Why has it taken so long to try and implement automatic plugin updates?
Firefox has a plugin check in its section on the Mozilla website: https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/plugincheck/. If you have the time to scroll down the page, you will see a notice saying that "in the future, Firefox will update plugins for you. Until then, you should regularly check this page and update your plugins to stay safe."
In August 2011, as in now, there was a Firefox plugin check: https://web.archive.org/web/20110826143614/http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/. Firefox 6 had just come out (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/6.0/releasenotes/); Windows 8 and the "next-gen" consoles (launched in 2012 and 2013) were still the subjects of mere speculation. However, if you look closely towards the bottom of the page, you will see once again that "in the future, Firefox will update plugins for you. Until then, you should regularly check this page and update your plugins to stay safe."
Does anybody else notice the similarity? Four-and-a-half years ago, Mozilla wanted you to use their plugin check while they worked on giving Firefox the ability to automatically update plugins; now, Mozilla still wants you to use their plugin check while they work on giving Firefox the ability to automatically update plugins!
In that time, from Firefox 6.0.1 to Firefox 44.0.2, Firefox has been updated more than 140 times (count it: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/releases/), yet Firefox STILL cannot automatically update your plugins. Why have Mozilla been slow to develop this ability for Firefox?
Chosen solution
How can Firefox help me?
In the future, Firefox will update plugins for you. Until then, you should regularly check this page and update your plugins to stay safe.
I laughed to first few times I saw that, partially because that would be a herculean task to get the cooperation of the dozens of Plugins that are available out there for Firefox.
That said, you won't need to wait much longer; the existing plugin infrastructure - NPAPI - "isn't long for this world" in Firefox.
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Chosen Solution
How can Firefox help me?
In the future, Firefox will update plugins for you. Until then, you should regularly check this page and update your plugins to stay safe.
I laughed to first few times I saw that, partially because that would be a herculean task to get the cooperation of the dozens of Plugins that are available out there for Firefox.
That said, you won't need to wait much longer; the existing plugin infrastructure - NPAPI - "isn't long for this world" in Firefox.
Unlike say Extensions and Themes (complete), the Plugins are not installed in Firefox but are installed on your system someplace.
You can type about:plugins in the Location (address) bar to see where the Plugins your Firefox is making use of is actually located on system whether it be Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux.
This is why you only have the Ask to Activate/Always Activate/Never Activate options for Plugins in Addons manager with no Disable/Remove options like Extensions have.
Modified by James