nsBrowserGlue.js currently listens to xpcom-shutdown for part of its cleanup, this should be done instead after a profile-before-change event, additionally the places shutdown code does not respond properly to profile-before-change events causing problems in some unit tests (see bug 820438).

The patch removes the xpcom-shutdown hook and responds to profile-before-change instead and it also resolves the problem with places shutdown seen in bug 820438. This is the try run: https://tbpl.mozilla.org/?tree=Try&rev=2ac1b575010c

Comment on attachment 707501 [details] [diff] [review] Properly tear down components when the profile is being shut down Review of attachment 707501 [details] [diff] [review]: ----------------------------------------------------------------- ::: browser/components/nsBrowserGlue.js @@ +351,5 @@ > if (this._isPlacesShutdownObserver) > os.removeObserver(this, "places-shutdown"); > os.removeObserver(this, "defaultURIFixup-using-keyword-pref"); > os.removeObserver(this, "handle-xul-text-link"); > + os.removeObserver(this, "profile-before-change"); please file a bug in Firefox/General to use the fact nsBrowserGlue supports weak references, thus we can addObserver(,, true) and never RemoveObserver, that means we can likely kill _dispose() method, moving any remaining stuff to onProfileShutdown or onPlacesShutdown. @@ +425,1 @@ > BrowserNewTabPreloader.uninit(); please add a comment at the beginning of _onProfileShutdsown stating that any component depending on Places should be finalized in _onPlacesShutdown. @@ +1025,3 @@ > /** > * Places shut-down tasks > * - back up bookmarks if needed. please add another bullet point at the beginning stating "- finalize components depending on Places" @@ +1029,5 @@ > * > * Note: quit-application-granted notification is received twice > * so replace this method with a no-op when first called. > */ > + _onPlacesShutdown: function BG__onPlacesShutdown() { please while here remove the "Note" from the javadoc, since looks like it comes from an ancient time where we were finalizing at quit-application-granted.

The changes apply to comments only so I won't re-submit it to try; the previous run was all green except for what looks like an intermittent issue on WinXP.

> please file a bug in Firefox/General to use the fact nsBrowserGlue supports weak > references, thus we can addObserver(,, true) and never RemoveObserver, that means > we can likely kill _dispose() method, moving any remaining stuff to onProfileShutdown > or onPlacesShutdown. This is now Bug 836789