Firefox & Thunderbird Add-on Converter for SeaMonkey

[Lemon Juice]

OK, updated my list. I used the suggested url test and also reinstalled the ones that just showed an outdated SM version number.

Thanks, this list is good!

Okay, time for update of the compatibility list on the first page, thanks to all for sharing extension names.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pagesaver/

Pearl Crescent Page Saver works after conversion, apart from a parsing error in prefs.xul which prevents this extension's options being accessed.

However, it still takes pics OK, both in 'Visible Portion' and 'Entire Page' modes, but only in .png (default) format. Not a problem for me, as I always use png for everything anyway - but without Options you will not get the usual .jpg alternative choice.

Again a common case of localizations being in different dtd files in Fx and SM. I've updated the converter so now Pearl Crescent Page Saver works fine along with its preferences!

[LoudNoise]

However, I don't plan on spending too much time maintaining it since... (snip)

From the first page

[Lemon Juice]

However, I don't plan on spending too much time maintaining it since... (snip)

From the first page

Hm, do you think I have exceeded what is regarded here as too much time? Some patches for the converter are very easy now and follow the same pattern so if that's the case then it's a matter of minutes to add support for an extension like Pearl Crescent Page Saver

[Anonymosity]

Only a few of my extensions work now with the latest SeaMonkey. Yet SeaMonkey did not tell me the extensions would not work when I upgraded. Was this because most of the extensions were installed using SeaMonkey converter?

Do I need to use SeaMonkey converter again on these extensions? I would never have upgraded had I realized that few extensions would work including Ghostery (which is not one I used the converter on but is the most important extension I have).

SeaMonkey will not notify of updates to extensions for the "wrong" application, just as Firefox will not notify of theme updates for the "wrong" platform. I have to check manually (from the addons site) to see if those things are updated. The problem is probably related to that.

I have not had to use the converter again after updating SeaMonkey, for extensions that I converted to install there. Did you check the max version for the target application in install.rdf in the extensions? I bump up the max version before installing an addon to make sure that I will not have a problem after installing a new version of SeaMonkey. You can do that with the converter. I use a max version of 3.*. Your first problem is probably also related to that.

[tonymec]

Only a few of my extensions work now with the latest SeaMonkey. Yet SeaMonkey did not tell me the extensions would not work when I upgraded. Was this because most of the extensions were installed using SeaMonkey converter?

Do I need to use SeaMonkey converter again on these extensions? I would never have upgraded had I realized that few extensions would work including Ghostery (which is not one I used the converter on but is the most important extension I have).

SeaMonkey will not notify of updates to extensions for the "wrong" application, just as Firefox will not notify of theme updates for the "wrong" platform. I have to check manually (from the addons site) to see if those things are updated. The problem is probably related to that.

I have not had to use the converter again after updating SeaMonkey, for extensions that I converted to install there. Did you check the max version for the target application in install.rdf in the extensions? I bump up the max version before installing an addon to make sure that I will not have a problem after installing a new version of SeaMonkey. You can do that with the converter. I use a max version of 3.*. Your first problem is probably also related to that.

See also this KB article about overriding the compatibility check manually, and read the examples. The Nightly Tester Tools and (for Firefox) Add-on Compatibility Reporter extensions have "friendlier" UIs than about:config to disable that check. Of course, if you disable compatibility checking and an extensions starts to misbehave, it becomes your job to disable it manually.

[Lemon Juice]

Compatibility check (maxVersion) is not a problem in the majority of cases because extensions whose maxVersion is 2.1 or higher for SM (or 4 or higher for Fx) are compatible by default so even if maxVersion is 2.26 the addon will still work after upgrading SM to 2.29. Converted addons are (by default) compatible with 2.* versions so this covers all possible 2.x releases and potentially 3.* releases too by the "compatible by default" rule. There are some rare exceptions to this rule like extensions with binary components or themes that strictly obey maxVersion.

That's why it is not necessary to disable compatibility checking for the converted extensions to work nor to bump their maxVersion. If they stop working then it's for some other reason.

[patrickjdempsey]

Hmm. Any extension may choose to have strict compatibility if the <em:strictCompatibility>true</em:strictCompatibility> property is set in the install manifest. Might be something worth checking for and removing if discovered.

[tonymec]

Hmm. Any extension may choose to have strict compatibility if the <em:strictCompatibility>true</em:strictCompatibility> property is set in the install manifest. Might be something worth checking for and removing if discovered.

If they have it, it's often for a very good reason, such as binary components which require a particular XPCOM version (as in Lightning).

[patrickjdempsey]

I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about regular extensions. The reasons these restrictions may exist is usually because of Firefox interface changes. For instance, there are probably a few extensions floating around right now that have strict compatibility set so that someone doesn't install it into a pre-Austrailis version.

[Lemon Juice]

Hmm. Any extension may choose to have strict compatibility if the <em:strictCompatibility>true</em:strictCompatibility> property is set in the install manifest. Might be something worth checking for and removing if discovered.

But as I understand it - if maxVersion is set to 2.* then strictCompatibility should not cause problems in any branch of SM 2.x.x, right?

[Frank Lion]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pagesaver/

Again a common case of localizations being in different dtd files in Fx and SM. I've updated the converter so now Pearl Crescent Page Saver works fine along with its preferences!

Many thanks.

[tonymec]

Hmm. Any extension may choose to have strict compatibility if the <em:strictCompatibility>true</em:strictCompatibility> property is set in the install manifest. Might be something worth checking for and removing if discovered.

But as I understand it - if maxVersion is set to 2.* then strictCompatibility should not cause problems in any branch of SM 2.x.x, right?

The intended use of strictCompatibility is for extensions where the author knows for a fact that one of the very next versions, or maybe one already at the trunk or aurora stage, will be incompatible with the extension. "Normal" extensions should let the default-to-compatible feature do its stuff.
And yes, 2.* means everything until, but not including, 3.0 (if 3.0 ever happens). The problem it might cause is if it's too lax (we're now at 2.32a1; even with strictCompatibility, an incompatible change at, let's say, 2.45 won't be caught if the maxVersion is 2.*).

[Andy Boze]

I was sad to find that the JSView extension no longer works with SM 2.30. I came across an article that mentioned a similar extension for Firefox called Phoenix. I thought I'd mention that it seems to work just fine with SM after running it through the wonderful Add-on Converter.

[therube]

^--- jsview-2.1.1-unofficial for SeaMonkey 2.24+ and FF 27+

[Andy Boze]

Thanks! I like the Phoenix extension, but it's overkill for my needs. Glad to have JSView functioning again.