mozilla Firefox Nightly Marks Legacy Add-ons

[vissha]

Firefox Nightly Marks Legacy Add-ons

 

The most recent version of Firefox Nightly, the browser's cutting edge version, highlights the add-ons that are not WebExtensions with the Legacy tag.

 

One of the concerns that Firefox users who run one or multiple add-ons in the browser have currently is whether their add-ons will make the cut when Firefox 57 comes along.

 

It is in this version of Firefox, out November 2017, that Mozilla plans to drop support for so-called legacy add-ons.

 

The move blocks any non-WebExtension add-ons from working in the browser. In fact, users won't be able to install legacy add-ons when Firefox 57 hits, and the add-ons that they had installed before the upgrade to the new version of the browser won't be there anymore after the upgrade.

 

It is a clear cut that Mozilla plans, one that is welcome by some and disliked by others. For Mozilla, moving Firefox's extensions system to WebExtension exclusively means a reduction in extension caused crashes and performance issues, the freeing up of development time because extension compatibility is less of an issue, and that users won't face that many issues anymore caused by add-ons.

 

The naysayers of the move point out that Firefox will lose part of its add-on ecosystem, and with it add-ons. Extension won't be as powerful anymore, and are restricted in what they can do as they rely solely on the APIs that Mozilla creates. Some features that legacy add-ons offered are simply not implementable with the new WebExtensions system.

 

Firefox users who run add-ons currently are also concerned when it comes to the add-ons that they are using in the browser. Will those make the cut, or won't they?

 

It was quite difficult up until now to come up with an answer. The release of the latest Firefox Nightly version changes that, as legacy add-ons are tagged as that in the browser's add-on manager.

 

 

If you want to verify whether your add-ons will make the cut if the cut would happen today, do the following (only in Firefox Nightly currently):

1. Load about:addons in the Firefox address bar.
2. Firefox should highlight all legacy add-ons right in the interface.

Note: If you run Classic Theme Restorer, or another add-on that modifies the browser UI, you may not see the legacy tag there. You may see it with a click on the more link though.

1. Click on the "more" link next to an add-on.
2. Firefox displays Legacy next to the add-on if it is a legacy add-on.

 

Please note that some developers are working on porting their extensions to the WebExtensions system. While these may be listed as legacy currently, they may be released as WebExtensions before the cut so that you may continue using them.

 

Still, the tagging of add-ons as legacy makes a whole lot of sense. Mozilla should, and probably will, move the tagging to Beta and Stable versions of Firefox in the near future.

 

Now Read: If Firefox 57 would be released today, these extensions would be compatible

 

Source

[RejZoR]

People at Mozilla don't realize that when they'll kill "legacy" extensions and got he route of Chrome, they'll essentially kill the point of Firefox. If rumors about the extensions they want are true. Because when you use extensions in Firefox, they actually integrate with perfection. Whatever they improve, it always feels like an integral part of the browser, like it was done by Mozilla themselves. But in Chrome, every single bloody extension feels like a hack job. They are always clumsy, half integrated or you can just see dev had to use tricks to even make it work. And extensions in Chrome keep on breaking themselves. Just try using uBlock and Ghostery at the same time. uBlock will constantly bitch about some stuff being broken. And same goes for PrivacyBadger or avast! Online Security extension which all do similar things (block trackers). And the fact you need new extension for every little fuckery in Chrome really pisses me off. My list is filled with like 15 extensions just to make browser somewhat comfortable for daily browsing. Opera only had 3 or 4 because they bundle some features like adblocking and mouse gestures which is nice. Firefox has 10, but I don't care because they don't make it fat bloat and they integrate well. Placing high hopes into Vivaldi, but it's another Chrome based one so same garbage extensions. Firefox is really the only unique one here and they want to kill that too. I just don't understand what they think keeps us with Firefox instead of Chrome... They keep on trying to copy Chrome's idiotic things instead of being unique and just better. Where do you think that dumb close last tab button (which closes whole browser) came from in Firefox? Yup, fucking Chrome. Mozilla, DON'T!

[pc71520]

If Firefox becomes just another Chrome-clone, then, what's the point of using Firefox in the 1^st place?

Mozilla should improve what differentiates Firefox from Chrome; not what makes them similar to Chrome.

[Karlston]

Yep, will be stopping at Mozilla Firefox 56 and avoiding Mozilla Chrome 57.

[steven36]

1 hour ago, Karlston said:

Yep, will be stopping at Mozilla Firefox 56 and avoiding Mozilla Chrome 57.

I stooped  at version 52 ESR! Why wait tell version 56?  Only I have newer versions of Firefox in portables  just like I have Chrome. browsers I'm not a fanboy  of anything  and is open to alternatives as long as they don't  have too much restrictions   .

 

Just like  chromium browser comes in Ubuntu Budgie  some other browser may replace Firefox soon in  all versions of Linux  . Who ever heard of open source that are getting so much restrictions that no one wants too fork it's new code . Chromium browser have many forks  not just Google

[Bausch]

So they want to make changes to how Firefox works and the old extensions are in the way. Why not use another language/framework that is as powerful as the old one, and still let Mozilla make the changes they need to make. They are basically stripping Firefox of everything that makes relevant. 56 will be the last for me.