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Well, technically anyone can have access to Chrome/Firefox extensions source. They're just zipped files with javascript & html content.
by diego_moita 7y ago
Well, technically anyone can have access to Chrome/Firefox extensions source.
They're just zipped files with javascript & html content.
- jakub_g 7y agoYes, but you then need to unzip it, perhaps unminify code, find github repo yourself, and diff all the stuff manually. If the extension is complex and the original source undergoes a massive complex build step, making sure that final bundle is functionally the same as the code in github is the work few people want to do. I don't want to do it (especially not for every update), hence I don't install extensions except absolutely necessary ones. If I had more trust in this, I'd be more keen to install niche exceptions.
- seanwilson 7y agoFor what it's worth, you can install a Chrome extension into a Chrome profile that is different from your regular one to isolate it from your data. For example, I have one Chrome profile I use for web development (where lots of development extensions need wide ranging permissions) and another for personal email + banking.
- lovasoa 7y agoNowadays, the javascript files often come minified, as the result of a build process. I think only the original files used for compilation can be considered as the "source" of the extension.
- byte1918 7y agoI guess he means before you install the extension.