1668754 - (Re)create option for add-ons to specify their own window icon

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Add-Ons: Extensions API, defect)

Description

[Onno Ekker [:nONoNonO UTC+1]]

As per doc https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Archive/Mozilla/XUL/Window_icons add-ons could specify their own icon for a Window (or override Firefox's/Thunderbird's default icon) by adding an icon with the name of the window id in the extension's subfolder chrome/icons/default. For this to work however, the extension needed to be unpacked, because otherwise the OS couldn't find the file.
Unpacking of extensions was removed in bug 1444502, causing this function to break.
As an alternative for unpacking, it was possible to copy the icon to the program directory subfolder as described here: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=1243796#1243796
Maybe this used to work, but nowadays this fails, because the extension doesn't have write permission under chrome/icons/default/ in the program directory.

Comment 1

[Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] (he/him)]

I don't think we want extensions to change the application icon. What you describe is a legacy feature that doesn't appear to fit the new extensions model.

What use case do you have for this?

Comment 2

[Onno Ekker [:nONoNonO UTC+1]]

My use case is for a WebExt Experiment for Thunderbird, where it is still possible to create your own custom windows. By giving those windows their own special icon, it is more easy to recognize them from the task bar.
The old DOM Inspector had its own icon for instance.
Now the built in Developer Tools have the same icon as Firefox/Thunderbird, making it harder to find if you have several open windows.
(Admittedly, this isn't an add-on anymore, so you could give it it's own icon anyway, without honoring this bug request, but I hope you get the idea of what I mean...)

Comment 3

[John Bieling (:TbSync)]

Attachment: windowIcon.png

Comment 4

[John Bieling (:TbSync)]

Popup windows created by the WebExtenion windows API do not have an icon at all in Firefox (and Thunderbird). Neither in the window itself, nor in the task bar. Would you consider extending the windows API to (optionally) use the extension icon defined in the manifest as the icon for the popup window?

Currently, such popus have the system default icon there, which does not look too pretty.

Comment 5

[John Bieling (:TbSync)]

Alternatively, <link rel="icon" href="/icon16.png"> could be honoured for WebExtension pages loaded into a popup window.

Comment 6

[Richard Marti (:Paenglab)]

Not tested if this ever works but you could try to add icon="messengerWindow" like we do https://searchfox.org/comm-central/search?q=+icon%3D&path=xhtm&case=false&regexp=false to get at least the TB icon.

Comment 7

[Onno Ekker [:nONoNonO UTC+1]]

Yes, adding icon="messengerWindow" or "msgcomposeWindow" works, just like an extension's own icon works if it is placed in the program directory subfolder chrome/icons/default.

Comment 8

[John Bieling (:TbSync)]

Correct, but I am interested in solving the requested feature, which is individual icons per extension and the best approach would be to not divert from Firefox behaviour and finding a common solution.

Comment 9

[John Bieling (:TbSync)]

Attachment: Bug 1668754 - Force popups to use add-on icon, for better discoverability of add-on popups vs Thunderbird popups. r=aleca

Comment 10

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central/rev/14476451d712
Force popups to use add-on icon, for better discoverability of add-on popups vs Thunderbird popups. r=aleca,mkmelin