1202379 - Firefox for Android should be clearer when failing to install add-ons compatible only with desktop version

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox for Android Graveyard :: Add-on Manager, defect)

Description

[Luís Miguel [:quicksaver] (not reading bugmail)]

STR:
1) Open Firefox for Android
2) Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/the-fox-only-better/
3) Click the Add to Browser button

The install fails with the message: "[name] could not be installed because it is not compatible with Firefox 40.0.3"

It should really be "[name] could not be installed because it is not compatible with Firefox for Android."

This can lead to some confusion: https://github.com/Quicksaver/The-Fox--Only-Better/issues/117

Comment 1

[Michael Comella (:mcomella) [NI reported issues only: ex-Mozilla]]

Finkle, is there anyway for us to know whether an addon is compatible with Firefox for Android as a whole (as opposed to the current version)?

Comment 2

[Kevin Brosnan [Ex-Mozilla]]

The extension manifest needs to have the Firefox for Android application ID. aa3c5121-dab2-40e2-81ca-7ea25febc110

Comment 3

[Mark Finkle (:mfinkle) (use needinfo?)]

I thought AMO was responsible for making sure it did not offer installation of add-ons if the add-on was not compatible with the application.

I don't think Firefox (Desktop or Mobile) has a specific error for just the application.

Catching the addon install errors:
http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js#5896

Types of install errors:
http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/mobile/android/locales/en-US/chrome/browser.properties#70

Although, the "Incompatible" state is in an | else | block. Maybe we could add some logging and see if Gecko gives us a specific error:
http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js#5902


But, like I mentioned, even Desktop uses the | else | block:
http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/source/browser/base/content/browser-addons.js#353


I don't think we should worry too much about this.

Comment 4

[Luís Miguel [:quicksaver] (not reading bugmail)]

(In reply to Mark Finkle (:mfinkle) from comment #3)
> I thought AMO was responsible for making sure it did not offer installation
> of add-ons if the add-on was not compatible with the application.

AFAIK it's true that AMO only shows compatible add-ons when you are browsing or searching. But you can still access the add-on page directly through its url, without any sort of notice apparently that the add-on is not compatible; at least I saw nothing of the sort when I accessed that add-on's link through Firefox for Android, it's "Add to Browser" button was green as if it was supposed to function correctly. Perhaps it's worth it to file a bug on the AMO component for this specific case?

Still, there are other ways to get to an add-on's xpi, especially for users who want to try the same add-ons they have on desktop on their android devices, as was the case in the github issue I linked (Sync comes to mind, even indirectly as "I'll sync this tab so I only have to click the Add to Browser button on my phone").

It's also not hard to get direct links that go around AMO's pages compatibility checks, so Firefox should have those checks as well.