Bug description
Note

• When the user installs a browser using the pkg installed on Mac OS, and then opens the browser and manually updates it, the user experience is confusing because the browser restarts but opens with the same version. Furthermore, the update window (apparently specific to pkg) is focused, but then instantly unfocused and lost behind the browser window (this happens if a door hanger or a pop-up is displayed, like the one to set browser and default).

Affected versions

• update from 101.0b4 to 102.0b8

Affected platforms

• Mac OS 11

Steps to reproduce

1. Install a previous version of beta using a pkg installer.
2. Open it using a new profile.
3. Click "Firefox" on the top bar, then "About Firefox".
4. On the About Firefox window, click on the "Restart to Update Firefox".

Expected result

• The browser restarts and opens with the latest version.

Actual result

• The browser restarts and reopens the same version.
• Furthermore, the Update windows (specific to this install type) is displayed, but then it is unfocused and lost behind the browser window.

Regression range

• unknown

Additional notes

• found in update task for Beta v102.0b8.

Did anything change with this or has it always been this way?

(In reply to Bodea Daniel [:danibodea] from comment #0)

the update window (apparently specific to pkg)

I was really confused about what was meant by this, so I tried it out. It looks like the pkg installs with privileges that require us to elevate in order to update, so I assume that you are referring to the update elevation dialog. There are other ways to get this dialog, they are just in less common configurations. For example, if you install Firefox as an administrator, switch to a non-administrator account, and try to install an update, you will then get the same dialog.

the user experience is confusing because the browser restarts but opens with the same version

Yes, unfortunately this is part of the expected flow when we have to elevate. We ask to elevate first, which requires that we reopen Firefox so we can show that dialog. The good news is that when we elevate, we fix the permissions so that we shouldn't have to again.

However, the update dialog being

focused, but then instantly unfocused and lost behind the browser window (this happens if a door hanger or a pop-up is displayed, like the one to set browser and default).

is not expected. I was able to reproduce this problem and we should fix this.

I spent some time thinking about this today, and I'm not really sure what the appropriate fix here would be. It doesn't really seem to me that it's incorrect for a modal to bring its parent window to the top. But it's not particularly desirable that, in this case, that causes us to hide the window that asks the user for permission to do an elevated update.

So I'm not really sure where to go from here. Maybe it would be appropriate to just force the elevation dialog to always stay on top of all other (Firefox?) windows until the user interacts with it? Or to change it to be a modal of the initial Firefox window?

@Mardak - As someone that works on Notifications, do you have thoughts on how this ought to be fixed?

I'm not familiar with this particular elevation message, and generally messages can be shown on individual windows or tabs without taking focus from other windows/tabs. But in this particular case, it seems important enough to bring forward the window that happens to contain this elevation message.

Alternatively, if the message doesn't actually have to be associated to a browser window, maybe it can be its own "window" with focus/visibility?

(In reply to Ed Lee :Mardak from comment #4)

it seems important enough to bring forward the window that happens to contain this elevation message.

It seems like we are already doing that though. But when a different notification is shown, that causes the corresponding Firefox window to move above the elevation message.

Alternatively, if the message doesn't actually have to be associated to a browser window, maybe it can be its own "window" with focus/visibility?

I'm not sure that I understand your meaning, but I think it already is its own window.

I'm still hoping to fix this at some point, but it is still unclear to me what the appropriate fix is. The only thing I can think of is to force the update elevation window to always remain on top of all other Firefox windows, but I'm not sure whether that level of obtrusiveness is appropriate.

It could be reasonable to make the elevation window a modal of the initial Firefox window in the hopes that future unprompted notifications will activate on that window and prevent it from losing focus without the user seeing the elevation window. But that just seems like a more temperamental plan to me.