'firefox -install-global-extension "extension_location"' does not work

[Matthew Koyle]

Package: firefox

In Ubuntu Edgy, attempts to install global extensions in firefox using the command line fail when following the procedures described at

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Installing_extensions#Global_installation
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/extensions/commandlineoptions.html

a similar problem is reported by users at

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2398824
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=301992

none of the following command lines worked:

sudo /usr/bin/firefox -install-global-extension /home/username/Desktop/fasterfox.xpi

sudo /usr/bin/firefox -install-global-extension '/home/username/Desktop/fasterfox.xpi'

sudo /usr/bin/firefox -install-global-extension "/home/username/Desktop/fasterfox.xpi"

sudo firefox -install-global-extension /home/username/Desktop/fasterfox.xpi

sudo firefox -install-global-extension '/home/username/Desktop/fasterfox.xpi'

sudo firefox -install-global-extension "/home/username/Desktop/fasterfox.xpi"

firefox -version returns "Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.1, Copyright (c) 1998 - 2006 mozilla.org"

This is a clean new installation of Edgy AMD64. The only plugin currently installed is the pre-packaged mozilla-plugin-gnash.

--Matthew

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Is this still an issue for you? We are trying to trying sort out the older Mozilla issues and would like to know if this still happens.

[Thai Duong (thaidn)]

I'm not the OP but this issue still affects me.

firefox -version
Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3, Copyright (c) 1998 - 2007 mozilla.org

[Matthew Koyle (mgkoyle)]

Yes, this seems to still apply. There is no error or anything. I attempt to install global extensions and they do not install.

Firefox -version now returns: Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3, Copyright (c) 1998 - 2007 mozilla.org

--Matthew

[jrgns (jurgens.du.toit)]

I'm also getting this error, although some sites (http://humanreadable.nfshost.com/howtos/firefox_gobal_extensions.htm) suggest that it may be the extensions thats at fault.

[toobuntu (toobuntu)]

I can confirm this issue. Installing extensions globally in Firefox on Ubuntu does not work at all.

Linux 2.6.20-16-lowlatency on i686
Ubuntu 7.04
Firefox/Swiftfox 2.0.0.4

[Dan O'Huiginn (daniel-ohuiginn)]

This problem seems partially resolved on gutsy (firefox 2.0.0.4+2-0ubuntu1), although it's pretty hard to understand what's going on.

Installing the latest greasemonkey extension:

$ firefox -install-global-extension /tmp/greasemonkey-0.7.20070523.0.xpi
 - this fails without any useful output (just the unrelated 'GSlice: g_thread_init()' warning)

$ sudo firefox -install-global-extension /tmp/greasemonkey-0.7.20070523.0.xpi
 - this succeeds, but again without any useful output.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

we switched back to default upstream start script in gutsy. Thus this issue was fixed. BTW, not being able to install a global extension without sudo (e.g. root privileges) is a feature.

[toobuntu (toobuntu)]

This problem still exists for me in Gutsy. Agreed that sudo is a feature, but how does this play out with individual user's prefs and customizations of the extensions?

Anyway, only two extensions installed globally with correct permissions for me in Gutsy. The others installed correctly to /usr/lib but with incorrect permissions for use by a non-root user. Manually adjusting the permissions did not make the extensions usable for non-root user, either. If this is an error in the extension maintainer's packaging, then it seems like a bit of a nightmare to get fixed. Can anyone provide more info about what's at play?

The 'lack of useful output' is IMO something that should be corrected.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

On Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 03:50:58PM -0000, toobuntu wrote:
> This problem still exists for me in Gutsy. Agreed that sudo is a
> feature, but how does this play out with individual user's prefs and
> customizations of the extensions?
>
> Anyway, only two extensions installed globally with correct permissions
> for me in Gutsy. The others installed correctly to /usr/lib but with
> incorrect permissions for use by a non-root user. Manually adjusting
> the permissions did not make the extensions usable for non-root user,
> either. If this is an error in the extension maintainer's packaging,
> then it seems like a bit of a nightmare to get fixed. Can anyone
> provide more info about what's at play?
>
> The 'lack of useful output' is IMO something that should be corrected.
>

please open a new bug and provide example extensions that a) work and
b) don't work.

Thanks,

 - Alexander

[Camp Navajo (campnavajo)]

After installing extensions globally as root, it seems you have to also run firefox as root at least once to get some extensions to finish installing. However, this causes permission problems.