Modifying Extensions in FireFox/Mozilla/Thunderbird to work in new versions

[PCBruiser]

I have discovered how to modify older extensions to work in new versions of Firefox, Mozilla and Thunderbird. Do not expect this to work with all older extensions, but it will work with many that worked properly in recent versions of them. I did post this at the end of another thread, but for the benefit of members that might not see it there, I am posting this as a separate thread. Sorry to my fellow mods for this semi-duplicate post. Here is goes - it does take a little work, but it has worked for every extension that I have tried it with so far. Enjoy.

1. Download by "Save As" the old extension to a temporary location.

2. Open the old extension with WinRAR. You have to do this by opening WinRAR and then navigating to the .xpi file.

3. Extract from the .xpi archive the install.rtf file.

4. Edit the .rtf file with a plain text editor. Find the max version line and change the max version from 0.9{whatever} to 1.0 for FireFox, from 0.7 to 0.8 for T'Bird, or from 1.x.x to 1.9 for Mozilla.

5. Replace the old .rtf file in the .xpi file by dragging the edited version of install.rtf into the WinRAR window.

6. Drag the edited .xpi file onto the Extensions window and it will now install.

[PCBruiser]

If anyone is unsure exactly how to do this, zip the extension and attach it to your post. I will do my best to modify the extension for you and post back the modified one in zipped format. Please try it yourself first, I really don't want to be asked to modify extensions simply because someone is unwilling to try it first for themselves.

[Fraoch]

Well this is indeed strange. Yesterday I installed 1.0PR which disabled some of my extensions. I used system restore but then Firefox didn't work at all. So I reinstalled 0.9.3.

Today I install 1.0PR with the intention of modifying the extensions like PCBruiser suggests here but all my extensions are working fine with 1.0PR now?



All's well that ends well I guess?

[PCBruiser]

The new version CORRECTLY checks for updated extensions at the mozilla update site. I do know that the Extension developers have been updating most of the extensions. Like I said, it is simple and easy to do. On install, the new installer checks for corrected updates and installs them during the installation. So, I guess that is why everything worked as it should for you. The updated extensions were posted between yesterday and today. BTW, v0.8 of T'bird does the same thing on its' install.

[Fraoch]

Originally Posted by PCBruiser

The updated extensions were posted between yesterday and today.

What's strange is that only one change has been made to my installed extensions. CookieCuller is still at 1.0.2 (should be at 1.1.0 to enable 1.0PR functionality).

IIRC ieview, SpellBound and Copy Plain Text were also disabled when I installed 1.0PR. All are now working. It seems SpellBound has updated itself to 0.6.0, compliant with 1.0PR, but ieview and Copy Plain Text are still the same, yet they work.

Perhaps the check FF did at the Mozilla site didn't fully work?

Ah well, everything works and I'm happy, but I can't explain how I got here from there.

[PCBruiser]

I noticed that several of the extensions were changed without changing their version numbers because their functionality didn't change, they simply changed the version applicability in their .xpi installers. Others did change the version numbers and I'm not sure whether these also had feature changes as well.

[Fraoch]

Originally Posted by PCBruiser

I noticed that several of the extensions were changed without changing their version numbers because their functionality didn't change, they simply changed the version applicability in their .xpi installers. Others did change the version numbers and I'm not sure whether these also had feature changes as well.

I went through all my extensions. Only 1 wasn't working anymore - Download Manager Tweak. Well, it was still working but the menu was gone and there was some corruption at the bottom of the Window.

I updated this and all the other extensions and everything is A-1 now.

FF's automatic extension update feature doesn't work well for me, but I just go to the home page and download manually.

[PCBruiser]

I think I know why. The allow sites to install software option is now gone. The only URLs that FF will allow software to install from automatically is their single update site. With any other, if you try to install an .xpi (or anything else for that matter, whether knowingly or not) a yellow warning bar appears at the top of the window telling you that an installation has been blocked by FF. Now, you can still download and install manually, but except for their single update site, all auto download and install features are blocked, even I think Java based ones if I am correct about that. A good new security feature.

[Fraoch]

Originally Posted by PCBruiser

I think I know why. The allow sites to install software option is now gone. The only URLs that FF will allow software to install from automatically is their single update site. With any other, if you try to install an .xpi (or anything else for that matter, whether knowingly or not) a yellow warning bar appears at the top of the window telling you that an installation has been blocked by FF. Now, you can still download and install manually, but except for their single update site, all auto download and install features are blocked, even I think Java based ones if I am correct about that. A good new security feature.

You got it bang on. However you can put certain sites into your "excepted" list, but only one at a time.

When the yellow bar comes up, there's a button on the right which allows you to add the site to the excepted list.

It's not obvious that the automatic updates are using the same mechanism, but I'm sure that's exactly what it is.

[PCBruiser]

... and I just noticed that they added a new security feature to T'Bird in 0.8. It blocks all images in all email, even those you have made "non-junk" until you specifically permit them to be downloaded, and even then only for the single email. Another bright response to the security flaw that was announced today with executables hidden inside of jpegs.

[swannema]

Originally Posted by PCBruiser

... and I just noticed that they added a new security feature to T'Bird in 0.8. It blocks all images in all email, even those you have made "non-junk" until you specifically permit them to be downloaded, and even then only for the single email. Another bright response to the security flaw that was announced today with executables hidden inside of jpegs.

That was there before, I always blocked images in my e-mail.
And thanks for the info about the extensions.

[pointreyes]

Originally Posted by PCBruiser

... and I just noticed that they added a new security feature to T'Bird in 0.8. It blocks all images in all email, even those you have made "non-junk" until you specifically permit them to be downloaded, and even then only for the single email. Another bright response to the security flaw that was announced today with executables hidden inside of jpegs.

Outlook 2003 does the same thing. I think one of the security fixes on the Office updates page installs that fix on the older versions as well.

[Kapitein Prozac]

Does the same thing work with themes too?

[PCBruiser]

I haven't tried it with themes, but try it, you haven't got anything to lose. It should be the same procedure. Let me know if you have problems by posting here, and upload the theme in a zip file and I'll see what I can figure out if it doesn't work for you.

[Kapitein Prozac]

Yep, it worked. I had my favorite theme (Luna) already installed so upgrading to Firefox 1.0 PR disabled that theme. The theme jarfile was located in one of the folders in the extensions folder in my profile. I changed the maxversion your way to 1.1. After that I had to change the maxversion and "em:disabled=..." (to be able to select the theme again) in Extensions.rdf in the extensions folder.

Edit; there are some flaws in the theme now though so a new version of the theme is needed.