[CentOS] [OT] Firefox loses plugins, anyone else? Bug? Known?

[William L. Maltby]

On Fri, 2008-12-05 at 08:35 -0500, Phil Schaffner wrote:
> William L. Maltby wrote:
> > Fully up-to-date CentOS 5.2 and Firefox browser. A previous thread had a
> > problem with plugins disappearing. I've discovered, by accident, a
> > causal relationship.
> > 
> > Running a Thunderbird mail client (could happen with others? Haven't
> > tested with Evolution yet.) I click a link that opens the browser. BANG!
> > The plugins.dat is "emptied".
> > 
> > Restored from my rsync backup, repeat, BANG! "Empty" again.
> > 
> > Now, if the browser is already open, NP.
> > 
> ><snip>

> Bill,
> 
> Tried to reproduce this and could not - closed Firefox, clicked on a 
> link in Thunderbird that opens Firefox.  All plugins are OK.

Random thought: caused by the link clicked? Try this one for me? Weak
possibility, but I thought no use in "ass-u-me"ing.

http://links.seekingalpha.com/links/34878/83/105705/1184

> 
> I have no plugins.dat, only
> 
> .mozilla/firefox/2ucxmtim.default/pluginreg.dat

Heh. As mentioned in my other post, hadn't had 2nd cup yet. It is indeed
pluginreg.dat.

> 
> firefox-3.0.4-1.el5.centos
> thunderbird-2.0.0.18-1.el5.centos

Ditto: T'bird version 2.0.0.18 (20081120)

> 
> Have had problems with disappearing plugins when first starting Firefox, 
> and then having them return after closing/restarting.  Seemed to be a 
> function of historical user configs and updates as it was not 
> reproducible on a fresh user account.  Never could find a bug report on 
> it and did not create one as it worked OK on a clean config.  Perhaps 
> you could try this on a fresh account to check out that variable.

Yep. I did go to another account, but it uses evolution. The problem
didn't manifest itself using evolution. I'll go to another that uses
T'bird and try there. Then, a fresh account.

The fact that I can reproduce it on that account leaves me sure that
some kind of bug exists. It may only be exposed by some odd-ball thing
in that account or directory structure, like permissions or whatnot.

I'll investigate more throughout the day, as workload permits.

> 
> Phil
> <snip sig stuff>

Thanks for the reply.

-- 
Bill