1538348 - [meta] Implement the |downloads| extension API

Status: NEW

(GeckoView :: Extensions, enhancement, P3)

Description

[[ex-Mozilla] Agi Sferro | :agi]

The browser.downloads API is broken right now in GeckoView because it tries to request some android permissions using the Fennec-only (I'm assuming) DownloadCore.jsm.

In particular it uses shouldBlockForRuntimePermission: https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/7c20ad925005fbad7b8e08813115f1ec7fa1c248/toolkit/components/downloads/DownloadCore.jsm#421

We should just delegate this to the app. This is important because I think it's the only way that we have to save files from a web extension.

Comment 1

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

We will need this functionality for extensions that create files like screenshots.

Comment 2

[[ex-Mozilla] Agi Sferro | :agi]

Mass moving bugs to the Extension component.

Comment 3

[[:owlish] 🦉 PST]

Design document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ige9qeQldvcMyU9NL0vcWAWZNR7M6IlbzOxKNBAyz9Q/edit?usp=sharing

Comment 5

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

GeckoView has implemented some parts of the downloads API, but it isn't actually hooked up with Android-Components (and by extension not available in Fenix). This is a feature request for the functionality: https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/issues/16585

Comment 6

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Tentatively set this bug's priority to P2 so we review it for GV's 2022 H2 planning.

Comment 7

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

This bug is still relevant.

Comment 9

[Paul Rouget (ex-mozilla)]

Hi. I work on Video DownloadHelper extension (2M users).

And I'd like to make the extension available to our users on Firefox Android (and even advertise Firefox for Android to our Desktop users).

But we need browser.downloads.download (downloading an internal blob URL), and optionally .show() or .showDefaultFolder().

Anyway I can help with this? I can work on a patch myself if that helps (I worked on patches for Firefox Android before) as long as I have a clear understanding of what Mozilla is willing to accept as a patch (I've read the attached doc).

Comment 10

[Julian Descottes [:jdescottes] (PTO 20 oct -> 25 oct)]

WebDriver BiDi also specifies two events around downloads: downloadWillBegin and downloadEnd.

Whatever is implemented here for the webextension API would probably be useful for us as well.