What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

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Flemur
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Flemur »

Pierre wrote:An up-and-comer that needs to grow: Vivaldi
https://vivaldi.com/download/
I'm giving it a try-out and it looks pretty good, they fixed a few obnoxious things about chrome, the main one being chrome's lack of a side-bar. And the silly tab shape.

Right now I'm stuck using an old FF ESR version because the new ESR version (52) doesn't support alsa audio, tho supposedly that can be fixed by compiling from source with some flags.
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] if/when it is solved!
Your data and OS are backed up....right?
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by phd21 »

Hi "Houchou", & Everyone Else Interested in this,

Personally, I do not understand Firefox going strictly to web extensions without maintaining support for legacy add-ons, or some type of hybrid solution.

Most of my Firefox add-ons that I use and like will stop working when they update to this version. I now see in Firefox v55 Add-Ons a Legacy indicator showing which add-ons will probably stop working unless their add-on developers, or someone else, updates them. Some of course are already available as "chrome type web extensions".

Firefox_addons3sm.jpg
Firefox_addons1sm.jpg
Firefox_addons2sm.jpg
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bornconfuzd

Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by bornconfuzd »

I've been on the hunt for a while now for a replacement for Firefox. For now, at least, I've settled on Vivaldi. Been using it for the last 3 weeks or so and no real complaints yet. It's very fast, customizable and with decent privacy settings. Not saying I won't ever go back to Firefox, ever is a long time, but right now Vivaldi has become my daily driver & it works just fine.

I'm not one of those who's angry or "furious" at FF. I'm just disappointed, sad really. I've used FF almost exclusively for what, 10 years I guess! I mean the only time I ever open Internet Exploder on a Windows machine is to download Firefox and in Linux I'll use Chrome occasionally just to keep current and familiarized so I can help my wife with it now and then as she must use it in her job.

So for me really, it's more sad than mad, like I'm losing a friend.

But the thing I liked best about Firefox was the addons that let me customize it and add functionality to it to my hearts content. Without some of my addons Firefox becomes just another browser to me. I mean, if I'm going to have to use Chrome extensions anyway, it doesn't really matter which browser I'm using.

Well, that's not really true either as I really don't like Chrome! I DO like Vivaldi though. Enough so that I might not even look back.

I guess Mozilla has to do what they have to do..................but so do I.
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by catweazel »

bornconfuzd wrote:I really don't like Chrome!
I didn't like Chrome and was looking around for a new browser. I came across this: http://www.slimjet.com/en/dlpage.php

Slimjet is now my browser of choice. I still don't like Chrome, even though Slimjet is Chrome-based.
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by lmuserx4849 »

Current: FF55.0.2
I didn't think I was a big customizer... I'm not prone to flashy things. I try to stick to functional, usability and accessibility. Over the years, a lot of hours have been spent "customizing" and some of it just isn't worth the time. You sort of learn that over the years :-)

100% of my addons have a label next to them saying "Legacy", but most also say, "Compatible with multiprocess". This can't be good ;-) because AOIS said it will stop working as of 57 because it is not a web extension. Trying to be proactive, I tried to find a replacement for All-in-on-sidebar. Found: Bookmarks Sidebar Button. Everything I read from the previous link looked like it was okay, but when I installed it, the labels said, "Legacy" and "Not compatible".

I've read uBlock Origin and NoScript are working on becoming web extensions. Does this mean when 57 is installed that the addon's will be magically updated to the web extension version? Currently they are marked "Legacy" and "Compatible with multiprocess". Same with other addon's... Is this just a wait-and-see what works and doesn't work after the install?

Do statistics like those at w3schools browser stats play into your browser choice?
Do you use multiple browsers, maybe one for development, one to visit banks, one for enjoyment, etc?

Linux Firefox Alternatives
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jameskga
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by jameskga »

BetterPrivacy-signed was a great add-on, and now it's gone

https://addons.mozilla.org/En-US/firefo ... erprivacy/

It deleted LSOs and/or Flash cookies. Does this mean there are no more protections against LSOs? They track users so efficiently, and as far as I know, there is no replacement for that add-on.

Any help would be very much appreciated.
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Schultz
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Schultz »

jameskga wrote:
It deleted LSOs and/or Flash cookies.
With Firefox open, doesn't pressing Ctrl + Shift + Delete and selecting "Everything" do the same thing?
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by jameskga »

It seems like I read somewhere that it doesn't do that, and that is why BetterPrivacy-signed existed. Just for that one purpose

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_sha ... y_concerns
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Pierre »

catweazel wrote:I didn't like Chrome and was looking around for a new browser. I came across this: http://www.slimjet.com/en/dlpage.php

Slimjet is now my browser of choice. I still don't like Chrome, even though Slimjet is Chrome-based.
that's a nice browser, too & it also has an inbuilt ad-blocker, as well.
but, it's not obvious, how you can change the default search engine, away from the basic three.
ie: add-in some extra search engine(s).
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by catweazel »

Pierre wrote: that's a nice browser, too & it also has an inbuilt ad-blocker, as well.
Indeed. It comes up all nice and shiny with a dark browser theme.
but, it's not obvious, how you can change the default search engine, away from the basic three.
ie: add-in some extra search engine(s).
There's a tiny breadcrumb next to the search engine icon in the top toolbar. Click the search engine icon...
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Pierre
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Pierre »

as well as that tiny breadcrumb, you can also:
- R/click the Top Bar - - Edit Search Engine. ..
most browsers will also offer to add some-new-search-engine if you goto that engine's homepage.

ie: Add to Chrome - - as Slimjet is Chrome-based. ..

whereas Vivaldi comes with several Search Engines - already installed.
8)

Note: that the LinuxMint project will most likely still come with Firefox as it's default browser.
& unlike some other Linux projects, that have now switched over to Chrome itself.
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Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved!
and DO LOOK at those Unanswered Topics - - you may be able to answer some!.
NietGiftig

Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by NietGiftig »

bornconfuzd wrote: But the thing I liked best about Firefox was the addons that let me customize it and add functionality to it to my hearts content. Without some of my addons Firefox becomes just another browser to me. I mean, if I'm going to have to use Chrome extensions anyway, it doesn't really matter which browser I'm using.
I think that is has to be the main answer to Mozzilla
All those hours developers have used to develop plugins are wasted by Mozzilla.

Now it will become Chrome but with the name Firefox.
Shame
I will use the Firefox ESR version until it ends next year, and then move on.
But not to Mozzilla, they do not earn my attention any-more
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Night Wing »

One doesn't need an extension to delete LSO's and/or super flash cookies. Try the link from Macromedia below. Once on the page, if you have any LSO's on your computer since it will list them, left click on "Delete all sites", another window will open up and then left click on "Confirm" and it will delete all the LSO's and/or super flash cookies on your computer.

http://www.macromedia.com/support/docum ... ger07.html
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by jameskga »

I already know about the link. OK, I should have said the add-on wasn't the ONLY way to delete LSOs, but it automated the process so that every time I closed Firefox, it deleted those heinous tracking cookies.

I don't want to go to Macromedia's page every time. I mean, to use that site you have to accept a permanent cookie that stores the settings you change there, and the corporation still continues to track you anyway.

That is why the add-on was good. It deleted everything, every time you closed Firefox. I shouldn't need to visit macromedia's website and ask their permission to do this or that with my computer. Has no one ever heard of another add-on that does this?
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Schultz »

@ jameskga: How about this? https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/privacy/

BTW, BleachBit deletes flash cookies.
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by jameskga »

I am not crazy about bleachbit (also it's not automated, and dangerously overkill). I want to get in touch with the BetterPrivacy-signed developer: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-gb/firefox/user/Netcat/ but I don't know how to do that yet. I only want to ask whether they intend to publish a version of this helpful add-on.

I think it is unreasonable for Firefox to ask open source developers to bend over backwards to accommodate a development shift whose end goals do not seem to be worth the trouble.

Open source is a twisting worm that bends in a thousand different directions and breaks into segments.
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by Schultz »

jameskga wrote:
I want to get in touch with the BetterPrivacy-signed developer:
Go to one of his/her other add-ons still listed. On the right you'll see a link for a support email.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-gb/firefo ... serprofile

BTW, you didn't mention anything about the other add-on I listed. Did you check it out?
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Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by jameskga »

I looked into it. I see that it hasn't been updated in eight years, though. I might try it out on a live disk first, just to see how it works.

I also emailed the author of the BetterPrivacy add-on because it is critical to my work to protect others' privacy and security as a matter of routine. If s/he asks me not to share their response, then I won't. If I don't like this new add-on you linked, I will be forced to consider moving away from Firefox to a browser with baked-in LSO management.

It seems cold and reckless to me to disable access to security and privacy apps like this. It's like something a thief would do. There is a large open window right now to privacy attacks.
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name12345

Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by name12345 »

lmuserx4849 wrote:Current: FF55.0.2
......

Do statistics like those at w3schools browser stats .........

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:(
I live in a world full of sheeple. Doomed.
name12345

Re: What you'll do when Firefox drops support for XUL addons?

Post by name12345 »

jameskga wrote:I already know about the link. OK, I should have said the add-on wasn't the ONLY way to delete LSOs, but it automated the process so that every time I closed Firefox, it deleted those heinous tracking cookies.

I don't want to go to Macromedia's page every time. I mean, to use that site you have to accept a permanent cookie that stores the settings you change there, and the corporation still continues to track you anyway.

That is why the add-on was good. It deleted everything, every time you closed Firefox. I shouldn't need to visit macromedia's website and ask their permission to do this or that with my computer. Has no one ever heard of another add-on that does this?
Do you use sites that still use flash? I ask because I've had it in the browser but disabled for several months now and never had a need to enable it. It's rare enough now that it ought to have a method to whitelist sites that it is allowed to work on.
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