firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

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WZZZ1
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firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by WZZZ1 »

Sometimes, in Activity Monitor, Firefox appears with its icon and sometimes I see it as
firefox-bin, even while it's open. Can someone explain?
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Bluefang
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by Bluefang »

In the Firefox installation folder, there is "firefox" (and likely run-mozilla.sh) which is the launch script(s), and "firefox-bin" which is the binary program. If you look at the process hierarchy, you'll probably see something like this:

....
> firefox
> > run-mozilla.sh
> > > firefox-bin
---
There have always been ghosts in the machine... random segments of code that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity, and even the nature of what we might call the soul...
WZZZ1
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by WZZZ1 »

Thanks. So when does AM decide to list it as firefox with icon and firefox-bin?
WZZZ1
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by WZZZ1 »

bump
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RobertJ
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by RobertJ »

You will normally see the "FFicon" followed by Firefox unless, you update an extension in the FF start up process. Then you will see firefox-bin.
FF 92.0 - TB 78.13 - Mac OSX 10.13.6
WZZZ1
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by WZZZ1 »

Thanks for reply. Now it's back to Firefox + icon but I've been seeing a lot of firefox-bin in AM lately. I don't think any extensions were updated for startup. Extensions in the start up process, would that be a plug in or an add on?
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RobertJ
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by RobertJ »

WZZZ1 wrote:Thanks for reply. Now it's back to Firefox + icon but I've been seeing a lot of firefox-bin in AM lately. I don't think any extensions were updated for startup. Extensions in the start up process, would that be a plug in or an add on?


add-on.

You would normally see a screen when launching FF that tells you that updates are available. After updating there is a continue button in the lower right. After clicking on it FF will open your home page; at this point I see the firefox-bin in the Activity Monitor. There may be other ways this happens but I have not experienced them. Note that the above applies to FF3 and not FF2.
FF 92.0 - TB 78.13 - Mac OSX 10.13.6
WZZZ1
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by WZZZ1 »

Actually, I think it might be related to a recent problem where, after trying to sleep the computer from the keyboard shortcut, option-cmd-eject, the iMac (Slot G3), went briefly into sleep, then woke up almost immediately. It seems the OS stalled or hung in this in between sleep/wake state. FF (3.0.5) had been open at the time, froze and went into Safe Mode. (Sleep is working fine from any of the usual menu commands, but still trying to determine why the Keyboard shortcut doesn't work properly). So, maybe that's why I've been seeing firefox-bin so much lately. Going through a normal sleep/wake cycle put things right.
thompson&thomson
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Re: firefox-bin? (Mac OSX)

Post by thompson&thomson »

RobertJ wrote:
WZZZ1 wrote:Thanks for reply. Now it's back to Firefox + icon but I've been seeing a lot of firefox-bin in AM lately. I don't think any extensions were updated for startup. Extensions in the start up process, would that be a plug in or an add on?


add-on.

You would normally see a screen when launching FF that tells you that updates are available. After updating there is a continue button in the lower right. After clicking on it FF will open your home page; at this point I see the firefox-bin in the Activity Monitor. There may be other ways this happens but I have not experienced them. Note that the above applies to FF3 and not FF2.


Yup. I just updated an add-on 5 minutes ago and saw firefox-bin running and decided to google it. Thanks.
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