231876 - Find a way to associate XPI extension with install action

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Installer, defect)

Description

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

We don't register .xpi with the install action on Windows presently... this
results in two things:

1) XPI files that can't be double clicked to be installed through Explorer
2) If a server is configured to send text/plain as the content type for unknown
files, the extension based lookup will fail since there is no XPI registration. 

There are two steps to fixing this:

1) Associate XPI with Firebird. 

2) Create a generic XPI launcher stub that can be used to install an XPI into
its appropriate app. 

(2) is an important second step since not all XPIs are Firebird extensions, they
could be Tbird extensions etc so handling with Firebird is not necessarily the
right thing. I suggest doing so in (1) as an interim solution. (2) implies the
file has some way of knowing what app the xpi file is associated with. I'm not
sure yet how this should be done.

Comment 1

[alanjstr]

Would this actually lauch the app, or can we have some sort of command line
installation method so that someone can install all their extensions before
starting the browser.

Comment 2

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

I'd perfer alanjstr's commandline method.  Something slim like regxpcom.

Would be faster than launching the entire client, then quitting it, and
restarting it.

Perhaps the same command line method could have an uninstall parameter so you
can uninstall just as easy.

Comment 3

[Ben Goodger (use ben at mozilla dot org for email)]

bad idea. 

Comment 4

[Justin Wood (:Callek)]

At the end of this, if we implement we would be best with NOT registerring 'xpi'
in win32 IMHO, rather allow "import extension from file" of some-sort, or allow
a drag-drop of xpi files (at least in windows) into FF/TB to work.

Those possible solutions solve the "FF or TB extension, where do you want
installed" etc. issues.  (Leave as RESOLVED WONTFIX IMHO)

Comment 5

[Phil Ringnalda (:philor)]

*** Bug 332534 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 6

[Fox2]

Identify "XPI" as "Mozilla software extension" but no association to a specifc program?

Windows would handle that, and it wouldn't cause us to wrongly associate the extension to the wrong package, but would mean the package is identified as to contents.

Alternative solution:

Add a tiny program used by both firefox and thunderbird, whose sole function is to display an alert "This is an extension for a Mozilla program such as Firefox or Thunderbird, it can be installed from the Tools --> Extensions menu in the program you want to use it in".  Then associate XPI with that instead :)

Comment 7

[Joshua Cranmer [:jcranmer]]

I think the resolution here should be changed to RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 313468; the two bugs seem similar in functionality...