[Bug 880596] [NEW] Option '-app' missing from Firefox above version 3

[sdaau]

Public bug reported:

$ firefox --version
Mozilla Firefox 7.0.1
$ apt-cache policy firefox
firefox:
  Installed: 7.0.1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.11.04.1
  Candidate: 7.0.1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.11.04.1
....
$ xulrunner --version
Mozilla XULRunner 2.0 - 20110402003021
$ uname -r
2.6.38-11-generic
$ lsb_release -rd
Description:	Ubuntu 11.04
Release:	11.04
$ cat /etc/issue
Ubuntu 11.04 \n \l

-----
There has been an '-app' command line option for Firefox, which should have been introduced in Firefox 3:  

http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2007/08/using-firefox-3-as-a
-xul-runtime-environment.ars

... which would have allowed Firefox to run XUL application via `firefox
-app /path/to/application.ini`.


However, that switch does not seem to work any longer in newer Firefoxes: 

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5900814/does-the-app-command-line-option-work-properly-in-firefox-4
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7869546/single-file-app-with-xulrunner-possible


I have performed the following test in Firefox 7 (versions as given above): 

* Generate a small XUL application (bash):

###
mkdir xultestapp
mkdir -p xultestapp/chrome/content
mkdir -p xultestapp/defaults/preferences
cat > xultestapp/application.ini <<"EOF"
[App]
Vendor=XULTest
Name=xultestapp
Version=1.0
BuildID=20111024
ID=xultestapp at xultest.org

[Gecko]
MinVersion=1.8
MaxVersion=2.*
EOF
cat > xultestapp/chrome/chrome.manifest <<"EOF"
content xultestapp content/
EOF
cat > xultestapp/chrome.manifest <<"EOF"
manifest chrome/chrome.manifest
EOF
cat > xultestapp/defaults/preferences/prefs.js <<"EOF"
pref("toolkit.defaultChromeURI", "chrome://xultestapp/content/main.xul");
EOF
cat > xultestapp/chrome/content/main.xul <<"EOF"
<?xml version="1.0"?>

<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin/" type="text/css"?>

<window id="main" title="xultestapp" width="300" height="300"
xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">

  <caption label="Hello World"/>
  <separator/>
  <button label="More >>" />
  <separator/>
  <description id="more-text" hidden="true">This is a simple XULRunner application. XUL is simple to use and quite powerful and can even be used on mobile devices.</description>

</window>
EOF

###

* and now if I call xulrunner,  it works:
###
xulrunner xultestapp/application.ini
###

* however, if I use firefox:
###
firefox -no-remote -app xultestapp/application.ini
###

... Firefox just starts as usual, ignoring the XUL application
specification.


Can anyone explain if/when/why was this option removed - and if there is a similar functionality in newer Firefoxes? 

Many thanks in advance, 
Cheers!

** Affects: firefox (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/880596

Title:
  Option '-app' missing from Firefox above version 3

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