default Firefox profile is using orange URL bar with robot icon after trying to use a custom profile

[baptx]

System

• Version: geckodriver 0.27.0 (7b8c4f32cdde 2020-07-28 18:16 +0000)
• Platform: Linux + Lubuntu 20.04
• Firefox: 80.0.1 (64-bit)
• Selenium: Node.js v10.19.0 + Selenium WebDriver 4.0.0-alpha.7

Testcase

Using the WebDriver example from https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Firefox/Headless_mode, I tried to use a custom Firefox profile named "test" by replacing options.addArguments("-headless"); with options.addArguments("-P test -headless");. However it looks like the command did not work correctly and the WebDriver script was opened in my default Firefox profile.
Now everytime I want to browse websites with my default Firefox profile, I can see the orange search bar with robot icon. How do I get it back to normal? Maybe there is a preference to change in pref.js file or about:config.
What is the correct way to use an existing profile with a Selenium WebDriver script? I want to use an existing profile instead of a temporary one, in order to have persistent cookies that don't get removed after running a script. I tried the lowercase "-p" instead of uppercase "-P" but it was not working (by the way I think this is a mistake in Mozilla documentation, it should be lowercase "-p").

Update: I don't know how it is detected but I noticed I am not even able to log in to gmail.com with my profile, the website says: "Couldn't sign you in
This browser or app may not be secure. Learn more
Try using a different browser. If you’re already using a supported browser, you can refresh your screen and try again to sign in."

Update 2: I read that the bot detection can come from the JavaScript variable navigator.webdriver:
https://www.edureka.co/community/79066/avoid-bot-detection-not-working-with-selenium
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53039551/selenium-webdriver-modifying-navigator-webdriver-flag-to-prevent-selenium-detec/53040904#53040904
I found how to disable it, in addition to the orange URL bar with robot icon. We have to go to about:config and set marionette.enabled to false (it is set permanently to true when starting Firefox with the --marionette parameter):
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigator/webdriver

Now I just need to know how to use a custom Firefox profile with Selenium WebDriver.

[whimboo]

You can go to about:config and reset all the preferences starting with marionette.. That will fix your problem.

Using a custom profile can be done by specifying it via the firefoxOptions, or by using the --profile argument of Firefox. But keep in mind that the latter isn't that easy due to some missing features. See issue #1058.

[baptx]

@whimboo there was also an issue to type some French accents so I had to change the preference focusmanager.testmode from true to false and restart Firefox: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+bug/1924586
Could it be a Firefox bug that when focusmanager.testmode is enabled, we cannot type characters like ê and ï?

[whimboo]

Maybe, but I don't know. While under automation we expect no manual text input from an user.

Nevertheless with https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1632821 fixed for Firefox 88, the default profile will no longer have Marionette enabled if Firefox has been started without --marionette.

[baptx]

@whimboo thanks, I think user input could still be useful to resolve a CAPTCHA. Last year I also left a comment here, in case you have more information: #1058 (comment)

[whimboo]

@whimboo thanks, I think user input could still be useful to resolve a CAPTCHA.

This interrupts automation flow, so it shouldn't be really used. But anyway, if some letters don't come through with focus manager enabled, it's more a Firefox bug. Please check by creating a new Firefox profile, and just setting this preference. If that is also happening outside of Marionette / geckodriver feel free to file a bug directly on https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi.

Last year I also left a comment here, in case you have more information: #1058

Sorry, but we don't have an update yet.