Firefox 45.1.1 ESR issues

rbos

Hi,

I've updated our test lab to Zotero 4.0.29.10 after receiving a report that the plugin wasn't working; when I start Firefox (45.1.1 ESR, the most recent), it's failing to load.

Screenshot:

http://www.sfu.ca/~rbos/2016-06-07_083243.png

rbos

Apparently Firefox 45+ is requiring that plugin developers sign their applications; that may be the problem.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-on-signing-in-firefox?as=u&utm_source=inproduct#w_what-can-i-do-if-firefox-disables-an-installed-add-on

I can change the signing requirement for now (will have to redeploy firefox, /ugh/) but please sign your plugin. :)

dstillman

Zotero has been signed since last year. If you're getting this, and you're downloading the extension from zotero.org, there's a problem with your installation.

rbos

Yeah, I think you're right; I've been installing it by allowing Firefox to install it, then modifying the first_run property (because ugh, that popups are annoying), then distributing the resulting folder to the system extensions folder for Firefox, to make it apply to all users. That must break the signature somewhere.

dstillman

Yes, that's the point of a signature — to make sure the code wasn't changed.

Which popups are you referring to?

dstillman

I'm guessing you're talking about the extensions.zotero.firstRunGuidanceShown.* prefs?

They're pretty important for regular users, but they might make less sense in a lab where there's no particular reason to think someone will be using Zotero. You don't need to modify the XPI, though — you just need to set the prefs in the prefs.js file in the Firefox profile.

rbos

Yeah; in a lab setting, everyone coming in is a "first" time user in the sense that they get a fresh new profile on logon. So Zotero says "hey! I'm going to be helpful!" and pops up a new tab when you start up Firefox. Which is great, don't get me wrong, but not super helpful the fifteenth time a patron gets it. :)

So I turn off, I think it is the firstrun2 option in the zotero defaults/<mumble>.js file. My notes are at work.

I'll investigate that Firefox prefs.js option. I didn't know they shared a configuration namespace.

dstillman

Yeah, they're Firefox prefs. The prefs in the XPI are just the defaults — if any prefs are set in the Firefox prefs.js file, those will take precedence.

rbos

Thanks!