Updated 5.2 Troubleshooting (markdown)

5.2-Troubleshooting.md

@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
-Besides asking and guessing, the only way to find the cause(s) of why something doesn't work as expected, is to **methodically** eliminate preferences. And only after it is confirmed that the user.js is the cause, by replicating the problem in a new profile with no extensions.
+#### 🟩 FOREWORD
+
+Before opening a [new troubleshooting issue](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/issues/new?assignees=&labels=&template=troubleshooting-help.md&title=), do some CHECKS and CONFIRM the problem is caused by arkenfox.
 
 ---
 
 #### 🟪 CHECK
 
-- 🔹 Check the wiki list of [common overrides](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/3.2-Overrides-%5BCommon%5D)
+- 🔹 Check the wiki list of [common overrides](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/3.2-Overrides-[Common])
+   - 🔹 Including items tagged with `[SETUP-` in the user.js
+   - 🔹 Including [RFP](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/3.3-Overrides-[To-RFP-or-Not]#-rfp) side effects
 - 🔹 Check our [override recipes](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/issues/1080)
-- 🔹 Check items tagged with `[SETUP-` in the user.js
 - 🔹 Check already [answered](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/issues?q=is%3Aissue+label%3Aanswered) issues
 - 🔹 Check your `"parrot"` and console for syntax errors <sup>1</sup>
-- 🔹 Check, if applicable, the "unofficial" [prefs that break extensions](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/issues/391) issue
+- 🔹 Check the console
-- 🔹 Check the Browser Console
+   - Open the Browser Console (`Ctrl+Shift+J`) and/or Web Console (`Ctrl+Shift+K`) and clear it
-   - Open the Browser Console (`Ctrl+Shift+J`) and clear it. Then repeat the action / task that is not working as intended, and see if the console logs anything. If it does but you can't decipher what it means, feel free to post the error message in a new issue and maybe we can help. But do try and dig a little deeper first
+   - Then repeat the action / task that is not working as intended, and see if the console logs anything
 
 <sup>1</sup> PARROTS
 
@@ -27,6 +30,20 @@ When you modify your user.js, such as adding any overrides, sometimes syntax err
 
 > ![](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/blob/master/wikipiki/parseError.png)
 
+---
+
+#### 🟪 CONFIRM
+
+Confirm this is caused by arkenfox supported prefs in a new profile
+
+- 🔹 NEW PROFILE: STEP ONE
+   - No pref changes and no extensions (unless the problem being tested is the extension)
+   - If the problem still occurs, this is an upstream bug
+- 🔹 NEW PROFILE: STEP TWO
+   - Add arkenfox (with relevant overrides if applicable <sup>1</sup>) and restart
+   - If the problem doesn't occur, then the issue is not arkenfox
+
+<sup>1</sup> Relevant overrides are those listed in arkenfox for users to implement: i.e not items listed as DON'T TOUCH or DON'T BOTHER
 
 ---
 
@@ -43,34 +60,26 @@ To run the script:
 
 #### 🟪 MANUAL
 
-1. [Optional] Download and unpack a portable Firefox
+If arkenfox is confirmed as the cause, and you haven't found an existing answer, or you haven't found a console clue and tested some individual looking likely prefs, then you can do some manual testing to quickly narrow it down
-   * Current stable Firefox portable is always [here](https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable)
+
-   * Older versions are [here](https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/Mozilla%20Firefox%2C%20Portable%20Ed./)
+TEST PROFILE
-2. Create a profile and test the problem
+- 🔹 Create a new TEST profile with an empty `user.js`. Bookmark your test page(s), and add an extension if it is an extension issue that you are testing
-   * Open Firefox and go to the web page where you can replicate the problem and bookmark it
+- 🔹 Copy the TEST profile for quick restoring if needed
-   * Verify that the problem does not exist in a vanilla Firefox setup.
+
-3. Set up a profile-master for quick resets
+MANUAL
-   * Close Firefox
+- 🔹 In the empty user.js, add the first section and save, restart, test
-   * Go to the `profile` folder and create an empty user.js file
+- 🔹 Repeat until the issue appears, now you know the section with the problematic pref
-   * Then go up a directory and COPY the profile folder (we can use this to quickly restore to a vanilla profile)
+
-4. Make sure the user.js is the cause
+BINARY
-   * Replace the user.js in your `profile` folder with the full user.js.
+- 🔸 Binary: you eliminate half the remaining suspects each time
-   * Restart Firefox and confirm the problem exists
+- 🔹 In the empty user.js, add half of "your" `user.js` and save, restart Firefox and test
-5. Reset the profile folder
+   - 🔹 If the problem exists, you know it was in the first half
-   * Close Firefox
+      - 🔸 Reset the profile, add half of the prefs tested
-   * Delete the profile
+   - 🔹 If the problem does not exist, you know it is in the second half
-   * COPY the backed up folder and rename it
+      - 🔸 Don't reset the profile, just add half of the remaining prefs
-6. Addition method (do step 6 or 7)
+- 🔹 Keep repeating these steps until you narrow it down
-   * In your `profile` user.js (which initially should be empty), paste in the section (or sections) you suspect might be the culprit, save the changes and restart Firefox.
+
-   * Test if the problem exists. If not repeat the above step until you find it.
+PREF BY PREF
-7. Halving method (do step 6 or 7)
+- 🔹 Once you have narrowed down the possible prefs, you can test by toggling each one in `about:config`
-   * This method involves re-setting your vanilla profile often (see step 5)
+   - It is good practice to use a new tab each test
-   * Use this method if you have no idea what section could be the cause. By testing half and then based on the results, testing the next quarter, and then based on those results testing the next eighth etc, you can rapidly narrow it down in four or five steps at most.
+
-   * In a reset profile (see step 5), edit the user.js and paste in half the sections eg `0100-1400`, and save the changes. Restart Firefox and test if the problem exists. If it does we now know it is the `0100-1400` half that contains the culprit. If not, we know it is the `1600-end` half. For this example the problem didn't occur.
-   * In a reset profile, edit the user.js and paste in half the `1600-end` sections, eg `1600-2500`, and save the changes. Restart Firefox and test if the problem exists. If it does we now know it is the `1600-2500` half that contains the culprit. If not, we know it is the `2600-end` section.
-   * Keep repeating these steps to narrow it down
-   * You can also use this method to halve big sections such as 2600
-8. Checking preference by preference
-   * In a reset profile (see step 5), paste in the offending section (or sections) into the user.js and save the changes. Restart Firefox.
-   * Go to about:config, find the first preference and right click and reset it. Test if the problem exists.
-   * If the problem still exists, clear your cache and repeat the above step