Firefox 57Scheduled for release this November, it will bring some big changes to the browser, including a change that could potentially break compatibility with some popular plugins that many of us find. It is indispensable in our daily use. As Mozilla moves away from XPCOM and XUL, the foundations of Firefox’s evolving add-on ecosystem, the browser will only support a new extension API called ‘WebExtensions’, ending compatibility with XUL overlay extensions, bootstrap extensions, SDK extensions, and even Embedded extensions. Web Extensions. As a dedicated Firefox user since the Netscape Navigator days of the mid-nineties, the idea that some of my favorite add-ons might be obsolete in a few weeks is a bitter pill to swallow, but there are workarounds you can do. Use it to buy yourself some time before it goes out of style. In today’s article, we’ll explain exactly why Mozilla is deprecating XUL extensions, how to check add-on compatibility with Firefox 57, and how to continue using legacy extensions even after Firefox 57 ends support for XUL and XPCOM. good.
Why is Mozilla Ending XUL Support with Firefox 57?
According to statements released by Mozilla earlier this year, Implementing the WebExtensions API will help Firefox many in the developer and power user communities are not convinced. First off, according to Ken Needham, Mozilla’s Firefox desktop manager, the primary reason the browser abandoned XPCOM and XUL security and stability. According to him, the fact that most of the Firefox code is in JavaScript has been a huge advantage in terms of making the browser much more customizable than its competitors, but it also makes the browser inherently insecure from malware and other security. threats. Also, “Add-ons have full access to Firefox’s internal implementation. This lack of modularity leads to many problems. Add-ons can also cause Firefox to crash when they use APIs in unexpected ways”.
WebExtensions, the new application programming interface (API) that Firefox is currently adopting and will be the sole basis for its add-ons in Firefox 57, is also Compatible with BlinkGoogle’s fork of Apple’s open-source WebKit browser engine, which is currently used by Safari and forms the basis for other popular browsers such as Chrome and Opera, and the latter recently abandoned the Presto browser engine in favor of WebKit. Blink compatibility, developers Easily migrate Chrome extensions to Firefox According to Mozilla, without having to change the code too much, that’s another reason for the shift. So whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to deal with this change.
Check Which Add-ons Are Compatible With Firefox 57 or Later
- To check if your add-ons are compatible with Firefox 57 and later, click on the hamburger menu in the top right corner of your Firefox window and then, Click on ‘Add-ons’.
- In the result screen, Click on ‘Extensions’ as shown in the picture below.
You can now see XUL and other extensions labeled with a one. yellow ‘Old’ tagthose who have already migrated to the WebExtension API no such sign and it will continue to work as usual, even in Firefox 57 and higher.
Keep Using Legacy Extensions
If you really want to continue using a particular extension whose developer hasn’t yet migrated to WebExtensions or is unlikely to do so in the future, here’s what you can do: Switch to Firefox ESR (Extended Support Edition) is largely aimed at organizations and businesses that value compatibility over features. ESR versions may not be updated with new features, but they will continue to receive all security patches until the next ESR version is released. this current ESR version Firefox is 52 and will continue Get security updates until next June, so you can continue using your old extensions until then without any security concerns. It won’t be a permanent solution, but it will buy you some time to consider your options going forward.
SEE ALSO: How to Use Firefox Send to Send Self-Destructing Files
Check Add-on Compatibility with Firefox 57 or Later
While Firefox’s move has attracted a large number of vocal and influential critics, the organization is continuing the proposed changes as planned. So whether you like it or not, at least some of your favorite add-ons may no longer be available until the end of this year. Of course, you can switch to the ESR version, but you will still live with the borrowed time, because the respite will only be temporary and not permanent. So, do you think the changes will alienate developers and users? Will Firefox lose some of its users, or do you believe that highly committed Firefox users will continue to support the browser purely for ideological reasons? Let us know what you think about this, because we love to hear from you.
