Re: [orca-list] Orca and the problem when opening messages in a new window in thunderbird

[Michael Whapples <mwhapples aim com>]

Hello,
The affected versions of thunderbird are those beginning 3.1. So at the 
moment if you prefer messages open in a new window (I prefer that and 
don't really get on with tabs) then the options seem to be either move 
up to development builds on the 3.3 branch or move down to the 3.0.x 
branch. I don't know that its going to be wise to create a fix in orca. 
See below for more details on all this.

I don't actually know when thunderbird 3.3 final will be out, but 
consider we are on alpha1 so there probably will be another couple of 
alpha releases then a few beta releases, I imagine a few months down the 
line. Then you also have to wait for the distribution you use to put it 
in a package, so may be a bit more of a wait (unless they decide to 
package a beta version).

However you may want to do as I have and go with the development 
releases. ArchLinux has a package for thunderbird 3.3a1 in AUR, however 
if you don't have a distribution package then you may wish to download a 
version from ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/3.3a1, 
decompress it and just run it. Please note if doing this orca does not 
have a alias for the new name for these builds (Miramar), see 
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=637115 for a patch to fix this.

If you wanted to go backwards to a version not affected by this bug then 
look at versions 3.0.x, current latest being 3.0.11.

There may be ways orca could handle this bug, but I get the feeling any 
fix orca does for this would be quite ugly and potentially risky (we 
would be trying to find out if an event saying a window was activated 
really lead to the window being activated). The patch attached to bug 
#633186 I think doesn't really get to the core of the problem and only 
solves some of the problems caused by the bug. I now no longer can 
recommend that patch.

I hope I covered everything you meant me to cover,let me know if I 
missed something.

Michael Whapples
On -10/01/37 20:59, Hammer Attila wrote:
> Hy,
>
> Michael, you don't known when releasing the 3.3 final Thunderbird
> version? :-):-)
> I very wait.
> Now, for example Ubuntu Lucid, Maverick and developing Natty release
> containing equals Thunderbird 3.1.7 release.
> I looked the 3.1.6 prewious version and you wroted problems is present
> this oldest version, I used Orca 2.91.4 pre version when tested the
> prewious Thunderbird version.
> Only help if I turning on the "Automatically start speaking a page
> when it is first _loaded" option with Orca application
> preferences/thunderbird page, I think Jose suggest this temporary
> method. Unfortunately this is a partialy working solution, because if
> any popup window are present and I switch back the message window,
> Orca lost focus with 3.1.6 and 3.1.7 version. I am not like the tab
> style new message presenting method, I like seeing new messages with a
> new message window. Tab style message presenting is not producing this
> simptomns if I remember right.
> You don't known what the last Thunderbird version with producing this
> problems?
>
> What resulting your patch if committed for example the git master
> branch and for example Orca 2.32 branch with Thunderbird 3.3
> development version? Or this is not a safe step and containing risks
> in future?
> If yes, I agree.
>
> Attila