404 Error Page Status

Feature Description

We want Firefox to override server-supplied 404 error pages in certain cases.  The Firefox 404 page should provide the user with tools we think are more useful to the user for resolving the situation, than the server supplied page.  This includes alternate ("did you mean") URLs derived from the Places database and some pre-loaded search links/controls.  This is being tracked in bug 482874.

Status

Found and worked around an SQLite bug (Bug 514291).  Did some performance analysisis, suggestions query tweaking, etc.

Latest patch is attached to the bug and review is requested.

A try server build is available
Next Steps
  • If the reviews come back positive, get it landed.
  • If the reviews raise issues, address them ASAP.
Notes
  • The feature is controlled by a pref so it can be turned off.
  • Webmasters who don't want their 404 error pages to be overridden may have to add padding to their 404 error pages.  However, since IE and Google Chrome are already overriding 404 error pages using a similar size test, webmasters already need to do this.
  • We want to provide a way for the user to see the original 404 error page, but that's not in this patch.
3 responses
I'm not sure I want this feature personally (but I can understand it's use, and appreciate the pref to turn it off - I'll try it out first though), but I just wanted to comment that I'm impressed with the rapid and helpful response of the SQLite developer in bug 514291.

I didn't realise until I saw the blessing in place of a license that SQLite was public domain either...

Does Firefox use the same threshold as Chrome and IE? (512bytes IIRC)
@Fowl: I'm also using a 512 byte threshold. Technically the threshold size is controlled by a pref, but there's probably no reason to change it other than to turn the feature off completely.