Affected versions

• Firefox 68.0a1
• Firefox 67.0b7
• Firefox 66.0.2

Affected platforms

• macOS 10.14

Prerequisites

• Make sure that you only have a new tab opened in the browser.

Steps to reproduce

1. Write something in the awesome bar.
2. Click on the Option button from the search dropdown.
3. Close the about:preferences page and write something in the awesome bar again.
4. By using Tab or the arrows from the keyboards, press on the Option button.
5. Repeat step 3 and then steps 1 and 2.

Expected result

• The about:preferences#search page is either opened in a new tab or in the same tab.

Actual result

• 2. The about:preferences#search page is opened in the same tab.
• 4. The about:preferences#search page is opened in a new tab.
• 5. The about:preferences#search page is opened in a new tab.

Regression range

• This might not be a regression. I will try to find more information as soon as possible.

Additional notes

• Please look at the attached videos.
• I will try to find more info about this issue.

I managed to find the regression for this issue.

• last good: 2017-08-16 (20170816100153)
• first bad: 2017-08-17 (20170817100132)

The pushlog wasn't generated by mozregression, but I tried to find one.

• pushlog: https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/pushloghtml?fromchange=6ebc251bd288c268b020815025b05854ccde5c08&tochange=932388b8c22c9775264e543697ce918415db9e23

I hope this information helps.

mak: is this p5 b/c of quantum bar work making this obsolete?

(In reply to Tim Spurway [:tspurway] from comment #3)

mak: is this p5 b/c of quantum bar work making this obsolete?

No, because the steps are complex, in any case the page opens so there's no broken functionality, and the regression range is at least 2 years old. I don't see the Address Bar team looking into this any time soon.

Hello, I found a similar issue with the same result but this uses activity stream. Here are my steps:

1. Open Firefox and a new tab.
2. Select "Manage Section" from the "Top Sites" context menu option.
3. Click on "Back one page" button from Firefox.
4. Select "Manage section" again from "Top Sites" context menu option.

AR: Preferences page is opened in a new tab.
EX: Preferences page is opened in the same tab.

Notes:
This behavior applies for "Customize your new tab page" button too.
Opening a new tab and repeating the steps from above has the same behavior.
Same steps can be applied for the "Change search settings" button from the url bar.