WebExtensions on the browser?

answered 2016-12-01 00:26:05 +0200

coderus
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https://coderus.openrepos...

We're still on 1.5 years old Gecko engine, so answer is NO

answered 2016-12-01 09:56:43 +0200

DaveRo
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The only official response I've had to the issue I raised about addons no longer working is "Addons are not officially supported. While at the same not explicitly blocked."

Which I took to mean that if mozembedlite supported them then they might work, but it was not in Jolla's plans. (Mozembedlite is the semi-obsolete framework that the browser uses to marry Mozilla's gecko engine with the Sailfish UI.) I concluded that developments to the browser accidentally broke addons in 2014 - just as a recent update accidentally broke bookmarklets. It could be fixed, but it won't be.

As to webextensions, I suspect that there's no reason why they couldn't work with mozembedlite, but nobody is likely to put in the considerable effort to make it happen. Also, if Jolla wanted to support webextensions they might consider abandoning gecko for blink; even after recent updates the browser is using an old version of gecko. I suspect also that Jolla's view might be - if you want addons then use Firefox for Android.

All that is just my personal view as someone familiar with the background to mozembed and addon development, but with insufficient technical expertise to diagnose or fix this stuff.

OT: Try my Firefox addon for TJC
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/jolla-askbot-unseen-posts/
(I'll convert that into a webextension if they ever implement sync storage in Firefox for Andoid.)