In Firefox preferences, do you have "Firefox should check to see if it is the default browser when starting"?
Yes. This is no longer an issue for me since I've gotten gnome working again, but I'm happy to contribute to this thread with info if others want to get to a better solution.
Thanks, Rick Reynolds --When you hear the toilet flush, and hear the words "uh oh", it's already too late. -- anonymous Mother in Austin, TX