If you want to install through the registry (take the example of Google Gears), instead of packing as an xpi, make it a self extracting executable or a self installing exe which extracts itself, modifies the registry and asks to restart Firefox.
Cheers! Shivanand Sharma Producer and Editor http://www.binaryturf.com (Web Technology & Blogging) http://www.advancedphotography.net On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 1:17 AM, massey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think maybe the confusion here is how an xpi is installed by firefox. If > so just an overview: > - When firefox installs an xpi(extension) it gets unpaked into the user > profile ./extensions directory, on windows this is something like > c:\Documents and Settings\Admin|\Application > Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\XXXNNNXXN.default\extensions\ExtensionName. > Firefox does not use the windows registry to find/use extensions in a normal > scenario as far as I know. > - For firefox you need to install an xpi from a https server or the xpi > must be signed otherwise the install will fail. These things supposedly make > extensions safer to install. > - On firefox startup the users extensions directory is scanned for > extensions and those found get registered/used if the extension is > compatible. > - The xpinstall docs are hard to follow/find and put together to get a good > sense of how it all works. It just takes a lot of poking around. > > Hope that helps > > > > can wrote: > > Neil wrote: >> >> Yes, but once you agree to the install it then goes and unpacks it >>> into your extensions folder so that it can actually use it. >>> >> >> >> Please forgive me if I'm missing something, but I don't see the point you >> are making. What I had in mind was that Firefox could do this very same >> thing when it sees a new .xpi to load in the registry. >> >> Perhaps the Mozilla people see there is some security worry with this >> approach, but I don't see it. They could add the same warning that is there >> in the File->Open interface. (Though I'm not certain this is absolutely >> necessary since the Windows Registry can't get modified without user >> approval anyway.) Besides, this is how Java handles .jar files. In fact, >> since my last response to this thread, I realized that the reason I ran into >> confusion in the first place probably has to do with expectations set from >> using Java. (This is no excuse for misreading instructions of course, just >> an observation.) >> >> >> Maybe the root problem here is that I don't fully understand the Mozilla >> vision of the install process. So if don't mind, I'd like to take a step >> back and ask an even more basic question. >> >> >> <???> >> What is the "best" way to distribute and install Firefox extension from a >> third-party server? I looked around for this, and the best instructions I >> found were on that "Install from Registry" page I cited. Can you point me >> to a better source? >> </???> >> >> >> I know that it is possible to distribute a third-party extension through >> the Mozilla site (Tools -> Add Ons...) Maybe some day I'll want to do this. >> But for now, (a) I don't know how one goes about putting one's extension up >> on >> the Mozilla download site, and (b) even if I did, I probably would still >> want to be able to distribute the extension from a >> third-party server. >> >> I also have read that one can distribute an installer that copies files to >> Firefox extensions directory. In principle, this is >> clean and straightforward, but one has to worry about getting registry >> strings right for cases where Firefox was not installed to the default path. >> It seems more desirable to use an install mechanism that is managed entirely >> by Firefox itself. >> >> >> I actually have a guess about this now that I know about the File->Open... >> install method. (I am going to give it a try unless someone on this list >> tells me it won't work.) Maybe all I have to do is get the mime type right >> on the server and then the extension will be installed if the user selects >> "Open" during the download. >> >> >> Please remember I am new to all this. I get the feeling that there is >> some overview document that I have failed to find. If anyone knows of such >> a thing, please feel free to point me to it. >> >> Thanks, >> can >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Project_owners mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://www.mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/project_owners >> >> _______________________________________________ > Project_owners mailing list > [email protected] > https://www.mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/project_owners >
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