2007, 12:00 pm

Ok thanks!
Still got the same "Firefox doesn't know how to open..." message with your Feedconverter.js
But now I went on and tried it with a new Thunderbird Profile and a new Firefox Profile (only added the 2 required entires), AND it WORKED!

Nailed it down then to my Firefox Profile being the culprit of my problems, all entries with "feed" in it where the same as in the working Profile, so it must have been something different.
But then I made me a new Profile, copied all necessary files over to it, did a bit of Extension-Installation (thanks to Firefox Extension Backup Extension that was no big deal) configuration and voilá, everything works now

Thanks alot for the help!

trishacupra · Post by **trishacupra** » January 16th, 2007, 5:49 pm

I've made a copy of my patched Feedconverter.js and I'm hoping that with the different file name it won't be overwritten in an update, then I can just rename it. Unless that file was part of the update, it wouldn't have changed, and this should work fine, shouldn't it? Or should I patch the 'updated' file each time?

alta88 · Post by **alta88** » January 17th, 2007, 10:11 am

well, instead of saying something snarky like no need to worry about anyone working on that code, i think best practice would be to re-add the patch every time you update Fx.

Stebs · Post by **Stebs** » January 17th, 2007, 12:31 pm

BTW, alta88, perhaps you could attach your Patch in Bug 348450 instead of just linking to the solution here. Or do you know of any reason your way of patching this is not the "right" way of solving this Bug?
ATM I seen no real reason why this should not be included in any future 2.0.0.x Version (apart the "annoyance" that one still has to manually enter the correct values for the used Feed-Reader in about:config)

alta88 · Post by **alta88** » January 17th, 2007, 12:51 pm

the minimal discussion of this seems to indicate a desire to avoid the 'annoyance' you mention, ie the possibility the user enters bad args. so the proposal is to go through a protocol registry (Fx3). now, while this may be a nice theoretical architecturally pure view, it doesn't fly. that way requires 3 things:
-Fx knows how to access protocol registries
-the OS has to support a protocol registry
-the 3rd party feed reader has to register itself to the protocol registry

the only way for Fx to guarantee *its* users be able to make it work 100% of the time on all platforms is the method in the patch. btw, for non win, that's what protocol handler args prefs are there for, i believe.

benanna · Post by **benanna** » November 4th, 2007, 10:00 am

This fix worked for me, thanks! One thing, though, it only works if I close TB, then hit the "Subscribe Now" button in Firefox. If TB is already open when I hit "Subscribe Now", nothing happens. Is that the way it works for everyone else, or do I need to fix something else?

alta88 · Post by **alta88** » November 6th, 2007, 9:19 am

this fix is only to allow Fx to send the right command to the external app. i have seen the problem you report (filed a bug for one particular cause - after a few rss update cycles an internal counter breaks and no more subscribing is possible) and it is Tb's error.

also - Fx3 partially fixes the problem solved here; it will send the right command to subscribe to Tb but there is still no way to pass arguments.