Add-on (Mozilla)#Extensions
{{Short description|Software modules to extend Firefox web browsers}}
{{Firefox TOC}}
For Mozilla software, an add-on is a software component that extends the functionality of the Firefox web browser and related applications {{endash}} although most are browser extensions. Mozilla provides add-ons to users via its official add-on website.{{cite web |title=Official Add-on website |url=https://addons.mozilla.org/ |access-date=10 February 2019 |publisher=Mozilla}}
In 2017, Mozilla enacted major changes to the application programming interface (API) for extensions in Firefox, replacing the long-standing XPCOM-based add-on APIs with the WebExtensions API that is modeled after Google Chrome's API.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/|title=The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons|website=Mozilla Add-ons Blog|date=21 August 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-15}}{{Cite web|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/08/10/upcoming-changes-compatibility/|title=Upcoming Changes in Compatibility Features|website=Mozilla Add-ons Blog|date=10 August 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-15}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/12/how-to-enable-legacy-extensions-in-firefox-57/|title=How to enable legacy extensions in Firefox 57 - gHacks Tech News|website=www.ghacks.net|date=12 August 2017 |access-date=2018-12-14}} Thus add-ons that remain compatible with Firefox are now largely compatible with Chrome as well.{{cite web |title=Porting a Google Chrome extension |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Porting_a_Google_Chrome_extension |publisher=Mozilla |access-date=30 December 2018}} As of January 2024, there are more than 36,000 add-ons and over 495,000 themes available for Firefox.{{cite web |title=Search results (Extensions) – Add-ons for Firefox (en-US) |url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search/?type=extension |website=addons.mozilla.org |publisher=Mozilla |access-date=28 January 2024}}{{cite web |title=Search results (Themes) – Add-ons for Firefox (en-US) |url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search/?type=statictheme |website=addons.mozilla.org |publisher=Mozilla |access-date=28 January 2024}}
Add-ons categories
=Themes=
Early versions of Firefox supported themes that could greatly change the appearance of the browser, but this was scaled back over time. Current themes are limited to changing the background and text color of toolbars,{{Cite web|url=https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/themes/|title=Themes – Add-ons for Firefox (en-US)|website=addons.mozilla.org}} formerly called personas, now called Firefox Themes.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/personas-are-now-firefox-themes/|title=Personas are now Firefox Themes|website=Mozilla Add-ons Community Blog}}
=WebExtensions=
Starting with Firefox 57, only the new WebExtensions API is supported for extensions; relegating the older extension technology as legacy.{{cite web |title=Browser extensions |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions |website=MDN |publisher=Mozilla |access-date=10 February 2019}}
= Legacy extensions =
Prior to 2017, Firefox supported extensions developed via various APIs: XUL, XPCOM, and Jetpack.[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Overlay_Extensions/Firefox_addons_developer_guide/Technologies_used_in_developing_extensions Chapter 2: Technologies used in developing extensions - Firefox addons developer guide | MDN] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005134018/https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Overlay_Extensions/Firefox_addons_developer_guide/Technologies_used_in_developing_extensions |date=2016-10-05 }}. Developer.mozilla.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-21. Mozilla now refers to these as legacy extensions.
= Plug-ins =
Plug-ins are no longer supported in Firefox. In the past, they were used to handle media types for which the application did not have built-in capability. They were deprecated due to security concerns and improvements in Web APIs.{{cite web | first=Benjamin | last=Smedberg | url=https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2015/10/08/npapi-plugins-in-firefox/ | title=NPAPI Plugins in Firefox | work=Future Releases | publisher=Mozilla Foundation | date=8 October 2015}} The last one that was officially supported was Adobe Flash Player, which Adobe discontinued in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/25/get-ready-to-say-goodbye-to-flash-in-2020/|title=Get ready to finally say goodbye to Flash — in 2020|last=Lardinois|first=Frederic|work=TechCrunch|date=25 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-25}}{{cite web |title=End of support for Adobe Flash |url=https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/end-support-adobe-flash |publisher=Mozilla |access-date=9 April 2021}}
Security
Mozilla had no mechanism to restrict the privileges of legacy Firefox extensions. This meant that a legacy extension could read or modify the data used by another extension or any file accessible to the user running Mozilla applications.{{cite web|url=http://www.intelligentexploit.com/articles/Abusing,-Exploiting-and-Pwning-with-Firefox-Add-ons.pdf|title=Abusing, Exploiting and Pwning with Firefox Add-ons|access-date=2013-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305163019/http://www.intelligentexploit.com/articles/Abusing,-Exploiting-and-Pwning-with-Firefox-Add-ons.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-05|url-status=dead}} But the current WebExtensions API imposes security restrictions.{{cite web |title=Security Best Practices |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Security_best_practices |website=MDN |publisher=Mozilla |access-date=10 February 2019}}
Starting with Firefox 40, Mozilla began to roll out a requirement for extension signing.{{cite web|last1=Fisher|first1=Dennis|title=Firefox 40 Begins Warning Users About Unsigned Add-Ons|url=https://threatpost.com/firefox-40-begins-warning-users-about-unsigned-add-ons/114237|website=Threatpost|date=12 August 2015 |access-date=20 August 2015}} It is now required in all official Firefox releases.{{cite web|title=Extension Signing|url=https://wiki.mozilla.org/Add-ons/Extension_Signing|website=Mozilla.org Wiki|publisher=Mozilla|access-date=20 August 2015}}
Website
{{Infobox website
| name = Add-ons for Firefox
| logo = Firefox Browser Add-ons logo.svg
| url = {{URL|https://addons.mozilla.org}}
| commercial = No
| type = Hosts add-ons
| language =
| registration = Free; only needed for developers or for special features
| owner = Mozilla Foundation
| launch_date =
| current_status = Active
}}
The Mozilla add-ons website is the official repository for Firefox add-ons. In contrast to mozdev.org which provides free hosting for Mozilla-related projects, the add-ons site is tailored for users. By default, Firefox automatically checks the site for updates to installed add-ons.{{Cite web|url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/Updates|title=Updates|website=Mozilla Developer Network|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-28}}
In January 2008, Mozilla announced that the site had accumulated a total of 600 million add-on downloads and that over 100 million installed add-ons automatically check the site for updates every day.{{Cite web
|url= http://blog.mozilla.com/metrics/2008/01/30/600000000-add-on-downloads/
|work=Blog of Metrics
|publisher=Mozilla Foundation
|title=600,000,000 Add-on Downloads
|date=30 January 2008
|first=Justin
|last=Scott
}} In July 2012, the total had increased to 3 billion downloads from the site.{{cite web|title=Firefox Add-ons Cross More Than 3 Billion Downloads!|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2012/07/26/firefox-add-ons-cross-more-than-3-billion-downloads/|work=The Mozilla blog|access-date=1 November 2013}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://addons.mozilla.org/ Official add-on website]
- [https://developer.mozilla.org/Add-ons WebExtensions API reference documentation]
- [https://extensionworkshop.com Extension Workshop, Mozilla's site for Firefox extension developer documentation]
{{Mozilla}}