Firefox does not create a ~/.mozilla/plugins directory if it doesn't exist.

[James D]

When trying to install plugins (such as Flash) using the in-browser Firefox plugin finder service, all the steps go correctly, up till the install, which always fails. I have only tested this with Flash, but I'm pretty sure it affects all firefox plugins.

This is the contents of my /home/james/.mozilla/firefox/c24by11p.default/install.log
====
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/xpi/current/flashplayer-linux.xpi -- 2006-04-17 13:31:57
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Macromedia Flash Player (version 7.0.25.0)
     -----------------------

     ** initInstall: 0
     ** plugins folder: /home/james/.mozilla/firefox/c24by11p.default/../../plugins/
     ** Insufficient disk space: /home/james/.mozilla/firefox/c24by11p.default/../../plugins/
     ** required : 2061 K
     ** available: -5076652992092952 K

     Install **FAILED** with error -235 -- 2006-04-17 13:31:58

====

Note that it says I have negative disk space at /home/james/.mozilla/plugins/. The problem is, Firefox assumed that ~/.mozilla/plugins exists and didn't bother to double check this assumption. As it was, I did not. Creating said directory manually solved the problem.

To reproduce:
1) make sure you don't have any of the Ubuntu flash packages. (fresh install)
2) Go to www.homestarrunner.com ;-)
3) Try to "install the missing plugin".

I'm using Dapper with everything updated.

[Vladimír Lapáček (vil)]

Using current Dapper, firefox 1.5.dfsg+1.5.0.2-0ubuntu1, I can recreate the mentioned behaviour. Creating the ~/.mozilla/plugins makes firefox not complaining.

[Ian Jackson (ijackson)]

This is not the right way to install plugins. Really, the plugins should be installed via the ubuntu-provided wrapper packages.

I will think about disabling the plugin finder setup.

[James D (jamesgecko)]

Not the right way to install plugins? What harm does it do? Should extentions be disabled next?

The thing about disabling the plugin finder is, anyone who has used Firefox on Windows *expects* it to be there. The average user (Ubuntu's target audience, if I'm not mistaken) will go to a website that uses flash and decide Firefox is "broken" because it (a) can't display the site correctly and (b) does not provide any visual hints as to how to fix this.
I mean, it's not exactly easy for someone like my mom to add extra (non-free) repositories and apt-get stuff. Nor is Flash technical enough to justify this.

At the *very least*, if the firefox plugin finder is disabled, the yellow "you need a plugin" bar should link to detailed instructions on how to get flash installed.

[Vladimír Lapáček (vil)]

I'm joining Frem

I agree that using the wrapper packages is cleaner solution. However, as Frem mentioned Ubuntu is targeted just for *everyone*. Next, I'm not sure if the wrapper packages exists for all the firefox plug-ins available. If not, this would prevent you from installing non-standard plug-ins.

[Ian Jackson (ijackson)]

After consdering the question, I think I agree with you and we should make it work. Unfortunately there are some problems, notably:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=318093
`Plugin finder service should be more verbose about why manual installs of plugins are needed'

which makes it difficult to tell what's going on. Certainly currently in my test system strace reveals that whatever the problem is, it's probably not a missing plugins directory somewhere and probably not a permissions problem.

Also, note that at the time I'm writing this Mozilla upstream binaries can't manage it either. (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=320396)

I'm discussing this with upstream.

[Pascal d'Hermilly (pascal-tipisoft)]

I also confirm this and think that this is a problem that needs to be solved. installing via the plugin finder is much easier and shouldn't be a problem for anyone. You always have the option to download though apt anyway..

[KillerKiwi (killerkiwi2005)]

At the very least this is causing a lot of "ubuntu dosnt work" comments its a VERY visible problem.

Best solution I can think of is to pass eveything back to gnome-app-install (which would need patching to accept command line package selections)......

So clicking on an install flash bar would open
gnome-app-install flashplugin-nonfree

From there i guess its just a question of matching mime types to packages...

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

this needs to be triaged upstream. Probably there is already a report submitted.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

To note, I cannot reproduce this symptom on either FF2 or FF3 packages in fresh installs of 8.04.1 and 8.10 alpha.

[Vadim Peretokin (vperetokin)]

This isn't an issue either in FF3 on 8.10. It does not create the ~/.mozilla/plugins, but the installation of Flash is flawless and it works fine.

I guess it can be closed now that its not an affecting issue...

[gary (grcrosby)]

Just installed xubuntu 8.04 and there is no .mozilla/plugins directory installed. System is up to date with all upgrades installed.

No not going to 8.10. This box came from Kubuntu 7.04 and too much would not work when I tried it. As it is, the NVidia drivers still don't work, but I can live without them.

[James D (jamesgecko)]

This bug was fixed in subsequent Ubuntu releases.

[gary (grcrosby)]

subsequent is only up to 8.10 & that one killed off more of my
hardware than it helped, so not going there. thanks anyway.
2009/1/1 Frem <email address hidden>:
> This bug was fixed in subsequent Ubuntu releases.
>
> ** Changed in: firefox (Ubuntu)
> Status: Confirmed => Fix Released
>
> --
> Firefox does not create a ~/.mozilla/plugins directory if it doesn't exist.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/41828
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>