browser.startup.homepage and TOR_DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE are ignored for the new window opened by New Identity

Summary

In 13.0, the browser.startup.homepage pref (and hence also the TOR_DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE environment variable, which populates the pref) is no longer used for the initial new window that is opened by New Identity. This new window uses about:tor instead.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Run TOR_DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE='https://example.com/' ./start-tor-browser
2. Connect
3. Trigger New Identity

Environment

Linux (x86_64)

changed title from browser.startup.homepage is ignored for the new window opened by New Identity to browser.startup.homepage and TOR_DEFAULT_HOMEPAGE are ignored for the new window opened by New Identity

Maybe it's intentional? I'm not sure because c62d3405 is referring to a bug #41765 (closed) that doesn't seem to exist

that doesn't seem to exist

#41765 (closed) is currently marked confidential

Yes, it's intentional, and #41765 (closed) is public now.

Ah, thanks for unrestricting the issue.

Would it make sense to allow some browser.startup.homepage values? In particular

• chrome://browser/content/blanktab.html (the value of Homepage and new windows: Blank Page in Settings)
• Maybe file:// URLs too, for Whonix

Yes, I think probably any non-remote home page would be low risk enough to be allowed by default as new identity one.

Would it make sense to allow some browser.startup.homepage values?

This is a great idea.

I wonder also if we could improve #41765 (closed) with a chrome banner that provides the option to open the homepage manually, with a warning explaining why that wasn't done by default.

added 13.0 stable 13.5 stable Backport Bug Next labels

marked #42175 (closed) as a duplicate of this issue

marked this issue as related to #42175 (closed)

marked #42176 (closed) as a duplicate of this issue

marked this issue as related to #42176 (closed)

added Desktop label

mentioned in issue #42184 (closed)

removed Next label

added Backlog label

marked this issue as related to #42236 (closed)

I think we're done here?

Shall we link to 13.0.14 (and in case to 13.5a6, but we're late for changelogs for it ).

Yes, I think linking it to 13.0.14 is a good idea from a communication standpoint, for users following / upset by this issue.

assigned to @ma1

"Fixed" by #42236 (closed), closing.

closed

marked this issue as related to tor-browser-build#41100 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tor-browser-build#41114 (closed)

marked this issue as related to tor-browser-build#41099 (closed)

marked this issue as related to #43006 (closed)

removed the relation with #43006 (closed)