263893 - Provide additional information with xpi files to determine which application should load them

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Thunderbird :: Installer, defect)

Description

[Will Budreau]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20040913 Firefox/0.10
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20040913 Firefox/0.10

Currently, instructions 

If there was a way that file could be opened with the correct application, the
installation process would be much simpler.

While there are instructions in the page on the "proper" procedure, the text
"Install" still leads the user to click on it rather than right-clicking, and a
more transparent process would likely be more appealing.


Two recommendations
1) Mime-type extensions, i.e. application/x-xpinstall.thunderbird (see bug 55617)
2) Use an xpi-aware install tool that would open the xpi file and cause it to be
installed in the correct application, assuming that the file itself can provide
enough information to determine which application(s) can use it.

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Visit URL above (using Fire Fox), which reference only thunderbird xpi extensions
2. Click on the "install" link 

Actual Results:  
Software install dialog appears, allowing the user to click install (and
appearing to install the extension) and then a dialog appearing telling the user
that the extension is not compatible with Firefox.

Expected Results:  
a) correctly installed the extension for the right application (i.e. Thunderbird)
b) provided a list of installed applications that could install the extension
and allow the user to install it
c) Allow the user to browse to the installers from within the appropriate
application and successfully install it from there (bug 248819)
d) Provide information in the error message guiding the user towards determining
the correct application/procedure
e) Change "Install..." link to "Save Extension..." link on the extensions
website when the browser is not compatible with the xpi file
f) Not allowing the user to click two times on successive buttons called
"Install" before informing the user that the extension CAN'T be installed.

Using Thunderbird 0.8, FireFox 1.0 PR

Comment 1

[Mateo]

Agreed, current system is too complicated:
- Thunderbird extenstions: click "Get more extensions"
- Firefox opens with list of extensions
- But when you click on one it tries to install in Firefox.
- You actually have to right-click, save, go back to extensions panel in
thunderbird, click install.......

¡Too complicated!

We need a system whereby even if you click on a thunderbird extension in Firefox
it will recognize where it should be installed, and if you have an open
thunderbird profile assume it is there where you want it installed.

Comment 2

[Dão Gottwald [:dao]]

(In reply to comment #0)
> 2) Use an xpi-aware install tool that would open the xpi file and cause it to
> be
> installed in the correct application, assuming that the file itself can provide
> enough information to determine which application(s) can use it.

Yes, install.rdf. Does XULRunner know about the installed applications?

Comment 3

[Gary Kwong [:gkw] [:nth10sd] (NOT official MoCo now)]

Reporter, does the issue still occur with the latest supported 2.0.0.x / Shredder trunk nightlies?

(1.5.0.x is now end-of-life and the latest supported Thunderbird version 2 is 2.0.0.16)

Comment 4

[Joshua Cranmer [:jcranmer]]

RESO INCO per lack of response to the last question. If you feel this change was made in error, please respond to this bug with your reasons why.