Hello,
Here is some documentation on xpi:
http://developer.netscape.com:80/docs/manuals/xpinstall/
Jonathan Kamens wrote:
> (I posted some questions in this vein in netscape.devs-plugins earlier
> today, but upon further examination, it looks to me like that
> newsgroup is for Netscape 4.x questions, whereas I've got Netscape 6
> questions. so I'm reposting here.)
>
> I have a SmartUpdate installer which works in Netscape 4.x. It
> invokes an EXE which does the actual installation.
>
I don't now if this works (see the docs above)
>
> The general question is, how, if at all, can I make this SmartUpdate
> installer work with Netscape 6? Some specific questions and points
> that I'd like to see clarified:
>
> * Netscape 4.x recognizes a SmartUpdate JAR archive when you download a
> file with the MIME type application/java-archive. Netscape 6 doesn't.
>
> * SmartUpdate JAR files are digitally signed, but apparently XPI files
> are not. If SmartUpdate isn't supported, how do I do a signed
> installer for Netscape 6?
>
also in the docs, maybe you don't need to sign the xpi
>
> * If I simply repackage my JAR file as a XPI file, will the install.js
> in it work in Netscape 6? It use netscape.softupdate.VersionInfo and
> netscape.softupdate.SoftwareUpdate objects as documented in the
> Netscape 4.x documentation for creating installation packages. A call
> to netscape.softupdate.SoftwareUpdate.Execute is what runs the
> installer EXE that's inside the JAR file.
In the documentation mentioned above you see the new methods and semantics
of SmartUpdate. You don't use netscape.softupdate.XXX anymore
Most of the methods (functions) have the same name and semantics as before.
netscape.softupdate.SoftwareUpdate.Execute -> File.execute
netscape.softupdate.VersionInfo -> InstallVersion
>
> * What's the "official" way in Netscape 6 of figuring out the Netscape
> plugins directory (so my EXE can install the Netscape plugin in the
> right place)?
>
> * Has anybody written a document for people who had previously
> developed SmartUpdate installers, explaining how SmartUpdate compares
> to XPI and how to migrate from the former to the latter?
>
It is very similar (see above) the base object names have changed and
some functions have moved, changed, added or deleted.
It should be quite easy to adapt your scripts to Netscape 6 if you know
SmartUpdate.
There are still references to XPInstall as SmartUpdate in the docs
XPI Files are ZIPped files (as are JAR files)
you can also use an install script and a trigger script on a web (HTML)
page.
>
> I have directed followups to this message to
> netscape.public.mozilla.xpinstall. I hope that's the right place even
> though I'm not asking solely about XPI.
>
well more or less
SmartUpdate -> XPInstall
>
> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Bye, Guido
