how does mozilla find external plugins

[ivan_hollins]

This is essentially my final question about the Mozilla Firefox browser, until i am finally comfortable with it... so any help will be much appreciated. When installed, it can automatically pick up a range of plugins such as QuickTime, J2RE, Windows Media and RealPlayer. How is it doing this, does Mozilla have standard locations of where to look for popular plugins beyond the standard plugins folder when it loads? Is there any way to prevent it doing this/what plugins does it automatically search for etc?


THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[Äkiidoll]

The browser is pointed here when needing
an un-insatlled plugin only after you choose
to accept to install the plugin that it detects
is missing.
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/plugins.jsp
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=856751

[ivan_hollins]

Sorry CaetckCurl, this is not the question is asked, basically Mozilla runs plugins from its plugins folder, but also "popular" plugins like QuickTime, Real, Adobe Reader, which do not reside in the plugins folder. How do you disable this feature?

[bytemaster]

Actually, besides Java, I don't think it looks for "popular" plugins, but on Windows it will also use plugins that register themselves in the Windows registry.

[AnonEmoose]

This is essentially my final question about the Mozilla Firefox browser, until i am finally comfortable with it... so any help will be much appreciated. When installed, it can automatically pick up a range of plugins such as QuickTime, J2RE, Windows Media and RealPlayer. How is it doing this, does Mozilla have standard locations of where to look for popular plugins beyond the standard plugins folder when it loads? Is there any way to prevent it doing this/what plugins does it automatically search for etc?


THANKS IN ADVANCE!

yes

the prefs are located in all.js (CAREFUL WHEN Editing this file as it has funny line breaks so make a back up before editing)
modifying the lines as i have, and u will not have any plugins picked up other than those in your plugins folder

Code: Select all

// Locate Java by scanning the Sun JRE installation directory with a minimum version
// Note: Does not scan if security.enable_java is not true
//pref("plugin.scan.SunJRE", "1.3");

// Locate plugins by scanning the Adobe Acrobat installation directory with a minimum version
//pref("plugin.scan.Acrobat", "5.0");

// Locate plugins by scanning the Quicktime installation directory with a minimum version
//pref("plugin.scan.Quicktime", "5.0");

// Locate and scan the Window Media Player installation directory for plugins with a minimum version
//pref("plugin.scan.WindowsMediaPlayer", "7.0");

// Locate plugins by the directories specified in the Windows registry for PLIDs
// Which is currently HKLM\Software\MozillaPlugins\xxxPLIDxxx\Path
//pref("plugin.scan.plid.all", true);

// Controls the scanning of the Navigator 4.x directory for plugins
// When pref is missing, the default is to pickup popular plugins such as
// Flash, Shockwave, Acrobat, and Quicktime. If set to true, ALL plugins
// will be picked up and if set to false the scan will not happen at all
pref("plugin.scan.4xPluginFolder", false);

alternately (probably a bit easier too) u can increase the value of the Java, Quicktime, WMP preferences to a very high number by typing about:config in your address bar & locating the proper line(s)... to turn off ALL old plugins that may reside in Netscape 4.x folders add the line pref("plugin.scan.4xPluginFolder", false); to your user.js (or create it new in about:config)

[Hendikins]

Information about plugin scanning.