365550 - Make install links for Thunderbird add-ons download the xpi instead of installing in Firefox

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 401272

(addons.mozilla.org Graveyard :: Public Pages, defect)

Description

[Quinn]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.2; en-US; rv:1.8.1.1) Gecko/20061204 Firefox/2.0.0.1
Build Identifier: All

All extensions, even the ones listed in the Thunderbird Extensions area and valid only for Thunderbird, try to auto-install into Firefox when "Install Now" is clicked.  No specific download link or other obvious alternative is offered.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1: Go to link above

2: Note the lack of Download link

3: Click on the "Install Now" link

4: Note attempt to install Thunderbird-only extension to Firefox
Actual Results:  
All extensions try to auto-install to Firefox, whether or not they are compatible, and from any part of the site, including Thunderbird-specific areas.  (I assume it happens through the whole site, but I don't have any other Mozilla stuff to test on.)

There is no extra download link or other amelioration of this behavior.

Expected Results:  
Extensions not compatible with Firefox will do one of the following:

1: Have a download link in place of the Install link. (Basic)

2: Attempt to auto-install to the correct program, with a save option in case of problems (Ideal but unlikely)

Extensions compatible with Firefox and other programs will have a download link in addition to the install link, especially if listed in non-Firefox program-specific areas.

I use a pen tablet, so it is easy to accidentally left-click by touching the tablet before I can hit the right-click button on the stylus.  This makes it extremely irritating to have to download multiple extensions using the context menu.  I assume it would be less annoying for mouse users, but it's still not good practice, given that even areas where there is no chance of Firefox being the target program are affected.

It would also be nice to have a download link available on all extensions for people who prefer to have backups, but that's not a bug.

Comment 1

[Mike Shaver (:shaver emeritus)]

Yeah, we intend to do this, though we're currently being somewhat foiled by bug 299372.  TM 3.1.

Comment 2

[Philip Chee]

> Extensions not compatible with Firefox will do one of the following:

s/Firefox/Firefox, Mozilla Suite, SeaMonkey, and Flock/ please or basically any supported application that has a browser component.

Comment 3

[Mike Shaver (:shaver emeritus)]

Only Firefox and SeaMonkey are supported browsers in AMO, and we'll key off of the current application sub-site rather than the add-on's compatibility information (if you're in the /thunderbird/ part and looking at an add-on that's compatible with Fx and Tb, we should still offer you the download), but yes.

Comment 4

[Philip Chee]

Uh? Remora won't support the old Mozilla Suite? Only SeaMonkey?

Comment 5

[Mike Shaver (:shaver emeritus)]

Yes, that's the case.  The old Mozilla Suite is a totally end-of-lifed product, and Mozilla doesn't provide support for it in any form.  Firefox/Tbird and SeaMonkey are the successors, and users should move to them.

Similarly for Firefox 1.0.x.

Comment 7

[Steffen Wilberg]

Scott has created a wiki page with some ideas, including app-specific mime types like application/x-xpinstall;app=thunderbird:
http://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Extension_Installation

Comment 9

[Emil Hesslow]

In the previous versions of AMO there was at least where a description how to install a Thunderbird extension. In the new version there is no information at all except the Install-link. I have only one Thunderbird extension on AMO and I already have got more mails why they get an error when trying to install it then the 2 years before the update.

So a suggestion is that until this is fixed could some one just add some information under the Install Now-button how one should do to install the extension. Please.

Comment 10

[Steffen Wilberg]

(In reply to comment #9)
> In the previous versions of AMO there was at least where a description how to
> install a Thunderbird extension.
That's bug 371010.

Comment 13

[Fred Wenzel [:wenzel]]

Duping against the bug currently being worked on. Thanks for your input, everybody.