Installing web extension

Add-ons Development
#1

Hi,

I have a web extension for Chrome and want to publish it for Firefox.
In Chrome web store there is an option to put the extension in the store as not listed, and install it by clicking a link on my web application:
<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="chrome.webstore.install(undefined, success, failure)"> install </a>
Is there a similar option for Firefox?

I searched the documentation online and found:
InstallTrigger.install(xpi);
But the documentation says this option is not standard and should not be used on production.

If I place a link to the XPI file (already signed by AMO) on my web site, I get a message when I try to install it: “Firefox prevented this site from asking you to install software on your computer”.
I don’t want my users to get this message.

I also explored the option to install it by an installer. The following page:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Archive/Mozilla/Adding_extensions_using_the_Windows_registry
seems to be in an archive of obsolete content. Is this still supported? Should it be used?

The short version… Can you please explain all the options to install an extension not from AMO?

Thanks, Avia

#2

Hi,

I am in the same situation myself. I don’t know whether it should or not be used, all I can say is that it works. The pain is just that you need it to add it to the both 32-bit and 64-bit parts of the Windows registry for it to work with 64-bit Firefox under 64-bit Windows and vice versa.

When Firefox is re-started after making those registry entries, Firefox asks the user if he wants to enable the new addon (user has to tick a box and click accept).

#3

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.
The documentation in the archive of obsolete content says that all content in this documentation should be used for legacy purposes, and not for developing for latest versions of Firefox. Therefore, I’m searching for another option.

#4

Hi, sorry I am not involved with add-on Development so I am not the best person to try to give an answer; however I think you need to read through the pinned thread https://discourse.mozilla-community.org/t/introduction-to-add-on-development/608/22

You need to submit the addon to AMO as a none public add-on in need of approval and signing. Once approved you may host the signed add-on and ordinary users of Firefix Release can add it in the normal way.

And look at the MDN ( Possibly rather dated & incomplete ) documentation e.g. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Distribution#Submitting_to_AMO

Also the blogs
https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/
https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/
https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2016/03/11/webextensions-in-firefox-47/

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/04/15/the-case-for-extension-signing/

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-on-signing-in-firefox

I am sure the documentation could be tidied up and updated in MDN. I also aught to tidy up this post but am posting from a phone.

#5

Hello,

Firefox, there’s an option called “Unlisted Add-on”. You send your add-on to an automatic verification (much easier than the regular one), then you can host the XPI file on your server & post a simple link.

The issue: The user gets a warning “Firefox prevented this file from being downloaded into your computer”, because the downloading is being performed from a non Mozilla server.

Cheers,
Larry P.