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The problem is that the new API are not and can not be as powerful as the XUL based system. It is impossible. The new Chrome Replica Web Extensions can never

by syshum 9y ago

The problem is that the new API are not and can not be as powerful as the XUL based system. It is impossible. The new Chrome Replica Web Extensions can never be as powerful as the old system.

staticassertion 9y ago
What power, specifically, are you missing in extensions?
- interfixus 9y ago
  How about the power to customize every goddamn aspect of the UI? The power to make my browser behave the way I want it to behave? This is what made Firefox worth the while for thirteen, fourteen years or however long it's been. I really have no idea where to go from here.
- yukinon 9y ago
  Vimperator is not possible in the new Web Extensions, it requires customizing the UI in a way that Web Extensions doesn't allow. I am supremely salty about this still.
  - Manishearth 9y ago
    The APIs don't exist for this now but they could be added. See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14849681 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14849681
- syshum 9y ago
  As far as I know TreeStyleTab will still not be compatiable and it getting resistance on enabling the API needed to make it work like it does today. It will end up being a far cry from what we have today and more like the Ridiclous and unusable "SideTree" menus that are available in chrome. No TreeStyle Tabs, no FF for me. that is non-optional. I will switch full time to vivalidi that has a less feature complete vertical tabs built in. There are also many other Addons I use today that look like their are going to be discontinued post FF 57 for API or other reasons.
callahad 9y ago
WebExtension Experiments (https://webextensions-experiments.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ https://webextensions-experiments.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) allow you to create your own APIs that are equivalently powerful. You're just restricted to Nightly and Developer Edition builds, since we can't simultaneously support that degree of customization and guarantee the safety, performance, and API stability that we need for the mainstream Firefox browser.
- syshum 9y ago
  I am well aware of the excuse used to sell the Chrome Clone version of Firefox. I have used Firefox since Version 1, I was beta testing Firefox back when mozilla suite was still the focus I never adopted chrome, and I do not like the User Experience or the limitation of Chrome. From EME/DRM, to Web Extensions, to who knows what else, Mozilla is killing the identiy of FF all in the name of chasing market share it will never get back. FF should be focusing on privacy, stability, and the ability to customize the browser for you. Instead they are focusing on Mainstream placation, performance, DRM, etc Mozilla has made it clear they no longer want people like me as users, that is fine after over a decade of support I will see myself out...
- kuschku 9y ago
  So I could replace the history search backend, add tab thumbnails and colorized tabs, and add finally working HiDPI support for Firefox on Linux/X11 by parsing QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS with that? As long as I can still do that, it should be acceptable. Ideally this would be in the main version, though.

by syshum 9y ago

The problem is that the new API are not and can not be as powerful as the XUL based system. It is impossible. The new Chrome Replica Web Extensions can never be as powerful as the old system.

staticassertion 9y ago

What power, specifically, are you missing in extensions?

interfixus 9y ago
How about the power to customize every goddamn aspect of the UI? The power to make my browser behave the way I want it to behave? This is what made Firefox worth the while for thirteen, fourteen years or however long it's been. I really have no idea where to go from here.
yukinon 9y ago
Vimperator is not possible in the new Web Extensions, it requires customizing the UI in a way that Web Extensions doesn't allow. I am supremely salty about this still.
- Manishearth 9y ago
  The APIs don't exist for this now but they could be added. See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14849681 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14849681
syshum 9y ago
As far as I know TreeStyleTab will still not be compatiable and it getting resistance on enabling the API needed to make it work like it does today. It will end up being a far cry from what we have today and more like the Ridiclous and unusable "SideTree" menus that are available in chrome. No TreeStyle Tabs, no FF for me. that is non-optional. I will switch full time to vivalidi that has a less feature complete vertical tabs built in. There are also many other Addons I use today that look like their are going to be discontinued post FF 57 for API or other reasons.

callahad 9y ago

WebExtension Experiments (https://webextensions-experiments.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ https://webextensions-experiments.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) allow you to create your own APIs that are equivalently powerful. You're just restricted to Nightly and Developer Edition builds, since we can't simultaneously support that degree of customization and guarantee the safety, performance, and API stability that we need for the mainstream Firefox browser.

syshum 9y ago
I am well aware of the excuse used to sell the Chrome Clone version of Firefox. I have used Firefox since Version 1, I was beta testing Firefox back when mozilla suite was still the focus I never adopted chrome, and I do not like the User Experience or the limitation of Chrome. From EME/DRM, to Web Extensions, to who knows what else, Mozilla is killing the identiy of FF all in the name of chasing market share it will never get back. FF should be focusing on privacy, stability, and the ability to customize the browser for you. Instead they are focusing on Mainstream placation, performance, DRM, etc Mozilla has made it clear they no longer want people like me as users, that is fine after over a decade of support I will see myself out...
kuschku 9y ago
So I could replace the history search backend, add tab thumbnails and colorized tabs, and add finally working HiDPI support for Firefox on Linux/X11 by parsing QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS with that? As long as I can still do that, it should be acceptable. Ideally this would be in the main version, though.