how to download your own .xpi files

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FlickHammer
Posts: 25
Joined: June 6th, 2006, 6:51 am

how to download your own .xpi files

Post by FlickHammer »

Have you ever tried to download a .xpi file so you can store it on your own computer?
(it used to be a nice easy right click and save as with the good old firefox)

Its nice and handy on your own drive and you can re-install it after a system restore without having to log into mozilla.org

Well I've been a huge fan of "copy links" and still run my old v1.5 firefox just so I can use it.
I was overjoyed to find its now available for v3.xx, all I have to do is download it.

Easy, have a go :wink:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... 1.5-fx.xpi

Ok once you log in you can install it but if you search your hard drive for a copy of the file its vanished, not even *.xpi finds anything.

It took me 20 minutes to figure out how to grab my own copy but I got it in the end :P

make a .html file in notepad and add the following

Code: Select all

<a href="https://YOUR-USERNAME:YOUR-PASSWORD@addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/file/32015/copy_links-0.1.5-fx.xpi">
Right click and save as</a>

*add your own username password and url to the .xpi file you want to grab)

load the html into firefox then open a new window and copy and paste the .xpi url into it
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... 1.5-fx.xpi

Log in and whilst its asking you if you want to install the add on right click the link in the other page and save as, is shows as an error unable to download the file in firefox but the download does work and the file will be saved to your drive

I works fore me anyway :D
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Bluefang
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by Bluefang »

The problem is that the extension you are trying to download is in the sandbox/experimental. Just login to AMO and you wouldn't have this problem.
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FlickHammer
Posts: 25
Joined: June 6th, 2006, 6:51 am

Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by FlickHammer »

Hi'

I was logged in but couldn't download it, you don't get a direct link.
Just try download the one I posted and you'll see what I mean.
Most people probably don't want to download them anyway :)
Anonymosity
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by Anonymosity »

I have been downloading all my add-ons because I like to have backup copies of the installers. If I need to reinstall them, the installers are handy that way.
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the-edmeister
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by the-edmeister »

I have extensions saved for versions of Firefox going all the way back to 0.8 .



Ed
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James
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by James »

FlickHammer wrote:Have you ever tried to download a .xpi file so you can store it on your own computer?
(it used to be a nice easy right click and save as with the good old firefox)

For the non-Experimental ones yes as Experimental means anywhere from old, not maintained anymore, new not yet reviewed ready for Public section.

FlickHammer wrote:Hi'

I was logged in but couldn't download it, you don't get a direct link.
Just try download the one I posted and you'll see what I mean.
Most people probably don't want to download them anyway :)

Logged in on addons.mozilla.org ? ..as you should then be able install into Firefox or right-click and Save Link As like with the Public extensions. You know your logged in when you see * My Account * Developer Tools * Log out on top.
Anonymosity
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by Anonymosity »

If you right-click that install button, you can choose Save from the menu and download that way. It works for me, anyway.
RDN
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by RDN »

I, too, have been keeping all my .xpi files for many years. It's useful in case there is a conflict between extensions and you need to remove one and re-install an old version.

HOWEVER, right-clicking on the "Install" button no longer appears to allow saving of the .xpi file. The link on the install button is now of this format:

https: //addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/latest/658

and no longer of this format:

https: //addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/file/5600/fasterfox-2.0.0-fx.xpi

So there is no longer a URI to the .xpi file

Can someone confirm this?
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mzfuser
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by mzfuser »

Yes I can confirm that but you can try this:

The way I get the direct links is to go to the bottom of the addons page and under "Advanced Details" I click the Version #### link (where #### is the version number). On the next page the green buttons will have direct links:

Image
RDN
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by RDN »

Thank you very much mzfuser!

So the link on the search results page no longer goes to the .xpi file, and neither does the link on the extension's own page at addons.mozilla.org.

But the link on the "Version History" page does.

So now it takes two more clicks to get to the page with the .xpi file link on it, but that's no big deal. The main thing is, I can save the file and re-install an old version if I get a conflict. (I have 97 extensions currently loaded! :) )

Thanks again, mzfuser.
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RDN
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Location: Thailand

Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by RDN »

I just discovered that some of the "Version History" links do not give the link to the .xpi file, e.g. Hyperwords: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... sions/1941

However, there are some sources of .xpi files that can be found, e.g. this one: http://mirror.umoss.org/mozilla/addons/1941/

So if you know the extension's number, the above link can be modified to get to that extension.
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Anonymosity
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by Anonymosity »

For that link you just posted, if you click the green button, you get another page with a user agreement on it. If you right-click the button at the bottom of that page, you can choose Save and download that extension.
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dickvl
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Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by dickvl »

If you download and save such a link then you will notice that you do get a working xpi file, only the name is wrong, so you need to rename the file.
I've sometimes seen occasions where the name was right, so it may may a timing issue: the dialog is displayed before the name is resolved.
https: //addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/latest/658
RDN
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Location: Thailand

Re: how to download your own .xpi files

Post by RDN »

Thanks Anonymosity and dickvl - you are dead right! Previously I had saved the link target and got a <extensionID>.htm file, e.g. "1941.htm" for the Hyperwords extension.

But, as you say, it is in fact the .xpi file!

Thanks for the tip.
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