1639926 - allow default system addon updates to override prior system updates

Status: NEW

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, enhancement, P3)

Description

[Shane Caraveo (:mixedpuppy)]

If a system addon is updated, then firefox is updated with a new version of the addon, the new version should have precedence.

Comment 1

[Shane Caraveo (:mixedpuppy)]

Attachment: Bug 1639926 allow builtin system addons to override updated system addons

Comment 2

[Andrew Swan [:aswan]]

This is already handled and tested for. Its a little roundabout, but the last argument here clears any updates any time the builtin set changes:
https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/fc91a093e40dde71d10ad219946b8ae775aca9eb/toolkit/mozapps/extensions/internal/XPIProvider.jsm#2246

Comment 3

[Shane Caraveo (:mixedpuppy)]

I think the confused terminology between builtin and system is an issue here.

This patch is about allowing a system-default addon to override a system-profile (the new location) addon.

I presume that migration from balrog to normandy is going to look somewhat like:

1. gradually start pushing updates through normandy by switching some % of profiles to that
2. after some period of time (after 100% migration to normandy) we shut off the ability to push addons via balrog
3. after balrog is shut off, move system addons into builtin
4. remove old system addon locations.

Between #1 and #3, we'll have system-default addons that may need to be updated via normandy. If a firefox update then updates one of those system-default addons, the system-default (assuming => version) should win precedence.

Comment 4

[Andrew Swan [:aswan]]

This seems unnecessarily complicated. If you're concerned about some issue with the builtin location, I don't there's a phased way to handle that, the proposal in comment 3 still has a watershed moment at step 3 when the default versions of our internal addons move from the system default location to the builtin location. If you're concerned about an issue with Normandy, updates to addons in the builtin location (eg, webcompat, formautofill) could still be shipped from balrog without the need to add any new code.
The whole idea of phased rollout here is tricky anyway, since shipping out-of-cycle updates to system addons appears to be pretty infrequent...