Thunderbird AMO (addons), always only download as file but never install into TB itself (download dialog)
Premise: I am not a complete noob. Situation: Thunderbird AMO (addons), always only download as file (.xpi file save dialog) but never install into TB itself (download dialog)
Currently even running 78.1.0 (x64) on Windows10/x64. But experienced this same with former TB 68.x.y normal releases. And even before. Cant remeber how or when this exactly started though, with which TB version that was.
I am experiencing this since quite I while now, but was never bothered, as all my currently installed add-ons apparently still update themselves.
But new addons via the AMO web-page built inside the special browser inside Thunderbird, always gives me a download file dialogbox when I browse and surf an addont on TB AMO which I have not yet installed.
Thinking back quite a number of years probably, I remember some times when maybe it was Firefox, but maybe it was Thunderbird, that the AMO area inside these applications had introduced some security measures and feature that required the user (me) to interact with the AMO page inside TB/FF and answer a question if the application (TB/FF) should allow the AMO area to interact and install those kind of add-ons into the application itself. It was some greenish puzzle piece of icon or symbol if I remember correctly and dont make things up.
This is the only thing I can think of and about that maybe somehow related to this issue.
I have also gone into the troubleshooting and about:config areas inside Thunderbird, but I dont see any relevant settings there and I dont see anything in the GUI of TB itself or anything inside the built-in AMO webpage browser there that maybe give me this download-instead of directly-installing-into the TB application itself.
Firefox works fine, and I have other windows machines and TB installations where this all works fine.
This TB installation and Windows machine rather came a long way. So I guess it might be some old files, old config, contradicting things?
Maybe some old .json files or whatever? Any help here?
And yes, I did find that mozilla help page talking about kind of similar thing/problem, that add-ons rather download than install, and of course your can still download the .xpi and drag/drop it over to the AMO or add-on GUI area of TB, but this is not a nice situation to have.
This support article (for Firefox though, and I am using AMO built-in "page" and not browsing third party sites externally nor browsing the AMO website via TB "browser" in some off-course way. I suppose. I guess.
So basically, this TB setup here is always offering me .xpi downloads instead of installing the .xpi payloads and directly making use of them instead.
Any hints? Thanks. Regards.
All Replies (2)
If you are using a browser to locate addons and then downloading the xpi file to eg: Downloads folder then you need to install them by the method stated in the link; they have never auto installed by that method.
If you are doing it via the Add-ons Manager tab in Thunderbird then it should perform the auto install, after which you usually need to restart Thunderbird. See section 'The Ideal case'. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/installing-addon-thunderbird
Okay sorry if I didnt make myself really clear, even when posting so much text ;) :( I am using TB only here. I am speaking about the Addons Extensions AMO built-in browser area of the TB application.
That area there is always only offering me the .xpi target payloads as download-dialog files, and never as "install them into TB" or whatever that might be called in english (having german TB here).
For all the new extensions / addons that I dont have yet installed into TB.
For all existing addons already active inside my TB, whenever there is a new/updated version of those, they happily get applied, without problems.
So there must be a reason why I get .xpi download dialog triggered instead of true installation inside the TB app instead.
Thats why I wrote about that time from the past, when I still remember that new security like feature, of which webpages and addresses are allowed to do that installation on TB; which websites and addresses TB trusts or something. But that may be very well an old outdated concept.
But I think over the years, the programmers enhanced TB and addon security and all, and that comes to my mind. While it was easier or possible at all to browse parts of the rest of the web, or outside the AMO universe still from within TB or something, and then maybe getting lured or mislead onto other webpages and malicisious pages being able to install addons etc. .xpi stuff into the TB application.
But then again these problems maybe were more valid or more problematic for Firefox application as the whole application there is a browser, and the AMO concept there from within the addons area is a special area and special browsing concept etc.
Anyways, maybe anyone have a clue why my TB offers addons as .xpi downloads only but never using them directly as addons from the AMO "tab" or AMO area right inside TB? Thanks.