Firefox 24 - 52 for ME and 98

[roytam1]

2 hours ago, schwups said:

KM76.4.4 (changelog): - Bug 1154322 - Allow using skia for content rendering. r=jrmuizel (26413363e)
Thanks RoyTam for allowing testing, if the change is for me.

not really, as I don't change compilation switches which is still `ac_add_options --disable-skia` so it won't work like before.

this change comes from arcticfox upstream.

[jumper]

On 6/6/2021 at 3:40 AM, schwups said:

Centaury crashed with skia AzureContentBackend. So leave cairo and use CTR.

content.azure.backend?

What is CTR?

 

[schwups]

CTR: Extension ClassicThemeRestorer. It can be used to improve or to fix some icon glitches as well as the TabBar glitch.

content.azure.backend: The config string is "gfx.content.azure.backends". The left value is used. Default is "direct2d1.1,skia,cairo" (Firefox52). ME doesn't support direct2D, so that in this case skia is used.

https://www.slideshare.net/SotaroIkeda1/firefox-os-graphics-inside

[jumper]

And CTR prevents the skia-induced crash?

 

[schwups]

No, Centaury runs with the cairo ContentAzureBackend here only. CTR can improve the look of Firefox/Centaury, when cairo is used.

Edited June 24, 2021 by schwups

[schwups]

On 6/15/2021 at 3:58 PM, schwups said:

Today I tried to run FF 52, Centaury ...  on my other three active Win ME machines to verify that it works, to better isolate possible problems and to find out the exact requirements. So far I wasn't able to run these browser versions on my oldest system, Via PT880Ultra (P4V800D-X), P4 C Nothwood which meets SSE2, NV5900XT (AGP). The highest FF version I can run is 48.0.2, here.
There were no problems on the other two computers (iG31,P5KPL/1600, Core2Duo 8500, NV7900GS and i915, MS-7058, P640 Prescott, NV7800GT).

I can't start and run these browsers with the Ucrtbase.dll (system folder) of MyPal or Centaury (10.0.16299.397). I had this file in the ME system folder on my P4V800D-X machine. The substitution of ucrtbase.dll to version 10.0.14393.33 of Firefox 52.9 brought success.

[schwups]

Centaury:

Fixed with version 0.17: https://github.com/Feodor2/Centaury/issues/32  - Boolean must be added: svg.in-content.enabled;true

[schwups]

Experimental: WebGL 1  (tested with Firefox 47.0.2 and 52.9, Centaury 0.17, RT's FF 45.9.33)

I forced WebGL and I was quite surprised that it seems to work. Test pages give the spinning cube.
https://get.webgl.org/

https://webglreport.com/

The question is whether stability or any new problems arise. WebGL 1.0 is based on OpenGL ES 2.0 (March 2007).  But my OGL 2.0.1 is from February 2006 here. I had thought that I need at least OGL 2.1. Common issue: The browser exe causes an error in NVOpenGL.dll after close. Apparently this error doesn't cause any further problems. (about:support - no "Failure Log") 

I haven't dared to make the stress test yet (https://testdrive-archive.azurewebsites.net/graphics/webglstresstest/).

layers.acceleration.force    true
webgl.force-enabled         true
webgl.angle.try-d3d11     false
webgl.disable-angle         true

Screenshot Troubleshooting Information Centaury 0.17

Edited August 19, 2021 by schwups

[jumper]

Keep up the good work! By "after close" do you mean close of the browser app or of the window/tab invoking webgl?

I'll try to reassemble my P3+me system soon.

 

[testaccount66766]

Any possibility we could get a tutorial on how to run FF52 on win98/me in the near future?

[schwups]

11 hours ago, jumper said:

Keep up the good work! By "after close" do you mean close of the browser app or of the window/tab invoking webgl?

I'll try to reassemble my P3+me system soon.

After close of the browser app! It hasn't happened yet after window/tab close. As soon as webgl is invoked the fan (I think it's the GPU fan) spins faster. That is a bit annoying.

What about your P3+me system? Interesting - I can't test on SSE only systems.

11 hours ago, testaccount66766 said:

Any possibility we could get a tutorial on how to run FF52 on win98/me in the near future?

Please read my instructions on the first page/first post: Newer Versions and Forks. You can always ask questions.

[jumper]

Take a process module Minisnap before exiting and again with the error dialog on screen. Post any diffs and the full error text.

Also try with API logging to DebugWindow.exe and profiled in Depends.

 

[Goodmaneuver]

On 8/19/2021 at 10:37 PM, schwups said:

I had thought that I need at least OGL 2.1. Common issue: The browser exe causes an error in NVOpenGL.dll after close. Apparently this error doesn't cause any further problems. (about:support - no "Failure Log") 

It will be supported up to 66% of OpenGL 2.1 extensions though with 82.18 and 82.69. If there is a bad NVopenGL exit problem the program can be left in memory and cannot be terminated as NVopenGL did not release from memory when the program tried to detach (DW terminology). Otherwise there seems a delayed exit and there are no symptoms shown like your instance and the program exits. As well as what Jumper wanted, see if Firefox is still running with Starter or Process Explorer. My take on the NVopenGL is that the cube is very minimalistic and the exit problem could be a hardware issue. It seems NVopenGL needs exercising more. You could try Blender 2.64 or Make Human 1.02 etcetera to see if there is problems with exit there as well. One build of mine does not even display the Human and others work. Blender causes a NVopenGL exit error on that same build and another build does not have any exit trouble at all from Blender but has a python error on starting Make Human 1.02. It is the first time that I encountered a nondisplaying Human although with a non 2.0 card it can be non textured - white. (I am using a newly acquired video card as well as a different PCI SCSI card just recently changed but I think I can rule this out now because of the other builds characteristics).

Edited August 21, 2021 by Goodmaneuver

[testaccount66766]

On 8/20/2021 at 2:49 AM, schwups said:

Please read my instructions on the first page/first post: Newer Versions and Forks. You can always ask questions.

Took me a while to get working, but Thanks! It actually works better than the Firefox versions 45 and 48 on the win98 VM, and I'm impressed!

[Goodmaneuver]

I have to say  that OpenGL 2.01 did not show up as such after removing all NVIDIA files from the system and installing 77.72, it only showed 1.1. After installing 82.16 I got OpenGl 1.1 still and then when installing back over 82.69 back to 82.16 I got 2.01. The 82.16 is the same size as 81.98 and looks similar but definitely not the same. Now either 81.98 and 82.16 are of OpenGl 2.01 standard or only 82.69 is. More checks about it need to be done. I got the Human character to display by hot swapping the monitor then rebooting. There were no exit problems at all but I cannot now get the character to display again, did not hot swap again though.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Goodmaneuver