sidebar tabs do not open at all

[tekeek-zz]

Updating issue statement due to improper usage of terminology.

With my current profile and a clean one the sidebar tabs will not open at all. If I minimize the sidebar I cannot reopen it. Tested using 48 and 49b with the latest All In One release 0.7.29

With my current profile after updating to 0.7.29 the sidebar appears as show in image1 after a restart. Clicking on any of the panels does not open the panel it merely highlights the button as if one is clicking and holding the button down. Clicking on the Download panel does produce a popup. My AIO has always looked like image1 and when I clicked the panel it would open up the panel I selected. I did reset the defaults.

I created a fresh FF profile and loaded solely the AIO 0.7.29 with the same effects as mention before.

[RDL-github]

Sorry, what is a 'Sidebar Tab'? There are tabs in the content (webpage) area and there is a sidebar (inside which things are displayed in 'panels'), but I don't understand what sidebar tabs are, except perhaps in the 'Addons' sidebar panel.

I can display a tab in the 'content area' and I can display the sidebar (choosing its content by the button I press).

How would you normally show what you call a 'Sidebar Tab'. Please try to describe your sequence of actions so clearly that this moron here could do it for itself.

If, as I suspect, you are just talking about opening the sidebar:

Have you tried setting all widths to, say, 50% ? The % option is available in the dropdown where 'pixels' shows.

What settings do you see on the 'Behaviour' tab in the AiOS 'Options' (Settings) window?

[RDL-github]

Also:

Please make sure that "Sidebar Grippy" is enabled/ticked/checked in FF Menu - 'View'.

Once it is, then if you can see it (thin vertical bar on the right of the sidebar toolbar), try clicking the centre of it, on the spotted area between the two tiny arrows.

Have you tried the 'AiOS toggle' button? (When you hover over it, it shows tooltip text "Toggle elements controlled by All-in-One Sidebar")?

[RDL-github]

OK; I can see in your pictures that you do have the 'Sidebar Grippy' enabled but it's on the left side of your 'Sidebar Toolbar'. That's because of your chosen settings.

So first make sure your sidebar widths are all set to 50%. Before you close the 'Options' window, press 'Apply' and 'OK' just to be sure. Then close the 'Options ('Settings) window with the titlebar 'cross' button (at its top right-hand corner) Reload Firefox.

If the sidebar is not open then

Click the 'Sidebar Grippy' on the spotted area between the two tiny arrows.

[Strider1966]

I have a similar problem after installation of last release: when I click on any button of sidebar nothing happens, it seems that AiOS area is zero width and I can't enlarge it. If I set the width values in the settings nothing changes.

[RDL-github]

@ Strider1966

I have a similar problem after installation of last release: when I click on any button of sidebar nothing happens, it seems that AiOS area is zero width and I can't enlarge it. If I set the width values in the settings nothing changes.

Did you try the sidebar grippy? You must click that dotted area between the two tiny arrows.

[Strider1966]

ok thanks! It works activating the sidebar grippy and clicking the area you said

[RDL-github]

@Strider1966:

ok thanks! It works activating the sidebar grippy and clicking the area you said

Excellent. You're welcome.

I think a lot of people are seeing this and getting in a flap.

If you're used to using the grippy, then when you see that sort of situation you just click the grippy without thinking much and out comes the sidebar :)

I use it quite a lot with Scrapbook extension because, for example, it's useful to have the page area available while editing before saving in Scrapbook.

Anyone who uses Sage (RSS, not money) is nowadays very used to it without choosing to be.

Regards

RDL

[TheZnayx]

I am having the same problem since the last update just installed. However, I have clicked on the sidebar grippy and I see it's width increase by a single pixel, and returns when I click again. Right-click does nothing. In the options, minimum width is set to 200 pixels. Altering values, and pressing "Okay" or "Apply" does nothing. Before the update, it started forcing the sidebar to open in a small window over the browser, even though I never touched the options. Then, the update happened, and I couldn't do anything by clicking the icons. Then, I minimized, and it doesn't ever expand again, even to show the icons. Width setting are 200 px min, 300 regular, 800 max. The grippy doesn't react in any way except a single pixel column. "Okay" and "Apply" do nothing in options. I have Win 8.1 with Firefox auto-updating so it should definitely be the newest version. EDIT: Disabling+reenabling, or uninstalling+reinstalling do nothing.

I am sorry about the over-elaboration, I just want my situation to be very clear.

[MartyHs]

Just installed 0.7.29 on Firefox 48.0 and am having the same problems:

• click on sidebar does nothing
• F4 to open sidebar does nothing
• in addons tab, open dialog for AiOS options but OK button will NOT dismiss dialog.

Tried to re-install the last working version (0.7.27) but it appears to be unsigned -- Firefox refuses install.

[joshua-paddle]

I have the same problem. Right after restating firefox after downloading the latest version, the AiOS would no longer display the various panels on the side. clicking the icons did nothing. I then clicked on the grippy, and now even the small sidebar with the icons is gone, with no way to get it back.

Exactly the same situation as TheZnayx, except that I am using firefox on linux, and I've had the same problem on two different machines.

[boogiepop]

I'm having the same exact problems as MartyHs described. Reverting back to 0.7.28 restored all functionality.

[RDL-github]

Has anyone tried resetting all their AiOS settings to default values?

Bring up the AiOS settings/options window

Click 'Settings' (bottom left-hand corner of that window)

Click 'Restore Defaults' (at the top of that resulting menu)

(?Click Apply, OK in the options window?)

close the options window

Reload Firefox

Note that it will remove all the changes you have made to your AiOS settings.

I don't know if it could help but it might.

I would only try it if you already tried my previous suggestion of using the 'Sidebar Grippy' and that didn't work for you.

Regards

RDL

[woowoots]

EDIT : nevermind. It work now...

I had a update and nothing was working at all.

I uninstalled, installed the version "0.7.28" ( had a message to tell me that AiO was updated, ( thought it had updated me to the lastest version directly ) ) went to disable the update in the option ( AiO still wasnt working tho ) Then i clicked to manualy look for for update ( since i disabled automatic update ), it installed me the lastest version and now it work correctly...

I dont get what happened.... just leave here what i did / what happen. But now, the lastest version work correctly...

[ingowennemaring]

It's strange that so many people seem to have problems with the new version 0.7.29. For me it works without any problems on Windows, Mac and Linux. Ok, as noted in the changelog, the option “Open in Sidebar” for all panels has no effect and I'm able to reproduce the bug with the not responding “OK” button in the AiOS configuration dialog. But all panels are open without any problems and the grippy is working fine too.

@All: If you can't open a sidebar panel, please check if you are using the latest version 0.7.29 of AiOS. If yes, try to reset the AiOS settings and also the toolbar customization. And please follow the instructions and tipps of RDL-github in this thread. Last but not least you could try to create a new Firefox profile. Please report your experience here.

[MartyHs]

The only way I can even get the sidebar to open (by click or F4) is to go back to V 0.7.27 and restore the defaults in options. The OK button still does NOT dismiss the options dialog and all the windows STILL open in a separate window, NOT in the sidebar panel. I keep multiple backup copies of the entire Firefox profile directory, but going back before Jan. 2016 when the offending version 0.7.28 became available left me with multiple other problems with addons due to the advent of Firefox V48.0. There seems to be something in an extensions ini file or other persistent location which isn't deleted or reset when one removes (uninstalls) an addon. Because no matter what I've done since V0.7.29 was installed (multiple attempts with previous versions) there remains the same faulty behavior noted above. What is changed in the Firefox profiles directory when a new version of an addon is installed???

[MartyHs]

OK... I installed the latest version (V0.7.29) in an entirely different Firefox profile. The sidebar won't even open there and the options dialog is still NOT dismissed when clicking the OK button. One curious difference: when the addons are displayed in the addons tab and the AiOS line is expanded, on one Firefox profile the version number is displayed in the upper right, on the other (test) profile there is no version number displayed.

[MartyHs]

Honestly, since so many people are having problems there must be an issue here introduced since V0.7.28. The possibilities include a Firefox V48.0 issue, conflict with another extension (one not in the test bed of the developer), some persistent 'bad data' introduced into the Firefox profile or a nasty interaction of some or all of the above. This is a fantastic extension which I've used with gusto! It's disappointing to have to uninstall it until a resolution can be found.

[tekeek-zz]

The behavior is set for Restore the Remember State for all browser startup. My Sidedbar Switch is set for Show/Hide with delay 500 milliseconds.

@RDL-github Please make sure that "Sidebar Grippy" is enabled/ticked/checked in FF Menu - 'View'.

I have never had to have the sidebar grippy enabled before. By default when installing AIO the sidebar grippy has never shown for me by default. Performing the functions I am using to doing with every AIO has always worked without the grippy enabled. So either this has been a broken feature for me for sometime now or features are now broken.

Have you tried the 'AiOS toggle' button? (When you hover over it, it shows tool-tip text "Toggle elements controlled by All-in-One Sidebar")?

No, never had a need for it. However now testing it does not toggle anything. Neither does Toggle AiOS-Toolbar.

So first make sure your sidebar widths are all set to 50%. Before you close the 'Options' window, press 'Apply' and 'OK' just to be sure.

Making sure sidebar widths are at least 50% does nothing. Now I realized that clicking 'Apply" works but 'OK' does not closeout the Option window. I either have to click cancel or the X in upper right corner.

NOTE: all this I am testing is using a new profile with no addons and using FF 48

[tekeek-zz]

NOTE: all this I am testing is using a new profile with no addons and using FF 48 @RDL-github thanks for the reminder of grippy.

After toggling "Sidebar Grippy" it did allow me to open up the panels after clicking the grippy. I do recall that it should be highlighted orange or it use to but mine highlights blue as does the "Sidebar Switch".

So the issue seems that by default either new installation/upgrade (upgrade overwrites previous grippy settings) set the settings to collapsed and disabled.

I consider this resolved.

[TheZnayx]

I have a question... All of you are mentioning a "View" menu, and the AiOS Options also mention it: "Customize the entries in the menu "View > Sidebar" and in dropdown menus of sidebar buttons."

Where is this "View" menu? RDL-github says that the "Sidebar Grippy" toggle is "in the FF Menu - 'View'." I gather then that this "View" menu is a Firefox option, not a Sidebar option? There is no "View" section in the Firefox settings, though, and neither is there one in the AiOS options.

So how do I find "View"?

[testplayer01]

Can some one help me out? Even the "OK", "Apply" button of AiOS option window failed to work.

[RDL-github]

@TheZnayx I have a question... All of you are mentioning a "View" menu, and the AiOS Options also mention it: "Customize the entries in the menu "View > Sidebar" and in dropdown menus of sidebar buttons."

Where is this "View" menu? RDL-github says that the "Sidebar Grippy" toggle is "in the FF Menu - 'View'." I gather then that this "View" menu is a Firefox option, not a Sidebar option? There is no "View" section in the Firefox settings, though, and neither is there one in the AiOS options.

So how do I find "View"?

Try pressing 'Alt'+V to show the FF menubar and the 'View' menu.

Alternatively, right-click on the FF toolbar In the resulting dropdown menu, if 'Menubar' is not ticked/checked/enabled, then click on it. Then you should see the Menubar. In it, click on 'View' and In the resulting dropdown menu

if 'Sidebar Grippy' is not ticked/checked/enabled, then click on it.

@tekeek .. @RDL-github thanks for the reminder of grippy.

After toggling "Sidebar Grippy" it did allow me to open up the panels after clicking the grippy. I do recall that it should be highlighted orange or it use to but mine highlights blue as does the "Sidebar Switch".

So the issue seems that by default either new installation/upgrade (upgrade overwrites previous grippy settings) set the settings to collapsed and disabled.

You're very welcome.

The problem of the grippy being spontaneously disabled is not new. It used to be fairly common and, as many new users are just now learning, is easy to correct.

AiOS 0.7.29 is an emergency fix for serious problems lots of people were having with FF 48.0 + AiOS 0.7.28. It does provide a bearable solution but also has some limitations and initialisation problems.

Even after realising (almost unconsciously) that I only had to use the grippy to reopen the sidebar without problem, I then found that I was having to repeat that after each load/reload of Firefox.

I discovered that a more complete solution was to also

_disable 'Sidebar Collapsing'_

Method:

In the AiOS Options/Settings window Click 'Settings' (bottom left-hand button)

In the resulting dropdown menu, make sure 'Advanced Mode' is ticked/checked/enabled

Then

Click 'General' (button at top left-hand of the Options window) and then 'Special' (tab on right-hand end of the row below that button)

In the 'Sidebar Collapsing' panel (lower of the two panels on that tab) make sure the checkbox is disabled/unticked/unchecked next to 'Enable Sidebar Collapsing'

In the row at the bottom of the AiOS Options window Click the 'Apply' button Click the 'OK' button

Then close the AiOS Options window (use the 'x' button, top right-hand corner of the AiOS Options window

Close Firefox.

Start Firefox.

Be Happy.

When I got here to report that part of the problem was our old friend 'Sidebar Collapsing' I saw that

@hellboy71 had already found it too ( https://github.com/AddonLab/AiOS/issues/112#issuecomment-238478815 )

but no-one seems to have latched onto what really seems to be a great help.

So, to sum up, it's;

1) Disable 'Sidebar Collapsing' 2) Enable 'Sidebar Grippy' and, if necessary, use it

Regards

RDL

[TheZnayx]

@RDL-github HOLY CRAP thank you very much. I don't know why or how the update hid and locked the sidebar in the same way as clicking on the grippy, and then proceded to hide the grippy afterward... that is a weird thing for an update to do. I imagined that all the Sidebar settings I would ever need would be in the AiOS Options window in Addons.

I never imagined any other settings might need to be toggled, and also never imagined that some addon settings might only exist in the upper file/edit/view menu bar... I just imagined that would be browser-only settings, and that no addon stuff would be found there. I very much hope maybe those settings that are in the alt menu bar could be added to the AiOS addon Options, I think that would be very helpful for people.

[TheZnayx]

Hmmm, there are still lasting issues from the update. The sidebar only has two modes now, and that's open completely, and closed with only the border grippy visible. It no longer closes to just expose the icons. In fact, when it's open the icons don't show up either. I have to switch using the Alt menu, and that is not the way the sidebar is meant to be used, as far as I know. It's meant to have button menus that can be customized, and that feature is now completely disabled.

[RDL-github]

Best Solution So Far for me:

1) Disable 'Sidebar Collapsing'

and

2) Enable 'Sidebar Grippy' and, if necessary, use it

See my previous post https://github.com/AddonLab/AiOS/issues/111#issuecomment-238770415 for details on method.

Regards

RDL

[TheZnayx]

@RDL-github Yes, and that solution has helped me a lot. It has brought me to this point where now, I can finally expand the sidebar, but the ICONS are still not appearing under any circumstances. I very much thank you for leading me to the "Sidebar Grippy" button, but the lack of the Bookmarks, Downloads, History and other icons on the sidebar to select from is a current and continuing issue. I am required to use the Alt menu to switch between them, and I cannot select any other buttons I've customized the sidebar with. I am sorry, I was not trying to agitate you. Thank you for your patience.

[RDL-github]

@TheZnayx

@RDL-github Yes, and that solution has helped me a lot. It has brought me to this point where now, I can finally expand the sidebar, but the ICONS are still not appearing under any circumstances. I very much thank you for leading me to the "Sidebar Grippy" button, but the lack of the Bookmarks, Downloads, History and other icons on the sidebar to select from is a current and continuing issue. I am required to use the Alt menu to switch between them, and I cannot select any other buttons I've customized the sidebar with. I am sorry, I was not trying to agitate you. Thank you for your patience.

1) Did you go into the AiOS Options and disable "Sidebar Collapsing'?

2) It's possible your missing icons are back in the 'Customize Palette' Try right-clicking on any toolbar and clicking on 'Customize' in the resulting menu Then drag and drop those icons into the AiOS toolbar along the top (Marked "All-in-One Sidebar")

You should also be able to drag and drop the AiOS toggle button onto your toolbar at the same time.

Click 'Exit Customize' to complete the process.

And I've just discovered that I've regained the use of the the double-headed arrow in the AiOS sidebar header. That wasn't working earlier in the problem state.

Shift+Click on it opens the sidebar content in a new window. Ctrl+Click on it opens the sidebar content in a new tab.

A simple click on it opens the content of the current tab in the sidebar.

Regards

RDL

[TheZnayx]

I can confirm that customization works perfectly. My buttons/icons that I customize into it, however, just don't show up. The shrunk, icon-only version of the sidebar does not ever appear. I am fully able to still customize my regular, default "topbar" and see that it's not entirely a FF problem.

Two more things. First, I am one of those people where the "Options" window doesn't seem to properly react to Okay or Apply. However, when I adjust width values, they get adjusted as they should, and check/unchecked boxes remain in that start, so clearly it does apply changes. However, it seems to require closing and reopening Firefox.

The second thing: Since my last try at fixing this, my outer-edge grippy (not the one that can be deactivated, the one that always hugs the edge permanently) has lost its width. It only has two-pixel-thickness of clickable area on it, and the dots/grabby-marks in the middle are gone. It's just a really thin black line that becomes blue when highlighted, but it still does its function.

EDIT: I have also toggled Sidebar Collapsing off. I was wondering if that caused my weird super-thin Grippy, but toggling it back on didn't help.

EDIT 2: And I have also toggled back and forth the "Show Icons" option in the AiOS addon Options.

[TheZnayx]

Okay, I feel this is very important. I felt inspired to ctrl-click on the edge-Grippy. <--IMPORTANT: My icons reappeared.

Two things left! Yay! So now, it's just the somewhat unresponsive Okay/Apply buttons for the Options, and the suddenly thin (for no reason) Grippy.

Either way, thanks for your help.

(...Is there a setting the for the width of the outer-edge Sidebar Grippy?)

[joshua-paddle]

I have it working now - I clicked on the View menu in firefox, and saw that I had Sidebar Switch ticked, but not Sidebar Grippy. I clicked the sidebar grippy checkbox, and suddenly it worked! The sidebar switch and sidebar grippy options are now working normally, and ctrl+clicking on the narrow sidebar switch causes the AiOS sidebar to appear/disappear.

So,for the beneift of anyonw who is TL;DR jumping to the most recent comment, I suggest: Try ticking both the sidebar switch and the sidebar grippy options, and clicking and ctrl+clicking on the sidebar(s); playing around with those settings may well help other people with this problem.

Still, I think to completely resolve the issue there needs to be a change to the addon to explain this to people - because it is not intuitive at all that. I didn't even know that there were two different sidebar grippys until reading through this thread. Maybe add something to the FAQ?

[TheZnayx]

Nope nope don't worry EVERYTHING solved guys. I can help anybody else who's stuck on something. The "outer-edge sidebar grippy" I was referring to is called the Sidebar Switch. That's the one that's black when not highlighted, the one that is on the outside of the sidebar. Its settings also exist, among other alterations, within the Advanced Settings which can be enabled by the bottom-left popup bar in the Options. The Sidebar Grippy is on the inside, and has a different-but-similar purpose (and it is white when it's not highlighted). The Switch has a thin mode, and I had that checked. Sorry for the annoying, constant updates, I just want to say my issues are over. I guess somehow the update just juggled loads of different settings for no reason, and there's nothing actually broken. That is a relief.

And the AiOS Options window not being responsive? Yeah, it's just the behavior from pressing "Okay" doesn't close the window. I'd like the Dev to know that "Okay" is meant to "Apply+Close", and "Apply" is meant to "Apply and keep window open". That is how programs work 99% of the time. But both the buttons do the same thing right now, and that's confusing. "Okay" seems ineffective, but it's not truly. I just click both in case one doesn't work.

[RDL-github]

@TheZnayx

Well, while I was composing my novel here, you folk have found out what I had to tell you and a lot more about your own solutions. However, I've been up all night with Win 10 Anniversary things and typing here, so I'm tired and I shan't stop to edit what follows - but I did add a little at the end to point you to documentation. ..and I see there's another post replying to this before I've even finished it :D

..And yes, you have reminded me that I was wrong about the centre zone of the switch. Sorry about that. It's so long since I used a thick switch that I'd completely forgotten. Since the same documentation I pointed out lower down shows it very clearly, I'd better not mumble any excuses :D

I think the change in hover glow colour is caused by (multiple) changes in FF and OS themes over the years.

I can confirm that customization works perfectly. My buttons/icons that I customize into it, however, just don't show up. The shrunk, icon-only version of the sidebar does not ever appear. I am fully able to still customize my regular, default "topbar" and see that it's not entirely a FF problem.

If you right-click on the FF toolbar or Menubar, in the resulting dropdown menu you should see the item 'All-in-One Sidebar Toolbar'

Is it ticked/checked/enabled? If not then make it so by clicking that entry.

Any joy there?

Two more things. First, I am one of those people where the "Options" window doesn't seem to properly react to Okay or Apply. However, when I adjust width values, they get adjusted as they should, and check/unchecked boxes remain in that start, so clearly it does apply changes. However, it seems to require closing and reopening Firefox.

Same for most/all of us, I think. I don't always have to restart FF. That depends on the option in question. Those needing a restart have a star by them in the Options window.

The second thing: Since my last try at fixing this, my outer-edge grippy (not the one that can be deactivated, the one that always hugs the edge permanently) has lost its width. It only has one pixel-thickness of clickable area on it, and the dots/grabby-marks in the middle are gone. It's just a really thin black line that becomes blue when highlighted, but it still does its function.

That isn't a grippy. It's the "Sidebar Switch" and it never had any "dots/grabby-marks in the middle", so you haven't lost them :) You can make it thicker in the AiOS Options ('General Button' , 'Sidebar Switch' tab). There are also options on that tab to make the sidebar open just by hovering/swiping over the switch (click/no click needed) and similar options to control the sidebar closing.

@joshua-paddle

..Still, I think to completely resolve the issue there needs to be a change to the addon to explain this to people - because it is not intuitive at all that. I didn't even know that there were two different sidebar grippys until reading through this thread. Maybe add something to the FAQ?

If you follow the l'Add-on home page' link on the AMO page for AiOS, you'll find there is a 'FAQ' link there. Item (6) on that page tells you all about the switch and the grippy and even links to some pictures to explain. There's lots more good stuff on that site - 'Features' (with lots of useful links to detailed information), 'Screenshots' and 'FAQ's

There used to be a really good forum there as well, but, in the end, very sadly, it was killed by floods of spam.

It used to be a really well designed, helpful and thriving site and even without the forum, the whole remaining site is well worth a wander round. and could answer many of the questions raised here.

Regards

RDL

[TheZnayx]

@RDL-github Everything is fixed, don't worry :) and thanks for the help. As I confirmed in my spam postings, I learned about the Sidebar Switch. And as a matter of fact, it does have dots in the middle, when I don't have it in Thin mode. Those marks are in fact a mirror image of the marks on the Sidebar Grippy. And my last comment also addresses the strange Options window behavior. Just opinions in it that I feel should be heeded. As well, the icon issue was resolved... ctrl-click on the Sidebar Switch.

Anyway, the community appears to have made a vital effort in straightening out a good AiOS Terminology Guide and Tutorial in here... This thread needs to persist for anyone else who got messed up by the update touching things around everywhere. Random luck was needed to fix this, and that wasn't too pleasing.

[RDL-github]

@ All: The world moved on while I was scribbling. I added a bit more here https://github.com/AddonLab/AiOS/issues/111#issuecomment-238810874 so nothing more in this post except to say I'm very glad that everyone seems to have found their fix.

Regards

RDL

[MartyHs]

My 2 cents ($US !!): sorry... but having spent a half-lifetime writing and debugging software, I felt a 'rhetorical' question was in order. Yes, I finally upgraded to V0.7.29 and after reading several of the posts here finally figured out what was 'going on' with this addon. Question: Shouldn't it be of some concern that ALL OF A SUDDEN with this release of the addon all the users had to "re-educate" themselves on how to use it?? After years of enjoying the addon -- and its updates -- without the least issue?? Just a 'rhetorical' question... Oh yes, the OK button on the options dialog STILL does NOT dismiss it -- a 'feature'?? Again, with apologies...

[lorefield]

Came here to say the "Sidebar Collapsing" didn't respond to clicks on it for me. Worked around that using keyboard (TAB to select; SPACE to toggle). All good now.

[theMK2k]

Thanks for V0.7.30, I had the same issues

[MartyHs]

OK... (don't ask me what I've been smoking?!)... installed V0.7.30 last week and the OK button was fixed but still had all the other issues with F4 not working, etc. That was under Firefox 48.0.1. Updated to Firefox 48.0.2 yesterday and (!!!) F4 and all previous expected behaviors are NOW working!!?? I give up. ;-)

[ingowennemaring]

The development of AiOS has been ended. Please take note of this message: http://firefox.exxile.net/aios/end_of_development.php

[reallyuniquename]

If you are on Waterfox you may run into issue where Sidebar Switch is shown but doesn't work. Somehow Sidebar Switch width needs to be at least 5px to work.