1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, defect)

Description

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Right now https://gecko.readthedocs.io/en/latest/toolkit/mozapps/extensions/addon-manager/SystemAddons.html (which lives in m-c as an RST file) focuses on the update mechanism.

We should also document some high-level details about the client-side implementation as well, such as details on the install locations and signing etc.

Comment 1

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Attachment: Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Review commit: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/diff/#index_header
See other reviews: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/

Comment 2

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Review request updated; see interdiff: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/diff/1-2/

Comment 3

[Jared Hirsch [:jhirsch] (he/him) (Needinfo please)]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

:+1: Thanks for writing this up! I don't know the details well enough to tell if you've missed anything, but seems like a solid overview to me.

Comment 4

[Andrew Swan [:aswan]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/#review118062

::: toolkit/mozapps/extensions/docs/SystemAddons.rst:18
(Diff revision 2)
> +
> +The add-ons themselves are either legacy Firefox add-ons or WebExtensions.
> +They must be:
> +
> +* restartless
> +* signed by Mozilla (with the Components key, not the standard AMO key)

This is actually only true of updates right?
Additionally, perhaps a further reference here?  I expect anybody reading this who isn't already familiar with system add-ons won't have any idea what the Components key is or how to get an update signed with it.

::: toolkit/mozapps/extensions/docs/SystemAddons.rst:24
(Diff revision 2)
> +* multi-process compatible
> +
> +Other than these restrictions there is nothing special or different about
> +the extensions themselves.
> +
> +It is possible to override installed system add-ons based on precedence 

trailing space

::: toolkit/mozapps/extensions/docs/SystemAddons.rst:24
(Diff revision 2)
> +It is possible to override installed system add-ons based on precedence 
> +of install locations:

This is kind of opaque.  Maybe reword to something like "It is possible to override an installed system add-on by installing a different version in a higher priority location.  Available locations, starting from the highest priority include:"

Comment 5

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Review request updated; see interdiff: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/diff/2-3/

Comment 6

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Review request updated; see interdiff: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/diff/3-4/

Comment 7

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Review request updated; see interdiff: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/diff/4-5/

Comment 8

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/#review118062

> This is actually only true of updates right?
> Additionally, perhaps a further reference here?  I expect anybody reading this who isn't already familiar with system add-ons won't have any idea what the Components key is or how to get an update signed with it.

Good point... we're actually working on the process here so I'll move this to the updates section below with a little more explanation and suggest contacting the gofaster team if you have an update you'd like to ship.

Comment 9

[Robert Helmer [:rhelmer]]

Comment on attachment 8839683 [details]
Bug 1341434 - document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons

Review request updated; see interdiff: https://reviewboard.mozilla.org/r/114262/diff/5-6/

Comment 10

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/ab41a61ca37b
document high-level client-side implementation details for system add-ons r=aswan

Comment 11

[Carsten Book [:Tomcat]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/ab41a61ca37b