Separate simple search engine add-ons from other extensions
Categories
(WebExtensions :: General, enhancement)
Tracking
(Not tracked)
People
(Reporter: 08xjcec48, Unassigned)
Details
Steps to reproduce:
Created a search engine add-on using only a manifest.json file (as in this example) and uploaded it to AMO.
Sent the link to a user.
Actual results:
The user, understandably, is wary of installing new extensions.
Expected results:
There should be a clear distinction between simple search engine add-ons (i.e. manifest.json files that only specify a search_provider) and proper extensions that run JS code - both on AMO and in the Firefox GUI.
They could also all be reviewed by Mozilla to show users that they are safe to use.
Related issue on GitHub: Create a search-engines category to display search engines only · mozilla/addons.
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Comment 1•9 months ago
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Removing blocking dependency on bug 1650874 as this wouldn't block that work.
Search engines can already be specified via add-ons, so if anything this is an existing issue. Though probably invalid here as it is already tracked on GitHub as you referenced (though I'll let the WebExtensions team close this if appropriate).
Whilst there might be a slight shift, there's other ways to share search engines, such as using OpenSearch on websites. We would also be enabling adding/editing of engines, so instructions could also be given instead of something to install.
The GitHub issue is just about isolating them on the website. My suggestion is to also isolate them in the browser itself. For example, as a separate panel on the about:addons page. They currently look like regular extensions once you install them.
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Comment 3•9 months ago
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Registering a search provider is a functionality available to extensions, and we do currently not separate such "search-only" extensions from other extensions. In contrast, we do that for static themes, but have always supported that for these.
Since there are non-extension ways to register search engines (OpenSearch as Mark mentioned), and the demand for search-only extensions-that-are-not-extensions is rather low, we're closing this bug.
Description
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