Upgrade StorageZotero Safari Extension not working with Safari 12
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Here's what we said about this on the support page for this issue: This all remains true, but (assuming Apple approves the extension) this will allow Safari users to continue using the Connector for the time being. We don't know how long the initial submission will take, how long updates would take, or what will happen after December 2018 — specifically, whether existing extensions in the Gallery will remain supported until Safari 13 next fall or whether an update after December will disable them — but this should buy us at least a few more months and possibly another year.
(The deciding factor here was that it turns out that Safari currently has non-standard restrictions on bookmarklets — not present in Chrome and Firefox — that would prevent the bookmarklet from saving to a local copy of Zotero, and we want to do everything we can to offer a version that can be used without the online library. We're still hoping to put out an updated bookmarklet within the next week, and while it should work much better, it will still only save to the online library in Safari.)
We'll post here when the Connector is available in the Safari Extensions Gallery.
Good luck with the Extensions Gallery submission — personally I found the process frustrating, opaque, and eventually gave up. The Safari App Extension process is actually a bit nicer as it doesn't require review.
In any case, the bigger problem for us is the architectural differences with Safari App Extensions — it would still require a major rewrite for much more limited functionality than the already-limited Safari extension. But not having to go through the App Store might allow us to distribute it with the existing Zotero Mac app, which was one big hurdle.
We're still hoping the existing Zotero Connector will be accepted into the Safari Extensions Gallery within a few days, and that would give people the best experience for the time being. But we'll look be looking into what we can do with a Safari App Extension for the likely day in 2019 that Apple disables Safari extensions completely, so this is good to know. Thanks.
If I install the connector through developer, do I have to re-install it every time I restart my computer?
In safari's extension builder, one of the "Injected Content: start scripts" isn't populated and I can't run the extension without putting something in there. It's the fourth from the bottom. Leaving it as "None"; returns an error: "A selection is required." The available pull down menu has a bewildering list of options. Any help appreciated!
1) We're unfortunately still waiting for Apple to approve the last version of the Zotero Connector into the Safari Extensions Gallery. (This sort of delay is why we weren't previously publishing the Connector to the Gallery, and why we weren't optimistic about it being accepted before they stop accepting submissions in December.)
2) We've released an updated version of the Zotero Bookmarklet that should greatly improve saving, both in Safari and in other browsers. Unfortunately, due to nonstandard Safari limitations, it's not possible for the bookmarklet to save directly to your local Zotero, so it will continue to save to your online library, and it can sync from there to your local Zotero. You'll still get the best experience in Chrome or Firefox, but if you're set on using Safari the bookmarklet can be a workaround for Apple's restrictions here.
We'll post again if Apple approves the Connector in the Extensions Gallery.
https://safari-extensions.apple.com/details/?id=org.zotero.zoteroconnectorforsafari-8LAYR367YV
I’m really elated and I hope you’ll soon update all your support info so the confusion for people ends (because let’s face it, nobody’s looking in the Gallery unless Zotero sends them directly to it).
Congrats on this new lease of life for the Safari extension.
We've updated the download page and the support page to point to the Extensions Gallery, and we'll make an announcement about this next week so that more people are aware.
As before, the Safari Connector is a bit more limited than the Chrome and Firefox versions due to limitations in Safari, but this version should behave identically to the version that was available before the Safari 12 upgrade.
Thanks to everyone for their patience. While we won't be able to update this version after December 2018, I would expect it to keep working through fall 2019. We're going to keep evaluating our options for Safari support going forward.
I am suffering from regretting to update Safari 12.0 for a month.
During this period, I phoned and emailed Apple Service department several times.
Their stuff suggested me to use another browser and I said no. >.<
(sorry for my limited English, and talking to Apple Service really helped to improve my speaking.)
Now I can relief. Thank you so much!!
https://webkit.org/blog/8825/release-notes-for-safari-technology-preview-80/
On the bright side, the linked page notes that developers can notarize apps with extensions for distribution outside the Mac App Store. Is that new?
We'll post here when we have any updates on this.
@dstillman, I was redirected here when I posted in another thread about Safari 13. You said above that the policy is Apple's, not Zotero's... but I still think you should consider making an app extension that will work with Zotero locally. Safari is by far the best browser on the Mac, and it would be a shame if people stopped using Zotero for this reason.