Mouse gesture will stop functioning when opening new tab in upcoming Firefox.

[ashleylai87]

Mouse gesture will stop functioning when opening new tab in upcoming Firefox.

[Shiandow]

Yeah, looks like they won't be fixing this any time soon.

I did find a workaround for now by abusing the autoconfig system of firefox. Using it you can manually set the new tab page to about:blank to replicate the previous behaviour.

To do so you need to add two files to the installation folder of firefox:

defaults/pref/autoconfig.js

// Disable config sandbox 
pref('general.config.sandbox_enabled', false);

// Point towards about-home fix
pref("general.config.filename", "blank-about-home-fix.cfg");

// Do not obfuscate contents
pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0);

blank-about-home-fix.cfg

// Load Components
var {classes:Cc,interfaces:Ci,utils:Cu} = Components;

/* set new tab page */
try {
  Cu.import("resource:///modules/AboutNewTab.jsm");
  AboutNewTab.newTabURL = "about:blank";
} catch(e){Cu.reportError(e);} // report errors in the Browser Console

paths are relative to the root of the firefox installation folder (the one containing firefox.exe).

I can only hope they implement a proper webextension API for gestures and hotkeys before we run out of workarounds.

[Fanolian]

The issue is reproducible only when new tab and/or homepage/new window is set to blank page.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install latest Foxy Gestures 1.2.12 in a new profile in Firefox Beta 108.0b2 or Nightly.
2. In about:preferences#home, set "Homepage and new windows" and "New tabs" to Blank Page.
3. Open a new tab or window by whatever means.
4. Try to draw a mouse or wheel gesture in this new tab.

Actual result

Gestures cannot be initiated because this new "blank tab" is no longer about:blank but chrome://browser/content/blanktab.html after bug 1676492.

[ashleylai87]

Thanks for the workaround instruction, it works! @Shiandow

[Fanolian]

Yeah, looks like they won't be fixing this any time soon.

Reference: Bug 1800995 - Content scripts not injected into new blank tab page (which is no longer about:blank)