Firefox 24 - 52 for ME and 98

[schwups]

I've got an overview: I can start and run versions 42 - 47.0.2. Versions 36 - 41.0.2 crash on start as well as 49 and higher. And 48.0 - 48.02 start initially without UI. It appears when I press F11(FullScreen) 2x. My first impression is that 48 is not stable on a lot of websites - thus maybe unusable.

Supplement: I checked 48 again and noted that it doesn't really freeze. Every time when the window freezes I must press F11 to refresh. It is best not to leave the key with your finger.

Additional requirements for FF 42 - 48 and KM 76: Dll's from XPSP2 or SP3 (Activeds.dll, adsldpc.dll, apphlp.dll, authz.dll, dbghlp.dll, dnsapi.dll, mprapi.dll, netrap.dll, netui0.dll, netui1.dll, ntdsapi.dll, ntlanman.dll, rasdlg.dll, rasman.dll, regapi.dll, rtutils.dll, samlib.dll, utildll.dll, w32topl.dll, winscard.dll, winsta.dll), MDAC2.8SP1 (Odbc32.dll, Odbcbcp.dll), GDIPlus.dll (for KM76) and Kext (ini file in next post). The names of all missing files were found with the DependencyWalker (DW). To do this open the Xul.dll with the DW. Missing modules are marked with a question mark in yellow circle. To get all names you must refresh or restart DW after adding files. New (missing) files will appear. You have to repeat the procedure several times. I have these files, XPSP2/SP3 and some from ReactOS 0.4.0, in the system folder. You also can try to paste them in the KernelEx folder, or KernelEx Subfolders like ROS, as KernelEx-KnownDll's. In this case (KernelEx-KnownDll's) is the registry entry in the Key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\KernelEx\KnownDLLs] necessary. Or paste them into the program folder, when you're afraid.

To bear in mind pdh.dll, psapi.dll, userenv.dll, uxtheme.dll and wtsapi32.dll are already supported by KernelEX (KernelEX-KnownDll's).

The portable Installer requires the apphlp.dll. It make sense to install the WindowsInstaller 12.0.2600.2, but I haven't testet that as requirement.

After further testing, I initially ruled cabinet.dll (XPSP2 or 3), MDAC2.8SP1, Imagehlp.dll (2KSP3), msvcrt.dll = msvcr70.dll and IE6SP1out.

 Direct3D9 (OMTC):

1. Install DirectX 9c

2. "layers.acceleration.force-enabled" => true  -  OMTC requires hardware acceleration!

3. "layers.offmainthreadcomposition.enabled" => true

Edited December 24, 2020 by schwups

[schwups]

"RtlIpv6StringToAddressW=" is required, otherwise FF doesn't start. If it isn't present, the automatic fallback to Ipv4 seem to fail. I hoped the error message prompt "Kstub823 ntdll.dll:RtlIpv6StringToAdressW" on first start could be avoided by removing this API. Possible is to ignore the message prompt and then switch "network.dns.disableIPv6" to true.
Now I found "RtlIpv6StringToAddressW=o3" or "RtlIpv6StringToAddressW=t3" avoids the error.

My revised ini file:

Kexstubs.7z

Edited October 23, 2020 by schwups

[jumper]

Not "error" because Kstub823 is working correctly as designed and requesting guidance. Either of those definitions is very good. Well done! 

I'm working on the next version of KernelEx now. I'll use your definitions to add more stubs. Thank you!

 

[schwups]

I'm running RT's KM 76 (KM76.3.1-Goanna-20201010) and have Javascript enabled now. That's OK so far and also on some JS critical sensitive pages.
If I try to open msfn.org/board on latest version of 24 October, the browser freezes with JS enabled.
The icons and buttons aren't comely (artefacts) and the language change doesn't work or only partially and leads to additional errors. Best is to keep English-US.
But especially the almost completely unreadable submenus and context menus are very annoying. I can add unreadable bookmarks, which I recognize by the ugly symbol. Recently visited addresses aren't saved. I want to check my results on another machine the next days.

[siria]

schwups said:

I'm running RT's KM 76 (KM76.3.1-Goanna-20201010) and have Javascript enabled now. That's OK so far and also on some JS critical sensitive pages.
If I try to open msfn.org/board on latest version of 24 October, the browser freezes with JS enabled.
The icons and buttons aren't comely (artefacts) and the language change doesn't work or only partially and leads to additional errors. Best is to keep English-US.
But especially the almost completely unreadable submenus and context menus are very annoying. I can add unreadable bookmarks, which I recognize by the ugly symbol. Recently visited addresses aren't saved. I want to check my results on another machine the next days.

Ha, envy... But rather sure my old machine is far too weak anyway, and long since running out of space too.
Just curious, what you keep posting about menus, not sure what you mean. Perhaps this? In older versions I get transparent menus when forgetting to set kernelex compat to XP. Which happens regularly when changing a folder name, which changes the exe-path in the kernel-ex list...

Regarding "recently visited" sites, have the same prob in KMG74, and worse, additionally ALL sqlite-stuff is broken (for me), incl. history plugin => zero history at all. Since them am glad I can at least use an old macro of mine, minihistory, although very buggy. It simply stores all URLs into an ini-file when pages finish loading, and adds them to a menu. Original purpose was to catch those pesky on-load-redirect URLs. But then thought it's worthless (if history works) considering the heavy bugs, so never finished and posted it. Main killer are occasional crashes, probably related to exotic characters in URLs. There was an ancient encoding-bug with ini-macros in older KM-versions (pre76?75?). But yet worse, as long as those messy characters are still inside the ini, and the macro tries to build the menu from it, the browser will keep crashing at every restart attempt. Then the art is to remember this as a possible reason... For fixing, either had to delete the whole ini-file manually or try to find the killer-characters inside and edit only those. So it's just a lousy workaround to remember the last X number of sites, but for KG74 without any history at all, if used only as rare fallback browser, still a lot better as nothing. And hopefully those encoding-related crashes are now fixed in newer KM-versions? Not sure. Needed it hardly ever in last months, since finally getting TLS1.2 in old main browser. Although the macro is still active. And funny, it's been a long time now that after a crash I had to delete the ini-file, so suppose it's innocent in such cases.
.
Edited October 24, 2020 by siria

[schwups]

The menus are unreadable since KM75.1.

 

To start KM76 you must set the Xul.dll to XPSP2 (not legacy XPSP2) and I also set the exe to XPSP2. (Kex24 + my Kext file) Not to forget the GDIPlus.dll (XP or Vista).

Edited October 24, 2020 by schwups

[siria]

Cool "screen shot" :D

It looks as if the browser thinks those were chinese letters, or letters meant to be displayed with a dingbats fonts or such?!
But funnily not all, only 90%. Strange...

But that photo gives me a lot of hope! All is visible fine (black font, not transparent), and some lines are FULLY OK! And for the rest only the encoding (ANSI? UTF8? BOM?) is displayed wrong. That hopefully means there's just some setting missing somewhere, or some locale files may need to be converted, or internal files (that could get complicated) or perhaps has to do with your system font, or whatever....

Your browser is set to english, right?
Just curious how the same menus would look in DE, if perhaps more lines are messed or less?

First thought:
Up to KM74 menus were created with "ID-" commands, since KM75 with "modern" names...
Both versions should still work.
To my huge surprise, just discovered my old KM1.6 can use the "modern" ones too - never would have guessed!

So not much hope, but just experimental test anyway:
Backup file /browser/defaults/settings/menus.cfg and replace it with version from KM74 (last version with ID-commands)

Second idea, although probably useless too:
Perhaps try another system default font. Have read that in Win98 native MS Sans Serif can be buggy sometimes with modern apps, Tahoma is supposedly better. Don't know, but a short test can't harm and doesn't even need system restarts (Right-click on Desktop > Properties > Display (Darstellung), SAVE AS... to backup current config, then drop down Elements to "Menu", choose Tahoma, OK, restart browser)

Next thought:
Tried to figure out some CLUE by your screenshot, if perhaps only macro created lines are messed? Or only native commands? Or only certain macros created by ANSI-files, vs UTF8-files? UTF with/without BOM?
But sadly, nothing fits :(
Some native commands look OK, others messed, even if both are created in same file (menus.cfg)
Likewise, some macro lines messed, others okay, although ANSI (K-Meleon expects UTF-8 for macros)
Yeah I know, as long as only latin letters inside it shouldn't matter anyway.

It makes especially NO SENSE to me that even extremely simple popup menus like "&Edit" or "&Tools" are messed too :(
The "&" at begin can't be culprit, or "&Manage Profiles" would be messed too....
And even simply the length of the names is completely different:
"&Sessions" gets about 30 messed letters...?!
"&Edit" and "&View" and "&Help" get each about 15 messed letters...
AND their 3 lines are even IDENTIC...?!

Same amazing effect in the second menu in photo:
2 lines with completely identic mess-names, the upper one a popup menu, and below it a direct command?

On the other hand "Set Offline" gets only 4 messed letters, far too short, and "New Window" and "Print..." get both just "????"

Most amazing: despite that mess those lines and popup menus still FUNCTION! :O

[siria]

Just as overview:

========== CREATION of "Compact Menu" as in photo:

(all lines except 2 macros are created in menus.cfg / ANSI)

MESSED:
L179		New &Tab=tabNew
L181		&New Window=windowNew
L208		&Save Page As...=saveAs
L149		&Print...=filePrint
L151		Page Set&up=filePrintSetup
L243		&Edit
L288		&View 
L327		&Tools 
L125		&Sessions

OK:
L56		Fu&ll Screen=fullscreen()    (KPLUGIN)

MESSED:
L200		Work O&ffline=navOffline

OK:
L237		&Manage Profiles...=openManageProfiles
L238		Pr&eferences=openPrefs

MESSED (2 macros, UTF8B+ANSI):
popup menu "C&onfiguration":
by main.kmm:  setmenu(Preferences,macro,"C&onfiguration",moz_AboutConfig);
Then modified by macro cfg.kmm:
(replacing command with a same-name popup menu, this might be a bit shaky?)
$_cfg="C&onfiguration";
setmenu(Preferences,popup,$_cfg,moz_AboutConfig);
setmenu(Preferences,macro,"",moz_AboutConfig);

OK (macro ANSI):
"MIME T&ypes"
created by mtypes.kmm (ANSI):  setmenu(Preferences,macro,"MIME T&ypes",mtypes);

MESSED:
L355		&Help
L185		&Close Window=windowClose
L186		Exit &K-Meleon=appExit

[siria]

Perhaps later menu-replacements by macro are touchy, I remember early KM7X versions had bad bugs related to such stuff. And would guess extra unstable if single commands get replaced by same-name popup menus...
The second menu in photo also has 2 suspicious lines, same mess-name for a popup and a single command... but no clue what this is, probably completely unrelated, as in first menu the identic lines.

But do check this:
how are looks with Klassic skin?
(F2 > GUI) That's the oldest one, and still using old skin configuration. Aside from buttons the skins also define the icons in menus. Yeah I see the icons are correct, but this whole prob isn't logical at all ;-)

And check looks after disabling the MACROS plugin completely?
(aside from half the menu lines vanishing into nirwana)
Perhaps crashes, no idea, since there are now too many macro-commands used everywhere and taken for granted. Looking inside menus.cfg... yep, 3 younger macro-lines don't check anymore if the plugin is enabled or not:
Line307: View &History=macros(Places_History)
Line596: &Paste And Go=macros(Go_Paste)
Line597: &Copy URL=macros(Go_Copy)
For testing just put a # at beginning, after making a backup copy of original.

------
Staring riddling at your photo again....

In Privacy menu (last popup in photo):
Toggle Images = MESSED
Toggle Image Animation = "Togg" is messed, rest of line OK!?

That just makes no sense. Hmm.... especially no sense that my KM1.6 menu says:
"Block Image Animation"
but yours:
"????le image animation"
Huh? "Toggle" instead of "Block"? And lowercase...? There's something extra fishy...

Checking KM76 main.kmm => identic with KM1.6 =>
setmenu sets visible name as "Block"...
Only the tooltip line (macroinfo) reads "Toggle image animation" - huh?!

pref_ToggleAnimation{
macroinfo=_("Toggle image animation");
-
$__m=_Privacy_Settings;
setmenu($__m,macro,"Block Image Ani&mation",pref_ToggleAnimation);

SAME effect also at bottom in menu, for "Block Page Co&lors"
In your screen-shot reading "????le page colors", that's the tooltip too
.
Edited October 25, 2020 by siria

[siria]

Next thought: perhaps translated macroinfo lines are a prob now?
But can't be:
the "MIME Types" macro shows up OK, although it has a translated macroinfo line too:

mtypes{
macroinfo=_("Change file type settings");
opennew("chrome://kmprefs/content/pref.xul?filetypes");
-
setmenu(Preferences,macro,"MIME T&ypes",mtypes);

Weird... weirder... 2x tooltips as menulines?!?
And that's in a block of 8-10 almost identic Toggle macros, yet only those 2 look similar?

Then noticed something in main.kmm, again almost surely harmless, but for lack of other clues:
the parent menu of that whole Toggles-block is defined by
$__m=_Privacy_Settings;

There should be quotes around the menu name.
A little typo, existing since decades without harm.
But who knows? Fix anyway, like this:
$__m="_Privacy_Settings";
Must be changed in 2 places, same line exists 2x in main.kmm

Any change after restart, perhaps at least not using tooltips anymore?

-----
What else to possibly test.... though not much hope...

Backup file /macros/main.kmm, open original in N++ and "CONVERT" it to UTF8 withOUT BOM
Afterwards check what happens if converting that file to ANSI
(then convert back to UTF8, as it should normally be)

Now running out of ideas... but already far too long and complicated, no one reading anymore....

And wondering: are there more users/testers with Win9x around and able to run KM76...?
.

[schwups]

@siria

Win ME and 98 has lost track of development for several years, but I believe I will remain staunch to ME.
It's comparatively simple and yet good - A look at the task manager and I normally know what's the problem.
Some members have given up and I think others are waiting for a final KernelEx release with installer.
Old KernelEx 4.5.2 is downloaded more than four hundred times a week on sourceforge, so in principle there should be interest.
Yes, I may be one of the first in the world to run KM76. In spring I was able to start KM 76, but had no clue to get online and to resolve that problem of the unreadable menus.
Jumper said on 8 May (How you really browse the web on 98/ME in 2019) "In February 2018 I was able to surf simple websites with KG76 on 98se+Kex..19(pre). The main problem was all menu text truncated to one character (unicode strings not getting converted to ansi). After a few weeks it seemed to get stuck in offline mode--maybe a iphlpapi issue...".

At that time I tried to find something in the kmm files that was somehow noticeable or strange by comparing KM75.0 and KM75.1 files, but without success. I admit that I can't edit macros and have no knowledge about them. So I'm very happy about your contribution here, your approaches, tips and assumptions. I think you are someone who knows K-Meleon particularly well here on this board.

Edited October 25, 2020 by schwups

[siria]

It's amazing how far you got already with KM76 on 9x/ME! Yeah all I know is KM and especially macros of course, with a bit skin-stuff, but you're the experts for the whole fundamental rest of which I in turn have almost zero clue. So only trying to contribute what little I can from this small knowledge section, although chances are probably low in this case. But who knows?

Forgot to mention, may be important:
Not even XP SP2 can run K-Meleon76 without deep Kernel tricks, by default it needs min SP3! Unfortunately roytam sees not much hope this could be even fixable :-( Contrary to much advanced engine browsers like MyPal (also some Mozilla type engine), which only needs SP2! What I find amazing/frustrating. Although KM was always praised as special for old systems, this makes me wonder if possibly MyPal may be much easier to get working on 9x as KM. And even with a much younger engine. But no idea. Did anyone try MyPal on 9x/ME already....?

schwups said:
> After a few weeks it seemed to get stuck in offline mode--maybe a iphlpapi issue...".
> At that time I tried to find something in the kmm files that was somehow
> noticeable or strange, but without success

Yeah that's difficult, if no idea yet where to even start. In such cases first and easiest test would be to just disable one or several macros completely and see if it helps.
For debugging the error console is invaluable. There's actually a hidden pref which enables more error info. This is so hidden, it must even be created manually:
kmeleon.plugins.macros.debug = true
But catch is, IIRC, in KM7x it seems to conflict with the compat75 macro, which it automatically disables. So am not sure which is better or worse.

[schwups]

I activated the error console and yes "Compat 75" was disabled. I corrected one character in line 226  of the main.kmm.  $kLayersOnly=$kLayers*getpref(BOOL,"kmeleon.plugins.layers.cat?hOpen"); ? => c

That solved almost all of the kmm errors (#13)  and only two remained. But it isn't the culprit.

 

[siria]

schwups said:

I corrected one character in line 226 of the main.kmm. $kLayersOnly=$kLayers*getpref(BOOL,"kmeleon.plugins.layers.cat?hOpen"); ? => c

??
When I look inside newest KG76 that line looks perfectly normal:
$kLayersOnly=$kLayers*getpref(BOOL,"kmeleon.plugins.layers.catchOpen");

Aside from layers being useless anyway, a relic from the far past before real tabs were possible. And there's no /kplugin/layers.dll contained anymore anyway (but was before my time with KM, know it only from hearsay so not 100% sure if that var can be dropped completely or not.)

What I find curious is that you seem to have a different line in main.kmm?
And the 2 errors in your screenshot (call to undefined macro) indicate that your main.kmm is either off now, or badly broken, or not loaded as FIRST macro as it should?
Perhaps better to do a fresh unzip...?

But those little bits sure don't kill the menus so completely. Have slightly higher hopes for the other suggestions in my 3-4 posts above (trying Klassic skin, disabling macros PLUGIN etc)

[schwups]

The KM reader gave an "? in rhombus", WordPad shows a square instead of c on ME, but Notepad++ a c. Perhaps something like that could cause the converting problem.

I already tried different skins and I also disabled individual and all macro extensions and KM plugins month ago.

Supplement: I found five squares more inside the main.kmm with WordPad. All kmm errors are gone. Now there are only some css warnings.

Edited October 25, 2020 by schwups