Welcome page opens in the default browser

[msubel]

Tested on 2.3.0b10

Steps to reproduce

1. In 2.3.0b9, configure Epichrome Helper Extension to open all links in the Default Browser
2. Update Epichrome to 2.3.0b10
3. Launch an Epichrome-based App and agree to Update

Expected outcome

• Welcome page with the link to install the extension appears in the just updated Epichrome-based App

Actual outome

• Welcome page (obeys the rules of the Epichrome helper) and opens in the default browser

[dmarmor]

Hi @msubel,

Sorry you're experiencing this. First off, I assume you are actually on 2.3.0b10, right (I think you mistakenly called it 2.2.4b10)? Can you send me either a screenshot of your Epichrome Helper options page, and/or the json file you get when you Export settings from that page? I've been unable to reproduce this behavior on my setup.

Thanks!

[msubel]

Yes, sorry. I did mean 2.3.0b10.

Here's the screenshot and settings.

Google Meet Settings 2020-04-20.json.zip

[dmarmor]

Hmm. I imported those rules and tried it again and the welcome page still opens in the app and not the default browser for me. So I'm not sure what's going on with your app...

In any event I have been working on a new version of the extension and that will have explicit code in it so that it never redirects the welcome page. So once that update is out, this won't be a problem. Sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime...

[ixley]

I was just experiencing this too. Upgraded to 2.3.0b10 last week and didn't notice it but when I upgrade to 2.3.0 today all welcome pages opened in the default browser. Not sure if there is a simple way to reset this or if it will resolve itself but just thought I'd call it out.

In case it's related... In one app instance, I observed that any new (blank) tab/window I opened would immediately open in the default browser. I noticed Stop further handling for links sent to default browser happened to be on in this app's Epichrome options and toggled it on/off and the new tab/window issue resolved itself (now regardless of whether that setting was on or off). I'm not able to trigger/test the welcome message again but it seemed like that behavior might've been related (forcing all windows into the default browser).

And BTW - congrats on releasing the new version! I've been thrilled to be able to rely on it again and appreciate all your hard work.

[msubel]

I upgrade 3 apps today from 2.3.0b10 to 2.3.0. For 2 of them the welcome page opened as expected, inside the epichrome app but the 3rd one opened the page in the default browser ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Here's the config page for the extension

[dmarmor]

I've been noticing this intermittently myself with some of my apps. A quick workaround for this would be to add a rule that matches the welcome page (file://*/welcome.html* would I think match it) set to open in This app.

Long-term, I have it on my to-do list to create a special case in the next version of the extension to prevent the welcome page from ever routing to the default browser.

[msubel]

Hello! I've just upgraded 3 epichrome-based apps to from 2.3.0 to 2.3.1 and I'm happy to report that I did not see the problem for any of them. They all properly opened in the apps. :-)

[dmarmor]

Excellent, @msubel ! Glad to hear it. I think this is happening when an app's Epichrome Helper has particular URL forwarding rules set. Aside from the workaround listed above the only way to permanently fix it will be with an update to the extension (which I am working on).

[msubel]

Although it goes against my deep belief about computer science being deterministic, I'm starting to think the behavior is random 😕

I've just upgraded 3 epichrome-based apps from 2.3.1 to 2.3.2 and for 2 of them the welcome page opened in the default browser instead of the app. Only for one app it worked as expected.

[dmarmor]

I have the same, constantly shaken faith in the determinacy of code! I always hate to shrug and say something was random, but sometimes it just is. Did those apps have that rule set that I mentioned in a previous reply? If that's the case, then it is truly a random mystery.

In any event, the proper, permanent (and hopefully deterministic) fix for this will have to wait till I can get the next version of the extension out...