296173 - when installing extensions EM should check for updates and propose to install newer versions if such exist

Status: RESOLVED INACTIVE

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, enhancement)

Description

[Przemyslaw Bialik]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.8b2) Gecko/20050530 Firefox/1.0+
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.8b2) Gecko/20050530 Firefox/1.0+

Not always when user installs the extension from extensions mirrors or even the
extension project / homepage (newer xpi might be hosted elsewhere and linked in
updateurl) it is the newest version but many times he assumes it is.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
Install old version of extension / decrease the version number of extension that
is hosted on UMO or has working and up-2-date <em:updateURL> in install.rdf.
Actual Results:  
Old version of extension is installed.

Expected Results:  
When installing extension check for updates is performed (UMO / <em:updateURL>)
and if the newer version of extension is found then the user has option to
install it in favour of the old one.

Comment 1

[François Gagné]

Duplicate of bug #259641 ?

Comment 2

[Przemyslaw Bialik]

(In reply to comment #1)
I don't think so, the mentioned bug is about checking for updated extensions
only during app upgrade while mine propose to do such check every time extension
is being installed.

Comment 3

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

*** Bug 294644 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 4

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

One common problem with add-on compatibility happens when a user tries to install an XPI from a local file and the install.rdf file claims the add-on isn't compatible, while AMO claims that same file is compatible because of the compatibility info override.

It would help our compatibility efforts if the AOM fetched any updates or updated information when an add-on is being installed, to ensure that the latest version and latest compatibility information are used.

Comment 5

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

(In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #4)
> It would help our compatibility efforts if the AOM fetched any updates or
> updated information when an add-on is being installed, to ensure that the
> latest version and latest compatibility information are used.

Firefox does request updated compatibility information from AMO when installing an add-on.

Comment 6

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

So, if I install an add-on with maxVersion=7.* on Firefox 8 and AMO says it is maxVersion=8.*, it will install correctly?

Comment 7

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

(In reply to Jorge Villalobos [:jorgev] from comment #6)
> So, if I install an add-on with maxVersion=7.* on Firefox 8 and AMO says it
> is maxVersion=8.*, it will install correctly?

Assuming Firefox can reach AMO at the time of installation, yes

Comment 8

[Eric Jung [:ericjung]]

(In reply to Dave Townsend (:Mossop) from comment #7)
> Assuming Firefox can reach AMO at the time of installation, yes

I'm wondering if that's a relatively new enhancement. I don't remember things working that way last time (quite a while ago) I tried it.

Having said that, there will always be a small subset of people who install addons without internet connectivity from a local file. I am in that subset. As an example, I install Firebug and Extension Developer perhaps 5 times per day in fresh profiles when testing a new FoxyProxy release (just before uploading FoxyProxy to AMO). Often times I am on the subway or in some other location that doesn't have internet access.

Comment 9

[Dave Townsend [:mossop]]

(In reply to Eric H. Jung from comment #8)
> (In reply to Dave Townsend (:Mossop) from comment #7)
> > Assuming Firefox can reach AMO at the time of installation, yes
> 
> I'm wondering if that's a relatively new enhancement. I don't remember
> things working that way last time (quite a while ago) I tried it.

Not new at all, been around since Firefox 1.0 at least

Comment 11

[BMO Automation]

Per policy at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Bug_Triage/Projects/Bug_Handling/Bug_Husbandry#Inactive_Bugs. If this bug is not an enhancement request or a bug not present in a supported release of Firefox, then it may be reopened.