Firefox doesn't notice new install.rdf when addons are installed via the registry?
EricLaw
(www.fiddler2.com) installs an add-on (FiddlerHook) for interoperating
with Firefox when it is installed. Fiddler installs the addon using
the registry technique described here:
https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Adding_Extensions_using_the_Windows_Registry
Users regularly install updated versions of Fiddler, and most new
versions of Fiddler include a new version of FiddlerHook, which
overwrites the previously-installed version, with at least a new
install.rdf file that specifies that this addon version is compatible
with the then-latest version of Firefox. However, it doesn't appear
that Firefox "notices" that the install.rdf information has changed,
even after I restart Firefox.
The only known workaround is to uninstall Fiddler/FiddlerHook
(removing the registry key), boot Firefox, have it notice that the
addon is gone, then reinstall the latest version of Fiddler/
FiddlerHook and restart Firefox. As you can imagine, this is a real
pain for normal users to go through.
Is there something I can do to force Firefox to "flush" its cache of
the install.rdf information and reload it?
Incidentally, vis-a-vis updates, I'm only updating FiddlerHook via the
Fiddler installer. Should I be setting the
"em:appManaged" tag in my RDF file? That tag doesn't appear to be
documented here: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Install_manifests,
but it does seem apply to how FiddlerHook is updated.
thanks for any tips!
John J Barton
> Hey, Mozilla folks! I'm hoping you can help me out. Fiddler
> (www.fiddler2.com) installs an add-on (FiddlerHook) for interoperating
> with Firefox when it is installed. Fiddler installs the addon using
> the registry technique described here:
> https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Adding_Extensions_using_the_Windows_Registry
>
> Users regularly install updated versions of Fiddler, and most new
> versions of Fiddler include a new version of FiddlerHook, which
> overwrites the previously-installed version, with at least a new
> install.rdf file that specifies that this addon version is compatible
> with the then-latest version of Firefox. However, it doesn't appear
> that Firefox "notices" that the install.rdf information has changed,
> even after I restart Firefox.
In my experience with normal extension registration you have to change
the version number of the addon.
jjb
EricLaw
> the version number of the addon.
Is there a version number of the addon somewhere other than
install.rdf? The problem I'm encountering is that it doesn't look like
the information in the RDF file (including the version number of the
addon and the supported versions of Firefox) is getting read when the
file changes, even after Firefox is restarted.
thx!
John J Barton
Well there's your answer then: you're not doing normal extension
registration, so you don't get the normal effect. If your installer is
munging with the user's profile anyway, why bother with the registry
business? Just write your extension into the directory and you won't
have this problem.
jjb
EricLaw
Registration via the registry is a supported and documented
extensibility path.
It sounds like it's just buggy, so I'll file a bug over on Bugzilla.
Thanks.
Dave Townsend
> Hey, Mozilla folks! I'm hoping you can help me out. Fiddler
> (www.fiddler2.com) installs an add-on (FiddlerHook) for interoperating
> with Firefox when it is installed. Fiddler installs the addon using
> the registry technique described here:
> https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Adding_Extensions_using_the_Windows_Registry
>
> Users regularly install updated versions of Fiddler, and most new
> versions of Fiddler include a new version of FiddlerHook, which
> overwrites the previously-installed version, with at least a new
> install.rdf file that specifies that this addon version is compatible
> with the then-latest version of Firefox. However, it doesn't appear
> that Firefox "notices" that the install.rdf information has changed,
> even after I restart Firefox.
We don't check the modification times on install.rdf to see if it has
changed. What we do check is the modification time on the directory,
when that changes we reload everything from install.rdf so your
installer should change that. I believe you can just do that, but
deleting and recreating the directory ought to ensure that.
> Incidentally, vis-a-vis updates, I'm only updating FiddlerHook via the
> Fiddler installer. Should I be setting the
> "em:appManaged" tag in my RDF file? That tag doesn't appear to be
> documented here: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Install_manifests,
> but it does seem apply to how FiddlerHook is updated.
At some point we're probably going to drop the appManaged tag and it is
not what you want to be using, it actually won't do anything for you.
Since you are installing through the registry Firefox will not attempt
to update or allow users to uninstall your extension anyway.
EricLaw
> On 1/21/10 11:44, EricLaw wrote:
>
> > Hey, Mozilla folks! I'm hoping you can help me out. Fiddler
> > (www.fiddler2.com) installs an add-on (FiddlerHook) for interoperating
> > with Firefox when it is installed. Fiddler installs the addon using
> > the registry technique described here:
>
> > Users regularly install updated versions of Fiddler, and most new
> > versions of Fiddler include a new version of FiddlerHook, which
> > overwrites the previously-installed version, with at least a new
> > install.rdf file that specifies that this addon version is compatible
> > with the then-latest version of Firefox. However, it doesn't appear
> > that Firefox "notices" that the install.rdf information has changed,
> > even after I restart Firefox.
>
> We don't check the modification times on install.rdf to see if it has
> changed. What we do check is the modification time on the directory,
> when that changes we reload everything from install.rdf so your
> installer should change that. I believe you can just do that, but
> deleting and recreating the directory ought to ensure that.
>
> > Incidentally, vis-a-vis updates, I'm only updating FiddlerHook via the
> > Fiddler installer. Should I be setting the
> > "em:appManaged" tag in my RDF file? That tag doesn't appear to be
> > documented here:https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Install_manifests,
> > but it does seem apply to how FiddlerHook is updated.
>
> At some point we're probably going to drop the appManaged tag and it is
> not what you want to be using, it actually won't do anything for you.
> Since you are installing through the registry Firefox will not attempt
> to update or allow users to uninstall your extension anyway.
Thanks for your help, Dave! This works well, and I've updated my
installer. I'll see if I have permission to update the Mozilla wiki
page with this info.
EricLaw
>
> - Show quoted text -
Rats. Apparently either the developer.mozilla.org Wiki software isn't
compatible with FF3.6, or its way of telling you that you don't have
permissions is to let you edit the document and then delete the
document when you push "Save Changes".