85350 - [RFE]Automatic Install on Demand (with no redirection to install page)

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, enhancement, P5)

Description

[Ishq Ali]

Would it not be useful for the ordinary user of Plug-ins and language
translators were istalled Automatically using a system similar to
Install-on-Demand in IE?

That way a user would never have to go and select the kind of plug-ins he is
missing as the browser will automatically detect and install the plugin (after
prompting the user).

Comment 1

[Chase Tingley]

I think Mozilla already does this.  If you view a page that requires Java,
Flash, etc, you should be prompted to download the appropriate plugin.  Is this
different from what you are requesting?

Comment 2

[Ishq Ali]

Yes it is different. In mozilla you are asked to go to a website (or are 
forwarded to a website) where you have to manually select the plug-in or 
languanage font.

On the other hand, IE prompts you with a dialogue box which havs "install now" 
and an OK button.. click the button and the plug-in is installed whout ever 
leaving the site you are on .. completely transparent to the user. 

I suggest you try it out and see the difference. And i am sure you would agree 
that it is a lot better than what mozilla offers! 

Comment 3

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Confirming enhancement request....

A point to consider is that IE has to only install plugins for one OS.  And
generally there is only one plugin to install for any given thing.

Mozilla has to deal with multiple OSes and there may be multiple plugins for the
same OS that have pros and cons and all do more or less the same thing....

Comment 4

[Huy Nguyen]

I run into this problem where I use a webversion of PCVS Bug tracker and it
needs a plugin.  To install this plugin, it requires the autoinstall feature in
Netscape 4.x   I used netscape 4.x to go to this page and I get a pop-up asking
if I want to install the plugin.  Mozilla returns nothing to me.  Is there a
work around or similar feature in mozilla? 

Comment 5

[rubydoo123]

future

Comment 6

[Peter Lubczynski]

Attachment: testcase showing install on demand for Flash on Windows

Before viewing this testcase, ensure about:plugins does not list Flash. This
testcase points to the Win32 version of Flash 6 that came with Netscape 7 PR1.
This process may need a little more refinement as you need to go through two
dialog boxs.

Just like Microsoft uses CAB files for ActiveX packages, Mozilla uses XPI.

Comment 7

[Peter Lubczynski]

Based on last testcase, I'm marking this ---->WORKSFORME

Other bugs may need to be filed on evangelizing using XPI or streamlining the
process.