Fx 10+ "Make Add-ons Compatible by Default" (Was sticky)

[Frank Lion]

Hmm, this is a tough call - not.

Analyze this - Put Firefox to one side. Why do people not use buggy software programs, when the rest of the program works OK and only a few bits of it are buggy? It is because it introduces unpredictability and uncertainty in the minds of those users. Users, er, like us, who have all discarded programs in the past because of this.

Knowing this, why would anyone in their right mind want to sanction allowing totally untested extensions to be declared compatible with new versions of Firefox? The word 'compatible' to a user means they work.

It is not only extensions with 'binary components' that break on the latest versions and anyone who has actually tested extensions knows that breakings occur in areas totally unrelated to the original functioning areas of that extension....in a sort of 'unpredictable and uncertain' way.

Own goal brought about by not thinking through, yet again, the ramifications of decisions made much earlier and resulting (yet again) in another panic 'sticking plaster' fix.

[patrickjdempsey]

A perfect example is the Feedback extension that Mozilla distributes with every beta for awhile now that seems to always be broken and always cause problems. Ironically I guess it can't send reports back to Mozilla that I've uninstalled it every time it's been put on my machine.

[great1234445]

I am getting fed up with FIrefox deciding that my add-on Extensions are incompatible. In an earlier release I was able to use an add-on compatability checker that would let me overrride the "incompatible" tag, and report the extension as working to firefox. Now I cannot find that anywhere, as Firefox deleted it. In the majority of cases, the extensions had worked without problem, it was just htat the central team had not tested it.

Now, it has just made incompatible one of my "cannot really do without" extensions, and that is so irritating. It incremented a selected number in the html address of the web site. Great for going through pages without having to go back to the index each time.

Can anyone point me at the old extension manager that I used to have (I cannot remember its name which is sad but a sign of age)?

Please Firefox team, let us have an option to try to use so called incompatibe extensions and report them as broken or working?

[great1234445]

I have installed Add-on Compatibility Reporter from Mozilla. Found it by searching various words in the add-ons search facility of firefox.

It has allowed me to use a supposedly incompatible extension, and check to see if it works. It did - brilliant . Then I was able to report it to Firefox as working, so that might help others.

[patrickjdempsey]

1. We are not Mozilla: http://www.mozillazine.org/about/

2. Firefox doesn't "decide" add-ons are incompatible. The authors of those add-ons MARKED them as only compatible with certain versions of Firefox. If the authors of the add-ons you need aren't updating in a timely fashion or have abandoned their products, then it's time to move on, or complain to the person who is actually at fault here, the developer of the add-on.

3. Add-ons hosted on addons.mozilla.org ARE tested for code-level compatibility and automatically bumped before the next version is released. Again, if your add-ons are not being updated then it's time to find a replacement, preferably one hosted on addons.mozilla.org.

4. The "reports" of Add-on Compatibility Reporter are virtually useless to add-ons authors, and I'm sure I don't speak for all add-ons developers, but I have looked at them maybe twice since they started them and was so frustrated with them I never went back, and don't plan on it. Basically, any add-on author who actually *cares* whether their add-on is compatible would simply test it themselves. The problem is, you are dealing with someone who either doesn't care, or doesn't have the time to care. If you want to send a message to the author then you need to find a way to contact them and send them a message.

[rob64rock]

Here's some needed info for those that don't know or are just curious....

Add-ons Default to Compatible feature applies to Fx10 or any later Fx versions....

The Add-on types Not Enabled include the following:

• Add-ons marked to work with a Firefox version less than 4.0(Unless it max compatibility is set to Fx 10.*)
• Add-ons with binary components(native code)
• Add-ons explicitly marked by the author as incompatible, i.e. opt-out of Compatible By Default by adding <em:strictCompatibility>true</em:strictCompatibility> to the add-on's install.rdf file.
• Add-ons tested and determined to not be compatible with a given version of Firefox, and marked as incompatible by Mozilla(Not AMO site min & max add-on compatibility listing)
• Themes

Also, the "You have Incompatible Add-ons message" AFTER Firefox updating doesn't yet take in to account the "Fx10+ Default to Compatible" feature. So some of those listed incompatible Add-ons may not actually get disabled after updating Fx.

Also, if you are using the add-on Add-on Compatibility Reporter it is now only used to report if an Add-on no longer works.(It doesn't override the "Fx10+ Default to Compatible" feature or allow you to install incompatible Add-ons)

So, use this add-on to override "Fx Add-on Compatibility Checking" completely, so you can Enabled/Install and Test incompatible add-ons such has Themes, which aren't covered by the "Fx10+ Default to Compatible" feature.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/checkcompatibility/

• Note:(Even though it's a restart-less add-on, After install restart browser anyways to ensure all incompatible add-ons are enabled)

[bifus]

To emphasize: The Add-On Compatibility Reporter NO LONGER makes non-working add-ons work. Most users might as well remove it.

Second: Unless your settings are screwed up, in Firefox 10 almost all add-ons (except Roboform) should automatically think they are compatible. If more than two add-ons say they are incompatible, suspect corrupt files in your profile and not that they actually are.

[rob64rock]

If more than two add-ons say they are incompatible, suspect corrupt files in your profile and not that they actually are.

That isn't always the case:

I had 13 Incompatible Add-ons installed and enabled prior to the "Make Add-ons Compatible by Default" feature landed on Fx10+, but afterwards I only had 4 Add-ons indicating that they were still incompatible. That may have to do with the fact that I had 62 extensions and 6 Themes and 12 plugins installed though.

• Basically the "Make Add-ons Compatible by Default" Fx feature only means you will see less of of your installed Add-ons indicating that they are incompatible.

[lovemyfoxy]

I find this topic confusing. I have v. 9.01, so can I still install ACR? What's the downside of its reporting Add-on X as compat when it's not?

BTW--I have a new variation on the issue: add-on is reported as being incompat, supposedly disabled, yet is running fine. Of course that add-on is not a problem.

We all spend more time maintaining our computers than actually using them.

[WaltS48]

You can still install ACR. I think it only reports that the extension is "Marked as compatible by the developer", or you can report "This add-on no longer works".

[rob64rock]

I find this topic confusing. I have v. 9.01, so can I still install ACR? What's the downside of its reporting Add-on X as compat when it's not?

BTW--I have a new variation on the issue: add-on is reported as being incompat, supposedly disabled, yet is running fine. Of course that add-on is not a problem.

We all spend more time maintaining our computers than actually using them.

There's no one preventing you from installing ACR, except for you depending on what end results(Ex: ACR behavior prior to Fx10) you want to have.

• On Fx 9, ACR would allow you to Install Add-ons marked incompatible by it's Add-on developer on AMO site and it would Enable all Add-ons marked incompatible in the Fx Add-on Manager. It also works has a reporting tool(Add-ons works or don't work).

There's no real down-side of using ACR to report(Add-ons works or don't work) for Add-ons marked incompatible by it's Add-on developer or for Add-ons marked incompatible in the Fx Add-on Manager. It just notifies Mozilla and the Add-on developer that the Add-on Compatibility may need to be changed on AMO site and also may need to be changed in regards to the "Fx10 - Add-ons Default to Compatible" feature.

• On Fx10, ACR no longer allows you Install Add-ons marked incompatible by it's Add-on developer on AMO site and it no longer Enables any Add-ons marked incompatible in the Fx Add-on Manager. So, basically now it works only as a reporting tool(Add-ons works or don't work).

So, if you want the ability to Install/Enable Incompatible Add-ons without the Reporting Tool function when you update to Fx10, I then recommend you to use this Add-on instead of ACR:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/checkcompatibility/

• Note:(Even though it's a restart-less add-on, After install restart browser anyways to ensure all incompatible add-ons are enabled)

I hope this clears up any confusions you may have...Let me know if you have any more Questions...OK...

[patrickjdempsey]

You can still install ACR. I think it only reports that the extension is "Marked as compatible by the developer", or you can report "This add-on no longer works".

Except that this data can only be used in 2 ways:

1. Mozilla uses it to give out meaningless statistics-based marketing announcements. I say meaningless because anyone who's actually looked at the reports knows it's a sea of false-negatives and false-positives.

2. An addon author can spend an hour figuring out how to get to the reports and sift through them. As mentioned above, most of the data is meaningless. On some rare occasions users mention real problems but since there is no way to contact the anonymous reporter, there is no way to figure out how to reproduce the issue, which makes those reports more frustrating than useful. Since real feedback is a bust, and it is dramatically faster and easier an an author to just test for themselves, they serve no purpose... and honestly never have.

It's a marketing tool that has outlived it's limited usefulness and Mozilla should remove it from AMO.

[moltres_rider]

this thread talks about making addons compatible by default BUT DOES NOT SAY HOW TO DO IT ANYWHERE!!!! I have several disabled addons where people say they do work!!!! but I cannot get them to be enabled!!!!! Firefox automatically disables them even though people say they work!!!! I don't know how to get those to work like people are saying they do!!!! how is that done??? It doesn't say anywhere!!!

[rob64rock]

this thread talks about making addons compatible by default BUT DOES NOT SAY HOW TO DO IT ANYWHERE!!!! I have several disabled addons where people say they do work!!!! but I cannot get them to be enabled!!!!! Firefox automatically disables them even though people say they work!!!! I don't know how to get those to work like people are saying they do!!!! how is that done??? It doesn't say anywhere!!!

List those add-ons, and we can tell you why they aren't enabled by default on Fx10+....

Or you could just use this add-on:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/checkcompatibility/

• Note:(Even though it's a restart-less add-on, After install restart browser anyways to ensure all incompatible add-ons are enabled)

[patrickjdempsey]

You might want to make you own support thread, it sounds like you actually have a problem.