[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
For those following this discussion, the issues (raised on http://crbug.com) relating to running NPAPI Plugins under Chrome remain outstanding. 15745 Chrome does not support the HTML EMBED tag pluginspage attribute 15835 NPAPI Plugin support appears to be broken in the latest dev-channel version of Chrome. Renamed by the Chromium Dev team to nptest.dll plugin not loading in chrome. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
Are there any javascript errors in the developer console? (page - developer - javascript console) I couldn't see any errors in the javascript console. If you go to chrome://extensions/ do you see your extension listed? Yes, my plugin is listed in chrome://extensions, and all the information relating to it seems to be correct. It is also listed in about:plugins, and all the fields are correct including the Mime Type and Enabled=Yes. The plugin _appears_ to be installed correctly. All my plugin files are in directory C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings \Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions \igjjgeanpioifahcmklckncicojgffdi However, when Google invokes my plugin via the EMBED tag, it does not invoke my plugin. I have even uninstalled Chrome and re-installed it, and the problem persists. Your best bet is to file a bug with references to the needed files so that someone here can try to reproduce your problem. OK. I will see if I can produce a cut-down version of my plugin and submit a bug. Thanks, Kevin --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
Your best bet is to file a bug with references to the needed files so that someone here can try to reproduce your problem. OK. I will see if I can produce a cut-down version of my plugin and submit a bug. Done. Raised as Issue 15835 NPAPI Plugin support appears to be broken in the latest dev-channel version of Chrome. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
Chrome and Safari don't support the pluginspage attribute. The best way to get this small feature request on our radar is to file a bug. Will do. What is the procedure for filing a Chrome bug ? I did a search and found the page http://code.google.com/chromium which contains the link Make Chromium better by finding bugs and filing bug reports. Is that the right place ? Thanks, Kevin --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
My plugin stopped working as of the beginning of this week. This is peculiar, as I have not changed anything of significance in the plugin, and the plugin still runs fine under Firefox. My .CRX file appears to successfully install the plugin files into C: \Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data \Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions \npglpdedljnopmnaaeffdeggjkhnkpci. However, when I run my HTML page, Chrome does not invoke the plugin. I have examined the Chromium release notes at http://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel/release-notes but could not see anything of relevance. The only thing I can think is that it is something to do with Chrome updating itself to the latest version : 3.0.190.4 (Official Build 19293). Has anything changed in the latest dev-channel version of Chrome that has either: * broken the extension/plugin handling or * increased the security requirements of extensions/plugins (eg do they now need to be signed, etc) such that I need to do something extra when packaging my CRX file I'm struggling to track down what has caused it to stop working, so any suggestions would be welcome. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
The problem is security. NPAPI plug-ins can run arbitrary code on your machine. If we made it easier to install NPAPI plug-ins than to run EXEs, all the malware authors would flock to NPAPI just like they've flocked to ActiveX in the past, which used to be (still is?) easier to install than EXEs. I am not convinced that security is a valid reason for Chrome not to provide a mechanism for embedding NPAPI plugins (as IE and Firefox do). My plugin needs to support all the common browsers, and I am sure I am not alone with this requirement. Therefore, if Chrome does not provide an embedded mechanism, I am forced into developing a non- embedded solution. This is the reason why security is not a valid argument ... by not providing an embedding mechanism, you are not preventing NPAPI plugins being installed ... you are simply making it inconvenient for plugin developers and, more importantly, making it a less pleasant experience for users. For IE and Firefox, I am able to use an embedded solution (using OBJECT and EMBED HTML tags respectively). For Chrome, I am forced into using a non-embedded solution where I wrap my NPAPI plugin as an Extension (ie .crx file) and reference the .crx file using an HTML HREF tag accompanied by some if you are running under Chrome, click here text. Although this non-embedded approach allows my NPAPI plugin to be installed and run under Chrome, it is not ideal from the following respects: a) It requires a more manual and untidy if you are running under Chrome, click here approach, instead of the more automated clicking on an embedded object approach (which is provided by IE and Firefox) b) It does not allow an automated upgrade mechanism for the plugin In my view, Chrome is lacking in this area in comparison to its competitors, and I would request you to consider providing such an embedding mechanism. Regards, Kevin (Antix Labs Ltd) --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
This page seems to list this property as supported in Safari, but not IE or Firefox:http://aptana.com/reference/html/api/HTML.field.pluginspage.html I'm not sure what relevance that page is ... * Who published the page ? * How old is the information contained in it ? * What is the validity of the information it contains ? * The page does not actually mention Firefox. You could _infer_ that the page applies to Firefox as it mentions Mozilla. * As far as I'm aware the company/publisher of the page is nothing to do with Mozilla or Firefox. The following Mozilla page clearly lists the syntax for the EMBED tag as including pluginspage support: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Gecko_Plugin_API_Reference/Plug-in_Basics#Using_the_embed_Element_for_Plug-in_Display Firefox DOES support pluginspage ... I have been using it since I implemented my Firefox plugin several months ago. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
Can you create a test page that works differently in Firefox and Chrome? If so, that's a strong argument that we should change our behavior to match Firefox. Yes, I have been using such pages for the past 2 weeks in an endeavour to get my NPAPI Plugin to download over the internet under Chrome ... If I use Chrome to load the same page that I use for Firefox (which references a .XPI file which is the Firefox recommended packaging), it fails to install the plugin saying No plugin available to display this content. The page contains an EMBED tag similar to the following: embed id=MY_PLUGIN type=application/my-plugin width=640 height=480 pluginspage=http://mysite.com/test/npapi/firefox/ npmyplugin.xpi If I use a more Chrome-tailored EMBED tag (that references a .CRX file), it similarly fails to install the plugin saying No plugin available to display this content. The page contains an EMBED tag similar to the following: embed id=MY_PLUGIN type=application/my-plugin width=640 height=480 pluginspage=http://mysite.com/test/npapi/chrome/ npmyplugin.crx If you can create one that works differently in Safari and Chrome, that's an even stronger argument because we aim to be as compatible as possible with Safari. I haven't got round to supporting Safari yet, so cannot offer a view on that area at the moment. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
And it sounds like you've used it in IE as well? No. For IE, I use the HTML OBJECT tag and the codebase property, to load an ActiveX control equivalent of my NPAPI Plugin. For Firefox (and hopefully Chrome at some point), I use the HTML EMBED tag and the pluginspage property, to load my NPAPI Plugin. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
OK. Thanks for the information. Before I proceed to build an independent installer, please can you advise whether or not there are any plans for Chrome to provide such a mechanism for automatic NPAPI Plugin downloads at some point in the future ? --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] Re: How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
OK. Thanks for that Matt. At least now I know I was using the wrong mechanism. So what is the recommended way to download and install an NPAPI Plugin over the internet under Chrome ? There are 4 files that I need to download (the plugin dll plus 3 helper files): npmyplugin.dll mylibrary.dll myprogA.exe myprogB.exe --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe: http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
[chromium-dev] How do I deploy an NPAPI plugin over the internet from HTML ?
I have an NPAPI plugin (that I originally wrote for Firefox) which I
want to download to Chrome over the internet using an embedded object
(using either EMBED or OBJECT, I don't mind which).
My plugin works fine under Chrome once I've manually copied the files
to a location that Chrome knows about using either of the following
manual methods:
1) Using the Mozilla-defined plugin-finder system where you:
* Copy the plugin files to a directory on the local system
* Add registry entries to HKLM\SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins
to point to your plugin
or
2) Copy the plugin files to the plugins subdirectory of Chrome
The problem that I have is getting the plugin downloaded over the
internet and installed into a location that Chrome knows about.
IE has a mechanism for downloading an ActiveX Control (wrapped in
a .CAB file) via an OBJECT tag, and Firefox has a mechanism for
downloading an NPAPI Plugin (wrapped in an .XPI file) via an EMBED
tag.
Although Chrome supports NPAPI plugins, the thing that I am missing is
how to automatically deploy it over the internet using an EMBED tag.
That is, I want to avoid putting text on my web page saying something
like If you are using the Chrome browser, click here to install the
plugin CAB and get the user to manually click on that link to
install.
I am using the dev-channel release of Chrome version 3.0.189.0.
I have the --enable-extensions flag appended to my Chrome.exe command
line.
I packaged my plugin files plus a manifest.json file into a .crx file
using the method described in
http://dev.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/extensions/packaging
and use an EMBED tag in my HTML to invoke it. However, when I invoke
the HTML, Chrome does not download and install the extension and
plugin. It simply states No plugin available to display this
content.
My plugin is in the plugins subdirectory relative to my
manifest.json file at the point that I use Chrome.exe to produce
the .CRX file.
The EMBED tag I am using is as follows:
embed id=MY_PLUGIN type=application/my-plugin
width=640 height=480
pluginspage=http://mysite.com/test/npapi/chrome/
myplugin.crx
My manifest.json file contains:
{
name: My plugin - NPAPI Plugin,
description: My plugin - NPAPI Plugin,
version: 1.0.0.0,
format_version: 1,
id: 0100250D31938CE363354F8282F68C24EBF5B542,
plugins: [ { path: plugins/npmyplugin.dll, public:
false } ]
}
However, Chrome isn't downloading my CRX file and installing the
extension and plugin.
What am I doing wrong ?
--~--~-~--~~~---~--~~
Chromium Developers mailing list: chromium-dev@googlegroups.com
View archives, change email options, or unsubscribe:
http://groups.google.com/group/chromium-dev
-~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
