Mypal 68 in Windows XP - Custom Buttons and Extensions

[AstroSkipper]

FYI, the Nuchi-Sporif UC.JS script loader, the best script loading method so far, presented in the first post of this thread for years, has stopped working with @feodor2's new release Mypal 68.14.8b. All other methods based on the Nuchi script loader won't work anymore, either.  The Xiaoxiaoflood script loading method which is now recommended by @feodor2 is unfortunately the worst of all methods tested by me some months ago.  I won't use it in any case and have changed to the Alice0775 script loading method in 4th place in my ranking list. Several scripts don't work anymore and have to be fixed due to all changes. Same applies to CSS stylesheets. I have already adapted a whole series of both to the "new" Alice0775 script loading method and to the new browser. @feodor2 seems to have removed XUL and XBL from Mypal 68.14.8b. Although the legacy Custom Buttons extension still can be installed, it is now somewhat broken. The internal code editor completely stopped working. And as expected, Xiaoxiaoflood's extension loader can't help either.  That would have been a miracle if it had been different.  I wish everyone lots of fun fixing scripts and stylesheets. 

Edited May 4 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

@feodor2 Due to the changes in Mypal 68.14.8b, the Firefox Add-ons page shows the yellow message box even with compatible extensions "You need an updated version of Firefox for this extension". Here, for example, is the extension TWP - Translate Web Pages whose latest version 10.1.1.1 has a minimum version of 64: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/traduzir-paginas-web/ TBH, this message is now displayed on all extension pages, and it doesn't matter whether the extension is compatible or not. So, what's going on here? Somehow, your browser seems to have become versionless.

Edited April 25 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

On 4/25/2025 at 4:53 PM, AstroSkipper said:

@feodor2 Due to the changes in Mypal 68.14.8b, the Firefox Add-ons page shows the yellow message box even with compatible extensions "You need an updated version of Firefox for this extension". Here, for example, is the extension TWP - Translate Web Pages whose latest version 10.1.1.1 has a minimum version of 64: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/traduzir-paginas-web/ TBH, this message is now displayed on all extension pages, and it doesn't matter whether the extension is compatible or not. So, what's going on here? Somehow, your browser seems to have become versionless.

Ok. This issue seems to belong to all old browsers. To get rid off this yellow message box, you need an updated user agent. Firefox 128 is now the minimum under Windows XP:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:128.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/128.0

 

Edited May 4 by AstroSkipper

[VistaLover]

5 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

This issue seems to belong to all old browsers. To get rid off this yellow message box, you need an updated user agent. Firefox 128 is now the minimum:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:128.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/128.0

... Respectfully, I beg to disagree ... While 128 is the currently supported Firefox ESR version, the previous ESR (Firefox 115) is also supported, for the sake of Win7/8/8.1 users (support will end, supposedly, next September); the minimum Fx version supported by AMO, is, thus, 115 ...

FirefoxESR-115 has the same User Agent String as the release channel Fx-115 had, which was (e.g., on Win7 SP1 32-bit):

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/115.0

For Firefox versions 110-119, the "rv:" value was frozen to 109, due to a Mozilla bug ...

Below is r3dfoxESR-115.13.0 (a FirefoxESR-115 fork that is able to run under Vista SP2) with a SSUAO of:

general.useragent.override.addons.mozilla.org;Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/115.0

visiting https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/traduzir-paginas-web/ :

When the above SSUAO is "lowered" to Fx-114,

general.useragent.override.addons.mozilla.org;Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/114.0

... the issue you reported occurs:

So, probably until the end of Sep 2025, Firefox 115 is now the minimum...

Kindest regards.

[AstroSkipper]

17 hours ago, VistaLover said:

So, probably until the end of Sep 2025, Firefox 115 is now the minimum...

Sorry but unfortunately, I have to disagree when it comes to Windows XP -> Windows NT 5.1 and Mypal 68. As you know, this topic here is about Mypal 68 in Windows XP . I have tested all possible Firefox version numbers by a SSUAO in Mypal 68.14.8b, and 128 was definitely the minimum to get rid of the yellow message box. Any version lower than 128 failed.

Greetings, AstroSkipper

Edited April 26 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[feodor2]

So here I give more information.

I did same path as firefox did, and put 74 version because this is where I stopped of clean of xul, yes not all xull stuff has been removed, this essential about interfere new functions, remember wrong icons on permissions.

Also you may want to learn yourself what and when removed between 68-74. For everybody else this is unnecessary junk information waste to discuss.

[AstroSkipper]

On 4/26/2025 at 11:29 PM, feodor2 said:

So here I give more information.

I did same path as firefox did, and put 74 version because this is where I stopped of clean of xul, yes not all xull stuff has been removed, this essential about interfere new functions, remember wrong icons on permissions.

@feodor2 Thanks for the information!  So, does that mean Mypal 68.14.8b is at the same level as Firefox 74, behaves in the same way and extensions with a minVersion  of 69 up to 74 now should also work in your browser? 

On 4/26/2025 at 11:29 PM, feodor2 said:

Also you may want to learn yourself what and when removed between 68-74. For everybody else this is unnecessary junk information waste to discuss.

For all, who have to fix those UC.JS scripts, CSS stylesheets and custom buttons that no longer work, the knowledge about decisive changes from 68 to 74 is important for being able to make all the necessary modifications. Therefore, it is not "unnecessary junk information". Some time ago, I already had researched all the essential changes. And as far as I'm concerned, I had to fix a lot. Fortunately, I am almost through with that.

Edited May 2 by AstroSkipper
Correction

[dmiranda]

Given the nature of the MyPal project -to build a browser that runs in XP while permitting access to "modern" websites- I think constant change/adaptation of whatever can be taken from different versions of FF, and a moving JS target, are unavoidable. It is unlikely I will be running internet applications on XP anymore, but I appreciated and still appreciate the efforts of feodor to maintain development. I did use some of your buttons, Astroskipper, so I also appreciate your work, but it seems to me inevitable that you will have to adapt them with each new version, as MyPal tries to catch up with a moving target that doesn't care about breaking things. Such is the game, and its beauty.

[AstroSkipper]

@feodor2 In case it has escaped your attention, here is my question again:

On 4/27/2025 at 2:01 AM, AstroSkipper said:

So, does that mean Mypal 68.14.8b is at the same level as Firefox 74, behaves in the same way and extensions with a minVersion  of 69 up to 74 now should also work in your browser? 

 

Edited May 2 by AstroSkipper

[AstroSkipper]

On 5/2/2025 at 10:26 PM, AstroSkipper said:

@feodor2 In case it has escaped your attention, here is my question again:

On 4/27/2025 at 2:01 AM, AstroSkipper said:

So, does that mean Mypal 68.14.8b is at the same level as Firefox 74, behaves in the same way and extensions with a minVersion  of 69 up to 74 now should also work in your browser? 

Ok. Then I'll try to answer the question about the compatibility first of all with the example of extensions in Mypal 68 myself. Unfortunately, my answer has to be: No.  Mypal 68.14.8b does not have a clear compatibility policy. Even some extensions that are actually FF68 compatible do not work for various reasons. One of them is the fact that Mypal 68 has never been a complete Firefox 68 version. Consider, for example, the still missing Internationalization & Localization feature I reported to Mypal's issues on GitHub three years ago that, however, some extensions, for example those dealing with time, date, timezones and so on, definitely require. uBlock Origin 1.62, on the other hand, works in Mypal 68.14.8b, although it is actually FF78+ compatible. Another example is the Scratchpad 0.7.1 extension. Since @feodor2 has removed the very useful, internal Scratchpad in Mypal 68.14.8b following Mozilla , I wanted to retrofit it with the help of this extension, which is FF72+ compatible. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. Not compatible.  In Firefox 74, however, it works. So, Mypal 68.14.8b and extension compatibility is rather a game of trial and error. MinVersion numbers of extensions are only of limited use in this browser.  At this point, I would personally appreciate a Mypal 68 browser with a state of development of 74 announced by its developer that then also should behave like its brother Firefox 74 in terms of compatibility. Strictly according to the motto: Whoever says A, must also say B. (German saying)  And that's completely independent of whether I like these newer Firefox versions or not. 

Edited May 13 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

About the xiaoxiaoflood script loading method in Mypal 68.14.8b

With Mypal 68.14.8b, @feodor2 has unfortunately retired the best script loader forever.  The Nuchi-Sporif script loading method as well as all other Nuchi based script loading methods no longer work in this Mypal 68 browser and logically in upcoming releases. This means that the first three script loading methods from my ranking list are no longer available in Mypal 68.14.8b and up. @feodor2 recommends the xiaoxiaoflood script loader from the seventh and last place of my ranking list for users of xiaoxiaoflood's stuff. I have therefore taken another look at this method in Mypal 68.14.8b. As already mentioned, I am currently using the Alice0775 script loading method in this browser, which I put together, fixed and modified myself.  It has a good compatibility with existing scripts comparable to the Nuchi-Sporif script loading method. Of course, I first adapted my scripts to the JavaScript changes made in Mypal 68.14.8b. I now have all my important scripts, 24 in total at the moment, running successfully with this script loader. Due to a further, small modification I made to the Alice0775 script loader, all my scripts are again located in a chrome subfolder called Scripts. BTW, more than half of these scripts were created by myself and written to be as compatible and universal as possible.

Now to xiaoxiaoflood. I downloaded the version of this script loader @feodor2 recommends on this GitHub site: https://github.com/Feodor2/Mypal68/releases/tag/68.14.8b. After setting up the xiaoxiaoflood script loader in a fresh installation of Mypal 68.14.8b with a brand new profile, I copied all my 24 scripts into the chrome folder. Unfortunately, only less than half of them were ready to use after starting the browser. The xiaoxiaoflood script loader can't do anything with my most important scripts , which in contrast work perfectly with every other script loading method . Besides the already mentioned Alice0775 script loading method, also with the Aris-t2/Ardiman-Endor8 or pure Endor8 script loading method. Furthermore, it reports in the Browser Console that certain variables such as gClipboard are not defined and does not understand some JavaScript commands such as style.backgroundSize and so on at all. In addition, problems with scripts that cannot be loaded are not logged in the Browser Console. No information! Nasty! All in all, the xiaoxiaoflood script loader failed my test once again and cannot be recommended by me for general use. All other script loading methods are much better. To be unbiased and fair , I also tested this method with xiaoxiaoflood's own scripts. These special but very few scripts basically seem to work fine.  But when using external scripts with this method, the xiaoxiaoflood version of the rebuild_userchrome.uc.js script, for example, is not able to handle them correctly. It is able to disable non-xiaoxiaoflood scripts but can't enable them again. Spoken for me only, I do not consider most of the very few xiaoxiaoflood scripts on offer to be particularly useful. The xiaoxiaoflood version of the extensionOptionsMenu.uc.js script, for example, which is actually a great one, is far behind the version I use which provides much more functionality. One thing is clear. There are much better scripts available outside the xiaoxiaoflood world. In general, the following should apply to a good script loader: It should be able to successfully load as many scripts as possible, taken from different sources. Needless to say, these scripts have to be compatible with the JavaScript engine of the browser used.

Conclusion: The xiaoxiaoflood script loading method has very poor script compatibility for scripts that have not been written specifically for this method, does not understand some standard variables, also does not recognise some JavaScript commands and does not log successful respectively unsuccessful loading of scripts in the Browser Console.  The latter is particularly annoying when scripts cause problems and the cause needs to be investigated. An error message would be desirable and helpful.  This script loading method can therefore not be recommended for Mypal 68 as a general script loading method. Especially not when much better script loading methods are available. However, for those who only want to use xiaoxiaoflood's stuff, it is ok. For all others, the xiaoxiaoflood script loading method is definitely not to be recommended.

Greetings, AstroSkipper

Edited May 13 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

On 5/10/2025 at 8:32 PM, AstroSkipper said:

But when using external scripts with this method, the xiaoxiaoflood version of the rebuild_userchrome.uc.js script, for example, is not able to handle them correctly. It is able to disable non-xiaoxiaoflood scripts but can't enable them again.

I have found the cause of this problem. In contrast to Alice0775 version of the rebuild_userchrome.uc.js script, the xiaoxiaoflood one does not like certain characters in the script file names such as the + sign.

[Tomcat76]

@AstroSkipper

I noticed the same when trying out .8b earlier.  The HideTabbarWithOneTab script stopped working.  Reading through your posts above, I was thinking about updating the script but there were other problems too:

- fonts on this forum look fatter and are harder to read (enforced font-smoothing?)
- MediaFire pages are next to empty (I checked the link to the HideTabbarWithOneTab.uc.js download)

...so I reverted to .5b just like I did after briefly meddling with .7b.

[AstroSkipper]

On 5/14/2025 at 6:16 AM, Tomcat76 said:

I noticed the same when trying out .8b earlier.  The HideTabbarWithOneTab script stopped working. 

After reading your post, I have checked the HideTabbarWithOneTab.uc.js script in Mypal 68.14.8b. You're right, it stopped working. As the code of this script is not really a brummer , I decided to write a new script from scratch. I have tested it, and it now seems to be working in the way as it should. I also solved the handling of the New Tab button  If you are interested in, I am quite willing to upload it. Although I prefer the Alice0775 script loader, it even works with the xiaxiaoflood one.

On 5/14/2025 at 6:16 AM, Tomcat76 said:

after briefly meddling with .7b.

Mypal 68.14.7b is a quite stable release and has the advantage of still supporting the Nuchi-Sporif script loader.. Some errors have crept into @feodor2's new release Mypal 68.14.8b. The Add-on Manager is not fully functional, i.e. partially broken. Furthermore, the display of elements is not always as it was in the previous version. However, I would stay away from Mypal 68.14.5b. This one is neither fish nor fowl.  If I wanted to use an older version, I would rather prefer Mypal 68.14.7b or Mypal 68.14.4b. But I use Mypal 68.14.8b at the moment. Regarding MediaFire, this service works fine here. No problems. 

Edited May 18 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

Mypal 68.14.8b - Tab bar with multiple lines (the number of lines can be preset by the user) which is automatically hidden if only one tab is present:

Edited May 25 by AstroSkipper
Update of content