Installing extensions: Difference between revisions

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There are several ways of installing extensions, and these depend on how Firefox is used.
:''This article was written for Firefox and Thunderbird but also applies to SeaMonkey 2.''


If you have any issues related to installation or update of an extension you should first check on the home page for that extension.
By default, extensions are installed for the current user only, but they can also be installed across multiple profiles and even globally.


== Single user==
Once installed, extensions can be configured by selecting "Extensions" from the the Add-ons Manager ("Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions") selecting the extension from the list, and then clicking the "Options" button. (If this button is disabled then the extension is not user-configurable.)


If you are the only person using your machine, or you don't care about other users.
If you experience problems installing or [[Updating add-ons| updating  an extension]] read [[Unable to install themes or extensions - Firefox |this article]] for a list of possible causes and solutions before visiting the author’s web page for that extension to check for known issues.


=== Easy install ===
==Single-user installation==
* {{Firefox}}: To install an extension in the current user profile, simply click the Install button on [https://addons.mozilla.org Firefox Add-ons] or by saving the extension (which has a ".xpi" file extension) to your computer and dragging it into any Firefox window or opening it from the File menu.
* {{Thunderbird}}: Download the extension, open Add-ons and click its the Install button. [[Extensions (Thunderbird) | Details...]]


The easiest way to install the extension is to click on the '''Install''' button. This automatically downloads the extension and installs it against your user configuration.
Extensions installed in this way will not appear in any other profiles which currently exist or which are later created.


Don't forget to configure the extension after it is installed.
==Multi-user installation==
Multi-user installations are useful if more than one person uses your application. You should install and use the [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/421 MR Tech's Toolkit] extension to configure your extension installations for multiple users. Alternatively you could simply allow multiple users to use the same profile; you must ensure that the [[profile folder]] is accessible to each of them on your system.


=== Alternative install ===
==Global installation==
A global installation will install an extension to the application directory rather than within a profile, so it will be available to all users. To perform a global installation you should not activate the .xpi installer file within your Mozilla application. Instead, download and save it to disk and ensure that you [[Kill application | close the application completely]].


Instead of clicking the extension to install it, download it and save it. Open Firefox and drag the extension file into the Firefox window. It will be installed.
Then follow one of the following options:
* Copy the .xpi file into the [[Installation_directory|<installation directory>]]\extensions folder ([[Installation_directory|<installation directory>]]'''\browser\extensions''' folder, in Firefox 21 and above  [http://mike.kaply.com/2013/05/13/more-major-changes-coming-in-firefox-21/]).  When you start your Mozilla application again, it displays an installation dialog, asking "The following items were found in your Extensions folder. Do you want to install them?"
* '''Deprecated''' ([https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Command_Line_Options#Add-ons as of Gecko 1.9.2, FF 3.6.x, TB 3.1.x)]: Restart your Mozilla application with the following [[command line arguments]]:
  -install-global-extension "<path-to-extension>\extname.xpi"
where "extname.xpi" is the name of the installer file. This command line option has been dropped as of Gecko 1.9.2.


== Multi user ==
Depending on the extension, each user may need to configure a globally-installed extension independently.


If several people use the machine and are likely to want the same extensions. You can install extensions globally (once) and save user effort and disc space and maintenance effort. Instead of clicking the extension to install it, download it and save it. Repeat the download for as many extensions as you want.
If you want to do a silent administrative install that immediately makes the extension available to limited users, you need either:


=== Using shared profiles ===
* to uncompress the .xpi file yourself (as a ZIP file) to an appropriately named (extension's ID) folder. On Linux/Unix platforms you can use a helper script to [[Determine extension ID|determine extension IDs]] in an automated fashion.


If using profiles, a profile can be set to use another profiles directory; just make sure the profile directory is accessible to the other user.
* start Firefox as a user who has write permissions to [[Installation_directory|<installation directory>]]\extensions and agree to have the items installed; then Firefox will uncompress the .xpi file to the extension's folder.


=== Use the ''Mr Tech Local'' extension ===
==Changing installation status==
If you wish to change the installation type of an extension from single-user to global (or vice versa), or move or copy it from one user [[profile]] to another, you should uninstall the extension and perform one of the installation methods above.


Install the Mr Tech Local extension, and use that to configure your extensions for multiple users.
Advanced users may wish to try moving the extension files manually between the appropriate locations, as described below. Note that although this procedure should work on version 1.5 and above of Firefox and Thunderbird, and perhaps on versions 1.0.x, '''it is not guaranteed, and it could break your extension, your profile or even your application.'''


=== Global install ===
==Location of extension files==
Extension files are located in the "extensions" subfolder of the [[profile folder]] (single-user) and in the "extensions" subfolder of the [[installation directory]] (global); there is one folder per extension, named using their ID codes. To tell which is which, look inside each folder&rsquo;s "chrome" subfolder where you will find some human-readable information regarding the extension.


Having downloaded the extensions you want, open a command / terminal window and type '<path-to-firefox>firefox -install-global-extension "<path-to-extension>extension.xpi" '. This installs the extension to the application directory and will be available to all users.
Note: Starting in Gecko 2.0 (Firefox 4 / Thunderbird 3.3 / SeaMonkey 2.1), XPI files are no longer unpacked when extensions are installed. Instead, the XPI itself is placed in the extensions directory, and files are loaded directly out of the package.  See [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Extensions/Updating_extensions_for_Firefox_4 Updating extensions for Firefox 4] for details.  [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/extension_packaging]


Don't forget to configure the extension after it is installed - all users may need to do this.
==External links==
*[https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Installing_extensions Installing extensions - MDN Docs]
*[https://developer.mozilla.org/en/extension_packaging Extension Packaging - MDN Docs]
===Related bug reports===
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=476430 Bug 476430 - Make third-party add-ons disabled on startup, and allow users to activate them]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=519357 Bug 519357 - (compdir-lockdown) Only load known components from app directory]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=533038 Bug 533038 - (packedxpi) Extensions should not be extracted into the profile directory, but installed/stored as XPI file]


=== Manual movement of extension installs ===
If you have installed an extension locally (i.e. single user) or globally and want to move it between users or global access, the files can be manually copied or moved. The preferred way has to be to uninstall and install it properly.
*THIS IS NOT GUARANTEED, AND MAY BREAK THE EXTENSION - IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY*
In the 'extensions' folder there is one folder per extension, but they are named by their id codes. To tell which is which, they all have a subfolder called 'chrome'. That will give you some readable names that (mostly) refer to the extension.
Copy, or move, the appropriate folders from the 'extensions' folder in one profile to the 'extensions' profile in the second profile.
NOTE: This information is written about Firefox on Windows XP. The technical information may be different for other systems.


[[Category:Installation and update (Firefox)]]
[[Category:Extensions (Firefox)]]
[[Category:Extensions (Firefox)]]
[[Category:Extensions (Thunderbird)]]
[[Category:SeaMonkey]]

Latest revision as of 11:41, 19 April 2014

This article was written for Firefox and Thunderbird but also applies to SeaMonkey 2.

By default, extensions are installed for the current user only, but they can also be installed across multiple profiles and even globally.

Once installed, extensions can be configured by selecting "Extensions" from the the Add-ons Manager ("Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions") selecting the extension from the list, and then clicking the "Options" button. (If this button is disabled then the extension is not user-configurable.)

If you experience problems installing or updating an extension read this article for a list of possible causes and solutions before visiting the author’s web page for that extension to check for known issues.

Single-user installation

  • Firefox: To install an extension in the current user profile, simply click the Install button on Firefox Add-ons or by saving the extension (which has a ".xpi" file extension) to your computer and dragging it into any Firefox window or opening it from the File menu.
  • Thunderbird: Download the extension, open Add-ons and click its the Install button. Details...

Extensions installed in this way will not appear in any other profiles which currently exist or which are later created.

Multi-user installation

Multi-user installations are useful if more than one person uses your application. You should install and use the MR Tech's Toolkit extension to configure your extension installations for multiple users. Alternatively you could simply allow multiple users to use the same profile; you must ensure that the profile folder is accessible to each of them on your system.

Global installation

A global installation will install an extension to the application directory rather than within a profile, so it will be available to all users. To perform a global installation you should not activate the .xpi installer file within your Mozilla application. Instead, download and save it to disk and ensure that you close the application completely.

Then follow one of the following options:

 -install-global-extension "<path-to-extension>\extname.xpi"

where "extname.xpi" is the name of the installer file. This command line option has been dropped as of Gecko 1.9.2.

Depending on the extension, each user may need to configure a globally-installed extension independently.

If you want to do a silent administrative install that immediately makes the extension available to limited users, you need either:

  • to uncompress the .xpi file yourself (as a ZIP file) to an appropriately named (extension's ID) folder. On Linux/Unix platforms you can use a helper script to determine extension IDs in an automated fashion.
  • start Firefox as a user who has write permissions to <installation directory>\extensions and agree to have the items installed; then Firefox will uncompress the .xpi file to the extension's folder.

Changing installation status

If you wish to change the installation type of an extension from single-user to global (or vice versa), or move or copy it from one user profile to another, you should uninstall the extension and perform one of the installation methods above.

Advanced users may wish to try moving the extension files manually between the appropriate locations, as described below. Note that although this procedure should work on version 1.5 and above of Firefox and Thunderbird, and perhaps on versions 1.0.x, it is not guaranteed, and it could break your extension, your profile or even your application.

Location of extension files

Extension files are located in the "extensions" subfolder of the profile folder (single-user) and in the "extensions" subfolder of the installation directory (global); there is one folder per extension, named using their ID codes. To tell which is which, look inside each folder’s "chrome" subfolder where you will find some human-readable information regarding the extension.

Note: Starting in Gecko 2.0 (Firefox 4 / Thunderbird 3.3 / SeaMonkey 2.1), XPI files are no longer unpacked when extensions are installed. Instead, the XPI itself is placed in the extensions directory, and files are loaded directly out of the package. See Updating extensions for Firefox 4 for details. [2]

External links

Related bug reports