1201534 - Installing via direct links to addons XPI fails

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, defect)

Description

[Jonathan Almeida [:jonalmeida]]

Attachment: addon_failure.log

When trying to install unsigned addons from a localhost, it fails and we don't see any information signifying failure.

STR:
- Build an addon locally (e.g. https://github.com/leibovic/instagram-panel/ or https://github.com/mfinkle/clicktoviewimages)
- Install it using the bootstrap install script.
- Observe on the device that a new tab opens pointing to the xpi file.
- Observe there is no doorhanger that shows up asking to verify the install.

Notes:
- The current workaround is to install the addon via a webserver (people.mozilla.org works file) that serves the addon and only then do you see the security doorhanger asking you if you want to install this addon.
- See attached logs.
- This seems to work from builds before 21/08

Comment 1

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

This is an expected result of bug 1042699 and is unrelated to signing.

Comment 2

[u421692]

(In reply to Dave Townsend [:mossop] from comment #1)
> This is an expected result of bug 1042699 and is unrelated to signing.

So, if it is the expected result to block the XPI addons, then "The current workaround is to install the addon via a webserver (people.mozilla.org works file)" is a bug? You shouldn't be able to install via webserver?
As for the doorhanger issue, I've logged bug 1201547

Comment 3

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

(In reply to Mihai Pop from comment #2)
> (In reply to Dave Townsend [:mossop] from comment #1)
> > This is an expected result of bug 1042699 and is unrelated to signing.
> 
> So, if it is the expected result to block the XPI addons, then "The current
> workaround is to install the addon via a webserver (people.mozilla.org works
> file)" is a bug? You shouldn't be able to install via webserver?

No, installing from a webpage should continue to work. Installing by directly opening an XPI in a tab is what has stopped working.

Comment 4

[Kevin Brosnan [Ex-Mozilla]]

So this bug is invalid?

Comment 5

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

It's a "apparently there isn't a safe way to do this" bug.

Comment 6

[:Margaret Leibovic]

We should update our boilerplate add-on build script then, since that depends on this now obsolete functionality.

Any ideas for a good developer flow for mobile add-on developers to test their add-ons? Are there any plans for some sort of remote devtools integration to test add-ons?

Comment 7

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

(In reply to :Margaret Leibovic from comment #6)
> We should update our boilerplate add-on build script then, since that
> depends on this now obsolete functionality.
> 
> Any ideas for a good developer flow for mobile add-on developers to test
> their add-ons? Are there any plans for some sort of remote devtools
> integration to test add-ons?

No I wasn't aware you were using this approach. There are tools like the extension auto installer that might help (https://github.com/palant/autoinstaller). But yes ideally using a remote devtool or something would be nice.

Comment 8

[:Margaret Leibovic]

(In reply to Dave Townsend [:mossop] from comment #7)
> (In reply to :Margaret Leibovic from comment #6)
> > We should update our boilerplate add-on build script then, since that
> > depends on this now obsolete functionality.
> > 
> > Any ideas for a good developer flow for mobile add-on developers to test
> > their add-ons? Are there any plans for some sort of remote devtools
> > integration to test add-ons?
> 
> No I wasn't aware you were using this approach. There are tools like the
> extension auto installer that might help
> (https://github.com/palant/autoinstaller). But yes ideally using a remote
> devtool or something would be nice.

Yeah, the approach we've been using is to push the file to the sdcard, then load Fennec with a file URI:
https://github.com/mozilla/firefox-for-android-addons/blob/master/boilerplate/native-ui-boilerplate/build#L24

We should brainstorm ways to improve this flow, especially since it won't work anymore!

Comment 9

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

This affects all platforms.

Comment 11

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

Jonathan: To install one or more add-ons found as *.xpi files in one directory on your hard disk, click "Install add-on from file…" in the rolldown widget near top right of the add-ons manager. This way you can install any number of them in one operation by using shift-click or ctrl-click in the file picker.

Comment 12

[Jonathan Almeida [:jonalmeida]]

(In reply to Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec] from comment #11)
> Jonathan: To install one or more add-ons found as *.xpi files in one
> directory on your hard disk, click "Install add-on from file…" in the
> rolldown widget near top right of the add-ons manager. This way you can
> install any number of them in one operation by using shift-click or
> ctrl-click in the file picker.

The original issue was posted as an Android issue. The default behaviour of clicking a link to an addon is to open it in a new tab which currently doesn't do anything. (There isn't a Ctrl button either :)

Comment 14

[Alex Vallat]

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Firefox_for_Android/Walkthrough#Installing_the_add-on needs to be updated with current instructions on how to install an add-on in Firefox for Android.

Comment 15

[:Margaret Leibovic]

(In reply to Alex Vallat from comment #14)
> https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Firefox_for_Android/
> Walkthrough#Installing_the_add-on needs to be updated with current
> instructions on how to install an add-on in Firefox for Android.

It would be wonderful if we could fix bug 1211931 and update the docs to use that... but in the meantime, we should probably tell people to push an HTML page to the device. I have an example of that here:
https://github.com/leibovic/fennec-fxos-tv/blob/master/build

I'll aim to update the docs this week. NI so I don't forget.

Comment 16

[Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec]]

(In reply to :Margaret Leibovic from comment #15)
[...]
> I'll aim to update the docs this week. NI so I don't forget.

Apparently you did, but forgot to clear the NEEDINFO?

Comment 18

[:Margaret Leibovic]

(In reply to Tony Mechelynck [:tonymec] from comment #16)
> (In reply to :Margaret Leibovic from comment #15)
> [...]
> > I'll aim to update the docs this week. NI so I don't forget.
> 
> Apparently you did, but forgot to clear the NEEDINFO?

I didn't update the docs, but I did update the boilerplate code just now:
https://github.com/mozilla/firefox-for-android-addons/commit/bc2ff3c8f93cf7922957d089541500efb556418d