466449 - Need to make download/install of plugins clearer for non-techie users

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit Graveyard :: Plugin Finder Service, enhancement)

Description

[David Balch]

I've had several non-techie friends complaining that "Firefox is rubbish because it won't play X", where X is Flash, Windows video, or similar.

They go to a site with a plugin requirement, get sent to the plugin download page, download it, and get annoyed when it doesn't immediately work. They don't realize that the download also has to be installed.

In a way this is the fault of the user for not reading instructions and/or the site using the plugin and/or the plugin creators for not making it clear. 

Unfortunately the user just thinks "that browser is rubbish". If there was a way to make the plugin install more automated, it would be good...

Comment 1

[Justin Dolske [:Dolske]]

Bug 836415 has now removed the Plugin Finder Service (PFS) from Firefox. As a result, I'm closing all the remaining PFS bugs.

If you're getting this bugmail for an ancient PFS bug, the basic summary of the world today is:

* NPAPI plugins are a dying technology
* PFS was already restricted to assisting with only the 4 most common plugins
* Sites commonly provide their own UI for install a required plugin
* Mozilla is generally focusing on  improving the web platform so that proprietary plugins are not required.

(Note that "plugins" are a completely separate from "browser extensions", such at those found on addons.mozilla.org. The latter are not going anywhere, and are not impacted by the removal of PFS.)