hi, instead of hitting the install button you can right-click it and save the extension's .xpi file locally - that's just a different file extension for a zip container so you can inspect the contents of an addon this way...

Hi Philipp, thanks for the information. I hoped there was an easier way to inspect the code, but that's something. Maybe this process can be streamlined with a browser view? One would also not know or even guess that was possible. I think information about that would be very nice to have.

Not sure if I should mark this question as solved. Technically it's solved since I now know how to view the code. However I feel like the real problem is that people can't find out how to view the code.

there has been a sourcecode viewer on addons.mozilla.org for extensions which enabled that till mid last year - reading this blog post doesn't make it appear likely that something like this will come back in the foreseeable future unfortunately: https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/05/26/view-source-links-removed/

I think it would be great if someone could expose a view based on issues likely to be of concern to the paranoid user. For example, what sites might connections be made to other than the site in the current tab?

If we're just going to have to read all of the code for ourselves with no bonus features, I'm not sure it's more convenient to view it online than in a text editor, which may have better syntax coloring and search features.

Philipp, thanks a lot, that background information is interesting.

jscher2000 that is a valid point with the syntax highlighting etc. I also like your idea on this view of issues for paranoid users.

However I still think a sourcecode viewer were handy if you just quickly want to look up something.

And there definitely should be a note somewhere how to download the files without installing for inspection as I couldn't find out how to do it.

Opps must have commented in the wrong file. Unless my comment was deleted.

So actually would say this is as solved as it is going to get, and should mark this as Solved so others can find the Solution and know what you know for now. To submit suggestions for new or changed features, may I suggest: Feedback: https://qsurvey.mozilla.com/s3/FirefoxInput/ or https://discourse.mozilla.org/c/add-ons