565529 - Don't let add-ons open new pages

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[John Wayne Hill (UX Intern)]

(Note: this is filed as part of the “Paper Cut” bugs — we assume that there may be multiple existing bugs on this. Please make them block this bug, and we will de-dupe if they are indeed exactly the same. Thanks!)

To reproduce:
1. Install an add-on
2. restart your browser
3. when your browser opens up, you will get a page you didn't ask for

Recommendation:
We need a better solution for this, possibly doorhanger notifications with option to go to the page?

Comment 1

[Jesse Ruderman]

"Don't let add-ons..." is somewhere between wontfix and impossible.  Instead, I suggest two bugs:

1. A Toolkit bug, "Create an API that addons can use for less intrusive first-install notifications".  You'll have to look at a lot of extensions to figure out what type of UI would work for many of them.

2. An addons.mozilla.org bug, "Don't allow AMO-hosted addons to have intrusive first-run experiences unless there's a good reason".  See also bug 511706 (especially bug 511706 comment 1).

Comment 2

[Mike Beltzner [:beltzner, not reading bugmail]]

Agreed; not only can we not do this, I don't think we want to as opposed to providing great APIs (Jetpack APIs, no less!) for providing a better first run experience for add-on authors.

cc'ing jorge, nick and fligtar who may also be thinking about this, and myk for a jetpack perspective, as they might be able to point you to relevant bugs/JEPs.

Comment 3

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

See bug 459965 for ideas on such an API.

Comment 4

[Nick Nguyen [:osunick]]

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=549324

This is related to the Lifecycle JEP which adw is working on in Jetpack.