Support for multi-process mode in Basilisk/Serpent?

[RamonUnch]

First I would like to thanks you for your work. I like using the multi-process mode of Basilisk. to do this you can set browser.tabs.remote.force-enable ; true in about:config options. However it seems The extension stops working correctly if this option is enabled, ie github homepage no longer display activity, post menu no longer fills etc. I understand that multi-process mode is still experimental in Basilisk, but this plugin would be more useful if it supported this mode. I could not find old issue about that. So if you think it is irrelevant , just close it.

To reproduce, just download the latest build of Basilisk from roytam1 and in a new clean profile, add the browser.tabs.remote.force-enable=true boolean option in the about:config panel. Install your plugin and try it, it will fail unless you disable the previous option.

[JustOff]

Unfortunately, this extension cannot work with e10s enabled because Mozilla refused to fix bug #1261585.

[RamonUnch]

This mean that if it get fixed under Basilisk/Serpent then this will work? I will see if this has been discussed in the Basilisk forums or ~github~. Quite a big bug indeed. EDIT: Forgot that the git got private, I guess there are no chances it ever get fixed then...

[Vangelis66]

@RamonUnch

To avoid reader confusion in the future:

Basilisk is a trademarked (by MCP) application name that should be used to denote exclusively the MCP offered browser (currently only as a 64-bit compile); Basilisk hasn't supported multiprocess (i.e. electrolysis=e10s) for several years now (the support extant in the originally forked Mozilla Firefox ESR 52.6.0 source was later removed by MCP because they don't believe at all in the benefits of multiprocess, just like in the case of their default official browser, Pale Moon) ; so, the fact the UXP+Basilisk MCP repos have recently become private (👎 ) is a moot point...

The Serpent 52.9.0 fork by @roytam1 (as well as the recently "exterminated" Centaury fork by @Feodor2) did keep some form of basic support for e10s (and kept whatever support was left by MCP for Fx52-level Web Extensions), but the fork maintainer never gave any promises specific to that e10s support... 😉 Of course, you can always reach out to Roy via GitHub/MSFN Forums/etc. and mention your predicament to him, but, as you said, Bugzilla #1261585 is a tough nut to crack... 😞

Lastly, FWIW, the Serpent 52 fork isn't being officially supported by this extension ; I, too, am using successfully github-wc-polyfill in Serpent 52 (recent builds) in my old laptop (running Windows Vista SP2), but in a single-process browser profile...

Kindest regards 😄

[andika207]

@RamonUnch I am unable to get multi process function to work.

@Vangelis66 so the multi-process doesn't currently run with Basilisk ?

Serpent and original Firefox 52 browsers work just fine though https://fossbytes.com/how-to-make-firefox-faster-by-enabling-multi-process-e10s-manually/

[RamonUnch]

In theory in Basilisk the e10s were disabled and cannot really be enabled, even if the options are still there and some people are able to do it (at least for some versions) https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=27786

On Serpent e10s were not removed.

[andika207]

@RamonUnch it's not in theory, it's for real. this is a nearly 1 year old thread so I can't be certain multi process was enabled back then because I simply had not updated Basilisk since 2020 until an update message recently emerged

anyway with some many alternatives for W7 I don't need this crap unsuble browser which struggels because of the lack of multi-process and doesn't even support Firefox addons

I checked the link out and it's funny, the same clown devs claiming this feature is dangerous or doesn't bring anything useful. maybe they are clever than everyone else because all other browsers do support multi processes for a good reason....

[andika207]

To reproduce, just download the latest build of Basilisk from roytam1

@RamonUnch after re-reading the first post I realized that you were talking about Serpent so this thread is pure BS you have no clue or don't check your words before posting thus this got me into the confusion

[Vangelis66]

because I simply had not updated Basilisk since 2020 until an update message recently emerged

At some point, Moonchild stopped producing 32-bit binaries for (official) Basilisk browser; you didn't specify which architecture variant you had back in 2020 😉 , but, FWIW, the last x86 build released by MCP was v52.9.2020.11.25 ...

MCP did continue to release 64-bit only builds until v52.9.2021.12.13, which was the last one to contain an internal updater... A last, EoS, build without an internal updater was released (by MCP) in late January, v52.9.2022.01.27 ...

In late July, the (trademarked) Basilisk application (an abandonware during Feb to July 2022 😞 ) was sold and transferred to a new maintainer, Basilisk-Dev, who issued a first, long overdue, release in the start of Aug, v52.9.2022.08.06, now again with an internal updater built-in (plus several other, profile-breaking, changes, that you are advised to read about here) ...

you have no clue or don't check your words before posting thus this got me into the confusion

... Avoiding such eventual "confusions" was exactly what was addressed by my previous post above 😉 ...

so the multi-process doesn't currently run with Basilisk ?

In Basilisk features it is plainly stated that:

Important differences with Mozilla Firefox:
(...)
Does not use Electrolysis (e10s, multi-process browsing).

MCP were quick to excise e10s supporting code from the platform (UXP), and that was/is tracked in https://repo.palemoon.org/MoonchildProductions/UXP/issues/953; as you can see, e10s code in Basilisk has been removed... I examined myself latest v52.2022.08.06 release and I could locate only two vestigial prefs inside about:config:

browser.tabs.remote.autostart
browser.tabs.remote.desktopbehavior

that do not work towards enabling e10s in Bk; same with the browser.tabs.remote.force-enable hidden pref... So, as you already discovered, e10s can't be force-enabled in latest Basilisk...

The Pale Moon forum thread linked by Ramon was dated Jan 11th 2022, so if forced e10s did work, it would have to involve previous Bk builds (and the starter of that thread neglected to mention the exact build he experimented with...).