Closed Bug 644279 Opened 14 years ago Closed 14 years ago

Previous globally installed add-ons can't be uninstalled in FF4's GUI

Categories

(Toolkit :: Add-ons Manager, defect)

Product:
Toolkit
Component:
Add-ons Manager
Platform:
x86
Windows 7
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
normal

Tracking

()

Status:
RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 640775

People

(Reporter: lapsap7+mz, Unassigned)

Details

Suppose some add-ons were installed with FF 3 in a system-wide manner, ie by putting the xpi files in the application's "extensions" folder (not user's "extensions" folder) and FF3's add-on manager unpacked them there during installation. Then upgrade FF3 to FF4. When FF4's AOM is opened, it can be seen that all those globally installed add-ons cannot be uninstalled in a simple manner through the GUI. The only way is to parse through all the add-on folders, reading the content of every install.rdf file to find out the one we want to uninstall. Very inconvenient.
Summary: Previous globally installed add-ons can't be uninstalled in FF4 → Previous globally installed add-ons can't be uninstalled in FF4's GUI
There are plans to allow in the Future I believe.
Component: Extension Compatibility → Add-ons Manager
Product: Firefox → Toolkit
QA Contact: extension.compatibility → add-ons.manager
Whiteboard: dupeme
The installation of global extensions should not be done by users but administrators. We clearly do not offer their removal from inside the AOM as you have seen. And I don't think there is anything we would like to change. Dave, what do you think?
We don't want to uninstall global add-ons in the sense of removing the files (we have never done this even in 3.6) but we do intend to allow removing them from Firefox's UI at least so I'll dupe this to that bug.
Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 14 years ago
Resolution: --- → DUPLICATE
Whiteboard: dupeme
(In reply to comment #2) > The installation of global extensions should not be done by users but > administrators. We clearly do not offer their removal from inside the AOM as > you have seen. And I don't think there is anything we would like to change. > Dave, what do you think? But I'm the administrator! I installed the add-on in Windows Server 2003 & 2008 in system-wide manner using admin account. Normal users (using normal accounts) cannot uninstall those add-ons. (In reply to comment #3) > We don't want to uninstall global add-ons in the sense of removing the files > (we have never done this even in 3.6) but we do intend to allow removing them > from Firefox's UI at least so I'll dupe this to that bug. Without the context, I'm not sure I understood what you meant by the above sentence. So...
(In reply to comment #4) > (In reply to comment #2) > > The installation of global extensions should not be done by users but > > administrators. We clearly do not offer their removal from inside the AOM as > > you have seen. And I don't think there is anything we would like to change. > > Dave, what do you think? > > But I'm the administrator! I installed the add-on in Windows Server 2003 & > 2008 in system-wide manner using admin account. Normal users (using normal > accounts) cannot uninstall those add-ons. We distinct between the locations not the permissions you have. So let me ask how you have installed those add-ons? I assume by copying the files into the applications extension folder. And the same way you have to use to uninstall the extensions.
I'm still the adminstrator according to your "location" criterion. As to your questions, the answered are in my first post.
It's possible I guess on 3.6 that dropping an xpi in the add dir would cause every user to install it into their profile on startup after agreeing to the install dialog, I haven't checked the code to be sure. Is that what was happening? Because that certainly wouldn't happen on 4.0. I'd imagine it'd be a pretty nasty experience on 3.6 though since the user would see the dialog on every startup I imagine.
It's not only "*possible* to drop an XPI in the add dir", it's the OFFICIAL way to do global installation (ie system-wide installation). I forgot where in mozilla.org I've found its mention, but at least I've found its mention in mozillazine: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Installing_extensions > I'd imagine it'd be a pretty nasty experience on 3.6 though since the user > would see the dialog on every startup I imagine. I don't understand what you meant. One thing is sure, the OFFICIAL way of installing add-ons was working great, and my users were HAPPY. No nasty experience, whatsoever. I agree that new features have to be added for the software to evolve, but there’s another thing that every good programmer or IT professional must have learnt in IT courses: it’s called compatibility, esp backward compatibility. Now, the change in FF4 and the lack of support to previous features make me think that Firefox has sadly become a piece of software tweaked by a band of hackers.
(In reply to comment #8) > It's not only "*possible* to drop an XPI in the add dir", it's the OFFICIAL way > to do global installation (ie system-wide installation). > > I forgot where in mozilla.org I've found its mention, but at least I've found > its mention in mozillazine: > http://kb.mozillazine.org/Installing_extensions While dropping XPI's into the install locations was supported it isn't something I'd call the official way of installing third party add-ons into Firefox. If you can find the documentation on mozilla.org where this is still covered then please let me know so I can correct it. I've made sure the main documentation we have is up to date: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Installing_extensions
You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.