Do you want to try out the new beta version of Firefox 2.0, but none of your extensions are compatible? This brief howto guide will explain how to manually update those important extensions to run in Firefox 2.0.
*About*
Most of the extensions you use will probably work just fine in Firefox 2.0. I have updated many of the extensions I use, and have not had any problems so far. My guess is that there are few, if any changes to the APIs that most Firefox extensions use.
*Step 1: get the XPI file*
Download the XPI file from the mozilla website, or the extension developers website. Save this to a temporary file on your hard drive.
*Step 2: open the file with WinZip*
The XPI file format is a simple Zip archive. You can open it with WinZip or any other compatible Zip archive viewer. You should see something like the screenshot below:
!/images/12.jpg (screenshot of XPI file contents)!
*Step 3: extract the install.rdf file*
The file called install.rdf describes the contents of the XPI file. Extract this file into a temporary directory on your hard drive. With WinZip, you should be able to drag’n'drop the file onto your desktop.
*Step 4: edit the install.rdf file*
Use notepad, or a similar text editor to open the install.rdf file. It contains a number of XML tags. You should look for an entry named em:targetApplication – this defines which applications and versions the extension will operate with. It should look similar to the screenshot below:
!/images/11.jpg (screenshot of install.rdf file)!
You will need to change the maxVersion setting to match the version of Firefox that you are using. In the example above, I have set the maxVersion to 2.0+
Note: there may be other instances of the targetApplication tag – these may declare that the extension can operate with other Mozilla based applications – for example the Flock browser. You can safely ignore those applications that you are not interested in.
*Step 5: update the XPI file*
Open up WinZip a second time, and add the updated install.rdf file back into the XFI archive. Using drop’n'drop may be the simplist way to achieve this. Confirm that the file has been updated by checking the date field of the install.rdf file. It should be today.
*Step 6: install the XPI file*
Install the XPI file by dragging and dropping it into Firefox. The Software Installation dialog will appear. Press the Install button to proceed. You will be prompted to restart Firefox.
*Step 7: confirm the installation*
After you have restarted Firefox, you can check that your extension has been installed by selecting the Add-ons option from the Tools menu. You should see your extension listed.
*When it all goes bad – uninstall*
The extension you have manually upgraded may not work correctly in Firefox 2.0. This may be due to some upgrade issues that can only be solved by the extension author. You’ll just have to be patient and wait until a new release supports the new Firefox.
To uninstall your faulty extension, you can remove it from the Add-ons panel. If this fails, you may need to start Firefox in safe mode. Select Start > Programs > Mozilla Firefox > Mozilla Firefox (Safe Mode). Then remove the extension from the Tools > Addons menu.