5 ms·

If your intentions are to only use the extension for yourself, why not just side load it?

by CodexArcana 4y ago

weaksauce 4y ago
side loaded extensions are not persisted every restart of the browser.
- paulryanrogers 4y ago
  Chrome does keep side loaded extensions through restarts. Firefox doesn't unless you submit to Mozilla for signing. But once signed you can install from a file or even your own site.
  - weaksauce 4y ago
    I use firefox mainly and thought it was common behavior between the two
    - paulryanrogers 4y ago
      Mozilla's signing process isn't too bad, especially if your addon changes infrequently. Recommend trying it.
      - weaksauce 4y ago
        oh i actually have quite a few extensions that I made for my own use. i did make a small tab extension that I use every day that I did put in the app store for others. it's just a visual way to see what tabs you have open across all the windows and be able to switch to them or close them. super useful to my tab hoarding. links are in my bio
        ajolly 4y ago
        What do you like about your extension versus session buddy? I use session buddy all the time for the same reason for the same reason.
        weaksauce 4y ago
        Does everything i wanted it to do and nothing more. I also made it because there were some hidden tabs sometimes that would play audio and I have a special section for tabs playing audio. I don't think that's as big a selling point anymore since autoplay can be disabled pretty reliably now but when I wrote it it was a big annoyance to me. In the end it's personal preference I guess. ~~link in bio if you want to try it out.~~ https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tabist/hdjegjggiogfkaldbfphfdkpggjemaha https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tabist/hdjegjggiog... https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tabist/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tabist/ source: https://github.com/fiveNinePlusR/tabist https://github.com/fiveNinePlusR/tabist
- qwertox 4y ago
  This was my experience as well and the reason I saw myself forced to use the web store. I think there was a time where it was not required, where side loading was ok, but then they changed it and I saw no other way to do it. IIRC there was an alternative way for enterprise users, but I never understood it. That was around 5-7 years ago and I haven't checked if there was a new alternative, easier way to do it nowadays. I'm still using my extensions but have no need to modify them. Let's see what Manifest v3 has to tell me about this. I'll probably drop Chrome then.
  - paulryanrogers 4y ago
    Chrome allows permanent side loading, and without signing, if one enables dev mode from extensions page. Firefox requires uploading to Mozilla for signing to side load permanently or host with them. Though you can self host once signed. IME Firefox add-ons are approved almost instantly if your addon is not minified or downloading code to execute outside the package. Chrome approvals are always days.
    - Hackbraten 4y ago
      > Firefox requires uploading to Mozilla for signing to side load permanently Are you sure? I’ve been sideloading extensions, signed or not, into /usr/lib/firefox/browser/extensions/ and they’ve been working fine.
      - PurpleRamen 4y ago
        When was the last time you installed a new extension that way?
        Hackbraten 4y ago
        Last time was a few weeks ago [0]. I’m also maintaining a couple AUR packages with Firefox extensions myself. They all use the same method for persistence. I’m wondering what kind of issues people are experiencing. Haven’t heard of any myself. [0]: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firefox-extension-multi-account-containers https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firefox-extension-multi-a...
- btown 4y ago
  Wait, “load unpacked” doesn’t persist anymore?
  - postalrat 4y ago
    It does
  - karmelapple 4y ago
    It persists for me as recently as three weeks ago. I think it still works fine.
- gnicholas 4y ago
  Only for FF; Chrome allows side-loaded extensions to persist.
- johtso 4y ago
  Are you sure?

If your intentions are to only use the extension for yourself, why not just side load it?

weaksauce 4y ago

side loaded extensions are not persisted every restart of the browser.

paulryanrogers 4y ago
Chrome does keep side loaded extensions through restarts. Firefox doesn't unless you submit to Mozilla for signing. But once signed you can install from a file or even your own site.
- weaksauce 4y ago
  I use firefox mainly and thought it was common behavior between the two
  - paulryanrogers 4y ago
    Mozilla's signing process isn't too bad, especially if your addon changes infrequently. Recommend trying it.
    - weaksauce 4y ago
      oh i actually have quite a few extensions that I made for my own use. i did make a small tab extension that I use every day that I did put in the app store for others. it's just a visual way to see what tabs you have open across all the windows and be able to switch to them or close them. super useful to my tab hoarding. links are in my bio
      - ajolly 4y ago
        What do you like about your extension versus session buddy? I use session buddy all the time for the same reason for the same reason.
        weaksauce 4y ago
        Does everything i wanted it to do and nothing more. I also made it because there were some hidden tabs sometimes that would play audio and I have a special section for tabs playing audio. I don't think that's as big a selling point anymore since autoplay can be disabled pretty reliably now but when I wrote it it was a big annoyance to me. In the end it's personal preference I guess. ~~link in bio if you want to try it out.~~ https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tabist/hdjegjggiogfkaldbfphfdkpggjemaha https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tabist/hdjegjggiog... https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tabist/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tabist/ source: https://github.com/fiveNinePlusR/tabist https://github.com/fiveNinePlusR/tabist
qwertox 4y ago
This was my experience as well and the reason I saw myself forced to use the web store. I think there was a time where it was not required, where side loading was ok, but then they changed it and I saw no other way to do it. IIRC there was an alternative way for enterprise users, but I never understood it. That was around 5-7 years ago and I haven't checked if there was a new alternative, easier way to do it nowadays. I'm still using my extensions but have no need to modify them. Let's see what Manifest v3 has to tell me about this. I'll probably drop Chrome then.
- paulryanrogers 4y ago
  Chrome allows permanent side loading, and without signing, if one enables dev mode from extensions page. Firefox requires uploading to Mozilla for signing to side load permanently or host with them. Though you can self host once signed. IME Firefox add-ons are approved almost instantly if your addon is not minified or downloading code to execute outside the package. Chrome approvals are always days.
  - Hackbraten 4y ago
    > Firefox requires uploading to Mozilla for signing to side load permanently Are you sure? I’ve been sideloading extensions, signed or not, into /usr/lib/firefox/browser/extensions/ and they’ve been working fine.
    - PurpleRamen 4y ago
      When was the last time you installed a new extension that way?
      - Hackbraten 4y ago
        Last time was a few weeks ago [0]. I’m also maintaining a couple AUR packages with Firefox extensions myself. They all use the same method for persistence. I’m wondering what kind of issues people are experiencing. Haven’t heard of any myself. [0]: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firefox-extension-multi-account-containers https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/firefox-extension-multi-a...
btown 4y ago
Wait, “load unpacked” doesn’t persist anymore?
- postalrat 4y ago
  It does
- karmelapple 4y ago
  It persists for me as recently as three weeks ago. I think it still works fine.
gnicholas 4y ago
Only for FF; Chrome allows side-loaded extensions to persist.
johtso 4y ago
Are you sure?