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Second firefox command -new-tab command results in "Firefox is already running" popup in Linux

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Attempting to open several pages for help documentation using firefox, and running into an odd issue. The first file/link opens just fine, but subsequent links get the popup: "Firefox is already running, but is not responding. To open a new window, you must first close the existing Firefox process, or restart your system".

Methods I've attempted to get the second link to open:

firefox -new-tab /path/to/file.html firefox -P profile_name -new-tab /path/to/file.html firefox -remote "openURL(/path/to/file.html)" firefox -P profile_name -remote "openURL(/path/to/file.html)"

Set "StartWithLastProfile=0" in profiles.ini and attempt to select the in-use profile manually. Results in "Firefox cannot use the profile "profile_name" because it is in use. To continue, close the running instance of Firefox or choose a different profile." popup.

The only way I've found to make subsequent links open at all is to make multiple profiles and open each link with a new profile.

Took a cue from this question's solution: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1130718 I attempted to replicate that with xdg-open, to no success.

My best workaround is quite messy, running a script every time I need a new file / webpage opened by the application:

set time = `date +%s` set profile_path = ~/firefox/$time/ cp –irp $generic_profile $profile_path firefox --profile $profile_path /what/ever.html rm –rf $profile_path

Which comes with a side effect of not allowing interaction between the firefox windows, since they're all effectively different profiles.

Attempting to open several pages for help documentation using firefox, and running into an odd issue. The first file/link opens just fine, but subsequent links get the popup: "Firefox is already running, but is not responding. To open a new window, you must first close the existing Firefox process, or restart your system". Methods I've attempted to get the second link to open: firefox -new-tab /path/to/file.html firefox -P profile_name -new-tab /path/to/file.html firefox -remote "openURL(/path/to/file.html)" firefox -P profile_name -remote "openURL(/path/to/file.html)" Set "StartWithLastProfile=0" in profiles.ini and attempt to select the in-use profile manually. Results in "Firefox cannot use the profile "profile_name" because it is in use. To continue, close the running instance of Firefox or choose a different profile." popup. The only way I've found to make subsequent links open at all is to make multiple profiles and open each link with a new profile. Took a cue from this question's solution: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1130718 I attempted to replicate that with xdg-open, to no success. My best workaround is quite messy, running a script every time I need a new file / webpage opened by the application: set time = `date +%s` set profile_path = ~/firefox/$time/ cp –irp $generic_profile $profile_path firefox --profile $profile_path /what/ever.html rm –rf $profile_path Which comes with a side effect of not allowing interaction between the firefox windows, since they're all effectively different profiles.

All Replies (3)

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With what command line do you open the first page?

If you have opened the first page with the -no-remote command line switch then you won't be able to open additional windows and tabs.

See also:

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No options at all. Just:

firefox /url/of/file.html &

Also checked aliases, there are no options set to run as an alias of firefox.

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Works for me on Linux. Make sure that "use the selected profile..." in the Profile Manager has a tick.

First start to select the profile:

#!/bin/sh

cd /usr/local/mozilla/firefox-RE
./firefox -P -url about:about

Start with -url:

#!/bin/sh

cd /usr/local/mozilla/firefox-RE
./firefox -url about:newtab

Start with -new-tab:

#!/bin/sh

cd /usr/local/mozilla/firefox-RE
./firefox -new-tab about:newtab