[Legacy add-ons] - XUL/XPCOM support ends with Firefox 57 - add-ons like CTR will stop working - add-ons will be 'disabled' in October 2018 and won't be publically available anymore on AMO

[Aris-t2]

If you want to use Classic Theme Restorer (and other legacy add-ons) up to summer 2018, I suggest to switch to Firefox ESR channel. Firefox 52 ESR gets all security updates default Firefox gets without changing base code and without new add-on breaking changes. From 2018-06-26 on there won't be any official up-to-date Firefox, that runs legacy add-ons anymore.

Moving to Firefox 52 ESR after installing Firefox 55/56 might break your browser profile. It is recommended to move to Firefox 52 ESR before Firefox 55 release (2017-08-08).

Waterfox and Basilisk browsers (based on Firefox code) will keep legacy add-on support.

Release schedule update: Fx 60 will become ESR instead of 59.

Difference between Extended Support Release channel and default channel: Fx 52.0 ESR = Firefox 52 (first major code changes since Firefox 45.0 ESR) Fx 52.1 ESR = Firefox 53 (without major code changes since Fx 52, but with security updates from Fx 53) Fx 52.2 ESR = Firefox 54 (without major code changes since Fx 52, but with security updates from Fx 54) ... Fx 52.7 ESR = Firefox 59 (without major code changes since Fx 52, but with security updates from Fx 59) Fx 52.8 ESR = Firefox 60 (without major code changes since Fx 52, but with security updates from Fx 60) Fx 52.9 ESR = Firefox 61 (without major code changes since Fx 52, but with security updates from Fx 61) Fx 60.0 ESR = Firefox 60 (first major code changes since Firefox 52.0 ESR) Fx 60.1 ESR = Firefox 61 (without major code changes since Fx 60, but with security updates from Fx 61) ...

Release dates: [2018-01-23] Firefox 58 / ESR 52.6 [2018-03-13] Firefox 59 / ESR 52.7 [2018-05-08] Firefox 60 / ESR 52.8 / ESR 60 [2018-07-03] Firefox 61 / ESR 52.9 / ESR 60.1 [2018-08-28] Firefox 62 / ESR 60.2 -> end of life for legacy add-ons

Note: If you are on Firefox ESR 52.7, you should get an offer to upgrade to Firefox ESR 60.0 on 2018-05-08. If you decline that offer, Firefox will just update to Firefox ESR 52.8. This will be repeated for one more cycle (Firefox ESR 52.9). From 2018-08-28 Firefox ESR 60.2 will be the only up-to-date and "secure" ESR version of Firefox and ESR 52.x will be deprecated.

Note:

Hello,

You are receiving this email because you are listed as a developer of a legacy add-on on addons.mozilla.org (AMO).

Mozilla will stop supporting Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) 52, the final release that is compatible with legacy add-ons, on September 5, 2018.

As no supported versions of Firefox will be compatible with legacy add-ons after this date, we will start the process of disabling legacy add-on versions on addons.mozilla.org. On September 6, 2018, submissions for new legacy add-on versions will be disabled. All legacy add-on versions will be disabled by early October 2018. Once this happens, users will no longer be able to find your legacy versions on AMO.

After legacy add-ons are disabled, you will still be able to port your extension to the WebExtensions APIs. Once your new version is submitted to AMO, users who have previously installed your extension will automatically receive the update and your listing will appear in the gallery.

You can find more information about porting legacy extensions to the WebExtensions API on MDN[3], and we encourage you to visit our wiki[4] for more information about upcoming development work and how to get in touch with our team if you need any help.

Regards,

The Add-ons Team

---

CTR and other legacy add-ons will stop working on Firefox 57 when WebExtension will replace legacy add-ons and XUL/XPCOM support will be removed for add-ons completely. CTR (and all of my other Firefox add-ons on AMO) can not survive this change.

Even if it will be possible to port some of CTRs currently over 400 tweaks/options/features to WebExtensions one day (currently none of them would work in a XUL free environment), I have no plans to do that. The outcome would not be CTR anymore.

At the moment more and more Firefox 57 features land on Firefox Nightly. As a result some CTR features stopped working on Firefox 55/56 Nightly. They work on Firefox 55 beta and also might work on Firefox 56 beta and on Firefox 55/56 release builds.

CTR had to drop support so far for:

• custom general bookmark icons in Firefox 55
• old search in Firefox 56 Nightly (it might return for Firefox 56 beta and release)

---

WebExtensions may be the future for web content add-ons (according to Mozilla), but losing powerful ui customization ability on user level is definitively the biggest step back Firefox ever made. It loses the only advantage it has over ALL other browsers.

Additional explanation to this statement: On some comments areas on various websites protectionists of WebExtensions claim by quoting the previous sentences I have not understood how future development of applications works, blabbing applications have to drop "old ballast" in order to reinvent themselves and offer new technologies and other nonsense. Those ignorant protectionists (like Hauro) fail to understand, that CTR was and still is fully compatible to all so-called modern technologies added through time to Firefox like multi-process architecture, 64Bit architecture etc... The only reason why CTR does not work in Firefox 57+ is Mozillas decision to take away add-ons almighty power over the browser, not because add-on features are incompatible to modern techniques or Firefox 57+ in general. A simple CSS loader would allow over 80% of CTRs features to be available for Firefox 57+. This is proven by all userChrome.css/userContent.css tweaks available here. This also applies to my other add-ons like Classic Toolbar Buttons, NoiaButtons and GlassMyFox. NoiaButtons for example could be fully ported to userChrome.css and is working in Firefox 57+ just fine.

For now I will only try to keep my add-ons "alive" till the end of Fx 52 ESR, if I'm still allowed to upload updated legacy add-ons to AMO.

CTR and other add-ons should still work on Firefox 52 ESR until Firefox 59 ESR replaces it in 2018 (~Q2). Waterfox should also support legacy add-ons indefinitely.

---

Are we WebExtensions yet? http://arewewebextensionsyet.com APIs > Legend > complete

pretty much all the APIs that it makes sense to implement have been done. What remains is undocumented, deprecated or we've thought not worth bothering with (we could be wrong).

In case you are wondering why some add-ons have to go: according to Mozilla and Firefox devs they [add-ons, APIs] are not worth bothering with.

Add-ons in 2017 https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2016/11/23/add-ons-in-2017/

Classic Theme Restorer may be dead by the end of 2017 http://www.ghacks.net/2016/11/26/classic-theme-restorer-may-be-dead-by-the-end-of-2017/

Old Firefox Extensions Will Stop Working in Firefox 57 http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=3025513

The Dev-addons Archives https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/dev-addons/

Bug 1328244 - [WebExtensions] Firefox customization API request - WONTFIXed by Mozilla https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1328244

The Road to Firefox 57 – Compatibility Milestones https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/04/05/compatibility-firefox-54/#comment-223852

Quick summary of what’s already been discussed on that post and the comments:

1) Starting with 57, many things will break that will also break add-ons. Most add-ons that aren’t WebExtensions will be broken regardless. Aligning with ESR is not a goal. 2) WebExtensions will never do everything XPCOM does, so feature parity is not a goal. Some top add-ons can’t be completely ported (DownThemAll and Firebug come to mind) and we’re accepting that risk.

---

Keep in mind: Mozilla decided to end current powerful browser customization not the add-on developers! It is still unknown what will be possible with upcoming APIs in the future.

---

Firefox 57+ tweaks

As long as userChrome.css is supported, we can get rid of Photon UI by modifying existing stuff. We can not add anything new to the UI though.

Promo of what I have tested so far (on Win7 with AeroBlue colors, possible on other OSs too)

More here: https://github.com/Aris-t2/ClassicThemeRestorer/issues/365

[Zefling]

Today, I upgrade to Firefox Nighly 57, and the extension break my IU.

[MelchiorGaspar]

I have downloaded the English x86 and x64 v52 ESR release-builds, and will maintain backups of the installers and debugging symbols... for the length of v52 ESR time frame.... not sure if if I will downgrade from v54 yet.. I make and maintain (KEEP) backups before major changes to Firefox.. for this very reason.....

[MelchiorGaspar]

Of all of CTR and Tab Mix Plus... The features I rely on are..

• SQUARE TABS (color coded for NEW/Orange, CURRENT/Blue)
• closed tabs list
• back/forwards buttons
• Tab Mix Plus's session restore
• etc...

[Aris-t2]

@Zefling Not everything works in Fx57 and not everything is broken either. Keep in mind there is no official support for Firefox 57+ within my add-ons anymore even, if legacy add-ons are still not yet blocked from running.

@MelchiorGaspar Once you have upgraded to Firefox 55, your profile might not run properly anymore, if you go back to Fx 52ESR. Better do it now. See updated first post for more info.

SQUARE TABS (color coded for NEW/Orange, CURRENT/Blue)

If custom.css will work through userChrome.css, this should be possible in Fx57.

closed tabs list

Not sure, if this feature is already possible, but new tab add-ons (WebExtensions) start appearing on AMO

back/forwards buttons

Thats became default in Fx57.

Tab Mix Plus's session restore

Can't tell much about that. I'm sure session managers will appear as WEs one way or another.

As long as you are on Fx 52 ESR the features above should work fine for a while.

[allo-]

I will need some solution to where my tabgroups tabs should go ...

And I guess the nightly supports old addons and it will be disabled for the final version. Be we will see.

[MelchiorGaspar]

@Aris-t2

Once you have upgraded to Firefox 55, your profile might not run properly anymore, if you go back to Fx 52ESR. Better do it now. See updated first post for more info. yeah I know... lol ;) its because they are moving the fav.icons from the places db to its own db for WHAT EVER BRILLIANT reason they would be wasting that effort.. 🙄

thx for CTR your addon made it possible for my life to go on using Firefox ;)

I just completed another backup of my Firefox Profile (encrypted archives, ;) I do this often AND before MAJOR changes) i have marked this as a keeper... and My main PC(desktop, ELITE GAMING RIG Mwhaha) is now ON ESR v52.. ;_; -- MOZILLA U HAVE FAILED YOUR USERBASE!!! X( X( X(

I am headed 2.5 feet over to where my laptop rests to move it to FF ESR v52 as well in just a sec... DONE... FF ESR v52 for a while at least...

[Corruptinglyneedful]

Any issues with Firefox 54.0.1 x64?

[MelchiorGaspar]

@Corruptinglyneedful ?? with running CTR on FF v54.0.1? no it was working just fine for me... but moved to Firefox's ESR v52.x

TILL the Web-Extension API CAN be IMPROVED to such a degree as the XUL/XPCOM extensions I RELY on can be PORTED/etc....

[BananasGoMoo]

I just wanted to ask, will you keep working on this for Waterfox? They are using the "current" Firefox base, modified (currently 54.0.1), but they plan to keep add-on support.

[Aris-t2]

If they are using Firefox 52-56 as base, legacy add-ons will work.

[BananasGoMoo]

No, what I mean is, will this addon still be hosted somewhere (here?) after Firefox removes support for addons? I only mentioned waterfox because they plan on keeping addon support after firefox removes it.

EDIT: also, thanks a bunch for making this addon, its been really great.

[Corruptinglyneedful]

What is ESR v52.x?

[MelchiorGaspar]

Extended Support Release, ie an older version gets security updates and fixes...

[Corruptinglyneedful]

This sounds like stuff that's not officially supported

[MelchiorGaspar]

noo its official.. https://wiki.mozilla.org/RapidRelease/Calendar

[Corruptinglyneedful]

I see, eh I think such things are just going to cause issues with my scripts and addons. I"ll just not update.

On Sun, Aug 6, 2017 at 10:05 PM, Joseph DeVore notifications@github.com wrote:

noo its official.. https://wiki.mozilla.org/RapidRelease/Calendar

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/Aris-t2/ClassicThemeRestorer/issues/299#issuecomment-320558037, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AJiC5qKLkHqqCAFxSRtSdlq-hB5jMyQuks5sVn8NgaJpZM4LPUQr .

[Aris-t2]

@BananasGoMoo It will stay hosted on Github, if Mozilla removes it from AMO, but I don't think this will happen anytime soon. They still keep Firefox add-ons for Fx 2/3 on AMO.

@Corruptinglyneedful The Firefox ESR links in OP point to Mozillas website: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/ I don't think it can become more official. ;-)

Why would it cause issues with your scripts or add-ons? If they worked fine on Firefox 52 month ago, they will work fine on Firefox 52 ESR up to summer 2018. Thats the main idea behind this.

[ExE-Boss]

If you are gonna switch to ESR, do it before running 55.0, because of the breaking profile changes.

[MelchiorGaspar]

@ExE-Boss yeah I did myself yesterday... But I make regular encrypted archive backups of my Firefox Profile frequently..

[makotech222]

If you're on nightly, CTR is officially dead as of yesterday :(

[Aris-t2]

True. Legacy overlay add-ons like CTR stopped with todays nightly. Bootstrapped add-ons like Classic Toolbar Buttons still work.

[MelchiorGaspar]

hmm.. @Aris-t2 will you keep updates coming if you feel like it for ESR v52??? pretty please! ;)

[Aris-t2]

I think so. ;-)

[MelchiorGaspar]

@Aris-t2 OK TY!! :D :D :D

[hawkeye116477]

@Aris-t2 What about Webextensions/Experiments: https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebExtensions/Experiments ?

[Aris-t2]

@hawkeye116477

That page is full of bs. Almost everything is a lie. Look here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1328244

[MelchiorGaspar]

@Aris-t2 thats so sad/a**-clowns... that they shot down your API request... MOZILLA/Firefox IS PRETTY MUCH COMMITTING Extension/browser SUICIDE!!!! ;; ;; ;_; X(

[3D1T0R]

@Aris-t2: Seeing as Waterfox is planning to keep XUL addons (see this reddit post), and is working on infrastructure changes in order to "truly be an alternative" to Firefox (see this reddit post) is there a chance you'd continue supporting CTR on Waterfox after Mozilla has pulled the plug on Firefox 52's ESR release?

NB: Waterfox does have Australis.

[MelchiorGaspar]

@3D1T0R SOUNDS like a plan I might give em a look some day....

[Aris-t2]

@3D1T0R Probably. If Waterfox won't change its ui, CTR might run the way it is for a long time even without updates.

[albertalbs]

In the 55 itself it is broke. Status bar is not working with "Status-4-Evar" Toolbar.

@Aris-t2 I think "Drag and Drop" customization will be removed in the end of the year.

Oh god I hate this stuff.

@Aris-t2 Is there any other workarounds?

[MelchiorGaspar]

@albertalbs lol sure... :D ;) ;p you can move to FF ESR(extended support releases) v52.x OR maybe give Waterfox (a fork of Firefox) a try https://www.waterfoxproject.org/downloads https://github.com/MrAlex94/Waterfox/commits/master

but if u didn't make a backup of your Firefox profile before trying out FF v55 then your Scr*wd.. FF v55 takes the Fav.icons out places db and puts it in its won db...

[Aris-t2]

@albertalbs Don't bet onto devs fixing stuff for just Firefox 55 and 56, stuff, that won't work in Fx57+ anyway. Your only hope for now is Firefox ESR (or Waterfox). I suggest to start with a new clean profile. Export add-on settings, if they offer that feature. Export your bookmarks into a html. Remove/backup your current profile. Install Firefox ESR and start it, install add-ons, import previously exported settings/bookmarks, setup other stuff, not exported/imported before. Do not just move files from your current profile to the new one.

[ExE-Boss]

@albertalbs “Status-4-Evar” has already been fixed for 55.0 compatibility in the development branch.

[3D1T0R]

@Aris-t2: Thanks. I'm pretty sure I'll be using Waterfox with CTR for the foreseeable future.

[MelchiorGaspar]

YUP.. Waterfox IS IN!!, BECAUSE Firefox is CRASHING AND BURNING!! LOL ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >_>

[ExE-Boss]

I’ve put together a draft for “Gecko Elevated WebExtensions” on my website. It is called that because it is tied to Mozilla software.

The purpose of Gecko Elevated WebExtensions is to allow WebExtensions to access low-level Firefox internals where maintaining a WebExtension API would be impractical in a way that minimizes extension breakage while making it clear that the author is gonna have to keep pace with Mozilla’s Rapid Release six week cycle.

I have shown this to a Mozilla Platform Engineer on Reddit and they were pretty excited about it.

I’ll be making a few additions and clarifications (mostly how some existing APIs are affected) to it before it reaches Release Candidate status, at which point I will open a bug on Bugzilla.

[MelchiorGaspar]

@ExE-Boss Wahoo THERE HOPE AFTER ALL!!! :D :D ;) good luck! ALL OUR HOPES REST WITH YOU NOW!!!

;) now if I could only.. remember were I recall that from.. probably a movie... now I do.. Disney's Atlantis

[melvyn-sopacua]

As a webdeveloper my main concern is with standards support. This has been the initial reason to switch to Firefox many years ago. I have other browsers installed just to check compatibility, but if it works in Firefox, I know my code is good. With the plethora of css and js frameworks out there, this has become less and less of an issue and the reasons for sticking with firefox changed.

CTR's feature I mostly appreciate is the fact that I can easily turn off new stuff that interacts with 3rd party services or simply don't need on my desktop browser. Yes, I could find the config name with some research, but CTR already provides it for me when the new version of FF is released, so I don't have to. And I can back it up and restore on new installs or new profiles. And the old search. I've tried to keep the new search on one profile and it just bugs the hell out of me. A feature that is as integral as search should not affect your mood negatively.

But I'm most set back by tab groups. I use them relentlessly. I tend to work on multiple projects during the day (support requests I have to check) and having tab groups by customer makes it easy for me. If a customer is inactive for a few days, I backup the group using a folder bookmark and delete the group to free up resources. Easily restored when needed.

I don't know how many times a day I use Tab Mix Plus's feature to find a closed tab, cause you just need to get back to it to check something. Not to mention enhanced session restore and session backup at will.

And all this to support WebExtensions. I haven't found an upside that applies to me and it's patronizing to see that "poor developers will not be able to keep up with rapid Mozilla releases". Let the market decide that. Extensions that can't keep up, will kill themselves over time anyway. Extensions that can, will flourish.

I'm definitely checking out Waterfox, I just hope they keep up with rendering engine changes that follow (new) standards.

Thanks for all your work and the heads up about switching to 52-ESR. Also a shout out to @Quicksaver for allowing me to use tab groups till at least 2018.

[AdriaanRenting]

Thanks for all the hard work. CTR, NoScript, AdBlockPlus, NewTabOverride, Qute and UserAgentSwitcher are essential addons for my browser experience. CTR fixed a lot of the things Mozilla did recently, apparently they are now killing the one feature that makes them different and better.

[MelchiorGaspar]

@AdriaanRenting "CTR fixed a lot of the things Mozilla did recently, apparently they are now killing the one feature that makes them different and better."

OOh yeh! MOZILLA has lost their minds....
Waterfox is in! lol ;)

[Corruptinglyneedful]

CTR, UBO, TMP are absolutely essential

On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 10:54 AM, Joseph DeVore notifications@github.com wrote:

@AdriaanRenting https://github.com/adriaanrenting "CTR fixed a lot of the things Mozilla did recently, apparently they are now killing the one feature that makes them different and better."

OOh yeh! MOZILLA has lost their minds.... Waterfox is in! lol ;)

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[MelchiorGaspar]

here is my current Firefox Extension list...

---

I AM am running: [Legacy Extensions] = 17 [Web Extensions] = 5

---

ENABLED:

[Legacy] about:addons-memory 2016 10.0.1 [Legacy] Add-ons Manager - Version Number 1.5 [Legacy] Add-ons Manager Context Menu 0.4.2.1-signed.1-signed [Legacy] Add-ons Manager - Version Number 1.5 [Legacy] Classic Theme Restorer 1.7.0beta1 [Legacy] Add-ons Manager - Version Number 1.5 [Legacy] Download Manager Tweak 1.0.12 [Legacy] Add-ons Manager - Version Number 1.5 [Web Ext.] Easy YouTube Video Downloader Express 9.16 [Web Ext.] Google search link fix 1.6.5 [Legacy] Mozilla Archive Format 5.0a1 [Legacy] Places Maintenance 2.0.3 [Web Ext.] Secure Login (Embedded WebExtension) <-- WILL be W.E. when they remove the Legacy CODE.. [Web Ext.] Secure Password Generator 1.0.3 [Web Ext.] Stylus 1.1.3.1 [Legacy] Tab Mix Plus 0.5.0.4pre.170818a1 [Legacy] uBlock Origin 1.13.8 [Web Ext.] uBlock Origin 1.13.9rc4 (FF/WF v54 or NEWER ONLY) [Legacy] UnMHT 8.3.2

---

DISABLED most of the time:

[Legacy] About Sync extension for Firefox 0.0.14 [Legacy] Add-on Compatibility Reporter 2.2.4 [Web Ext.] GitHub Notifier 1.1.0 [Legacy] Greasemonkey 3.11 [Legacy] Tab Memory Usage 0.2.7

---

Firefox BUILT in extensions:

Application Update Service Helper 2.0 Multi-process staged rollout 1.10 Pocket 1.0.5 Web Compat 1.0 true

[SandLizard]

With update to 55.0.1 most of the addons I use no longer work. I have only 4 that are not labeled Legacy, most of the others stopped working even though they are enabled. I suggest that no one makes the mistake of updating to FF 55 since it seems from the other comments there is a way to stop the automatic updates, too late for me. This is on Linux, I haven't rebooted to Windows 7, yet.

[MelchiorGaspar]

@SandLizard do u backup?? lol ;p

I do back ups several times a week of my Firefox Profile and SPECIAL backups before I update FF with major changes... lol

[SandLizard]

I have at least one old profile backup. But I can find no way to stop the automatic updates. Help?

[SandLizard]

I just looked and now I have 55.0.2. Will it never stop? If I remember right I read recently that auto updates cannot be stopped starting with FF55. I'm looking at waterfox now.

[MelchiorGaspar]

TOOLS menu --> Advanced -->> updates

should be there//

[SandLizard]

Don't have Advanced in the Tools menu... I'm using Kubuntu OS, maybe one of the few differences? Although I don't recall seeing it on Windows, either.

[MelchiorGaspar]

maybe its named differently.. on LINUX... X(