www.freedownloadmanager.org

HI,

(I mentioned this in "FDM 3.9.6 RC" Topic here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17242#p40754 but felt I should start a more specific Topic).

O/S: Win7 (x64)
FDM: FDM 3.9.6 Build 1549 using flvsniff.dll Version1040 (as version 1058 causes issues with Firefox closing)
FDM Plugin: FDM 1.7.3.2

FDM Plugin 1.7.3.2 is not compatible with Firefox 39.01b (Beta), which I am currently using, or with 38.0.5 (Beta) which I previously used.
All attempted downloads automatically default to the Firefox download window, instead of defaulting to FDM download window .

Kind regards

It may be a problem reported in old topic about Mozilla Extension Signing.

Usher wrote:It may be a problem reported in old topic about Mozilla Extension Signing.

Wouldn't that mean the FDM Plugin 1.7.3.2 would be disabled in Firefox.
I was under the impression (maybe mistaken) that Extension Signing is not in 39 Beta and maybe not in 40 yet, but is in 41Nightly (but can be disabled currently whilst in test)

Extension disabling in Firefox is currently based on a declaration in install.rdf and on your action when Firefox reports new extension detected. Other changes may not cause disabling - read f.e. FDM FAQ for Firefox troubleshooting, question "How to fix broken FDM plugin for Firefox installation?", steps 5B and 12.

Usher wrote:Extension disabling in Firefox is currently based on a declaration in install.rdf and on your action when Firefox reports new extension detected. Other changes may not cause disabling - read f.e. FDM FAQ for Firefox troubleshooting, question "How to fix broken FDM plugin for Firefox installation?", steps 5B and 12.

Certainly Firefox 39.01b in Add-on Manager is now showing whether each Add-on is signed or not (with my Add-ons
19 are signed and 8 are not (of which one is FDM Plug-in 1.7.3.2).
Except FDM the other 7 unsigned Add-ons are currently working so I am assuming 39.0.1b is merely reporting signed or not but not actually acting on them yet. That will probably come in FF41 (or 40).

All academic at present, coz FDM plug-in does not work with Firefox 390.1b. (or are you suggesting it should be working?).
Certainly I am in full compliance with "How to fix broken FDM plug-in for Firefox installation" and FDM worked right up to 38.0.1.

(I have just removed MalwareBytes Anti_Exploit and therefore am using the latest flvsniff.dll (Ver. 1058) without any Firefox closing issue now).

Regards
Dave

Just one useful hint: You can easy recognize if the FDM plugin for Firefox is active. Right click any link in Firefox and look at the context menu:
- if FDM plugin is inactive, you can see "Download by FDM" menu option;
- if FDM plugin is active, you can see "Download with Free Download Manager" menu option.

Usher wrote:Just one useful hint: You can easy recognize if the FDM plugin for Firefox is active. Right click any link in Firefox and look at the context menu:
- if FDM plugin is inactive, you can see "Download by FDM" menu option;
- if FDM plugin is active, you can see "Download with Free Download Manager" menu option.

Hi Usher,

Cannot thank you enough for being so helpful. I did not know this So I tested:
I reinstalled Firefox 38.0.1 RELEASE , FDM with plug-in 1.7.3.2 ENABLED.
1) Went to Filehippo download CCleaner and confirmed FDM download box was offered as normal.
2) I then came back to THIS Topic, right clicked on a link and saw 3 options: .. with, ...all with, ...Video with

I then Upgraded to Firefox 39.0.1b (BETA), FDM with plug-in 1.7.3.2 ENABLED
1) Went to Filehippo download CCleaner and confirmed FDM download box now NOT offered (defaults to Firefox download box.
2) I then came back to THIS Topic, right clicked on a link and saw 4 options: .. by, ...all by, ...selected by, ...Video by.

OK, based on you advice this is telling me that with Firefox 39.0.1b that although FDM Plug-in 1.7.3.2 is ENABLED it is INACTIVE.

Is this something I can correct (maybe go though the Fix broken FDM plug-in procedures again to make sure I have not missed something (don't think so) OR do you think this is caused by changes (maybe Extension signing which you have referred to/suggested) in Firefox 39.0.1b?

IF Extension Signing is the likely issue, is this something I can deal with myself (with instructions)? or, is it the case that, whether Extension Signing is the issue or not, it will require FDM Developers (when they have time) to kindly produce a new Plugin to resolve for Firefox 39.0.1b (and maybe above)

Thanks to you Usher I am understanding more and more.
Regards
Dave

dko wrote:Is this something I can correct

It means that Firefox developers introduced some incompatible changes, and one of them is Extension Signing. If you know these changes and can debug FDM source code, you can help developers to fix the code. I suspect it's issue with another change in API for extensions, not with extension signing.

dko wrote:IF Extension Signing is the likely issue, is this something I can deal with myself (with instructions)?

Firefox developers claim that unsigned extension should work with nightly Firefox builds (non-beta), so you can download some nightly Firefox 39 build (earlier than beta build) from ftp.mozilla.org and test if FDM plugin works with this build. If it doesn't - it means there are other issues that should be fixed by FDM developers.

If it works, you can test Firefox 40 nightly builds. I understand that you have already edited install.rdf of FDM plugin and bumped maxVersion for Firefox to 39.*, so in this case you should bump it again to 40.*. If you have more free time to sped for tests you can download more nighty Firefox builds to observe which one still works with FDM and which don't. It may help to limit searches for changes in Mozilla docs.

Sorry Usher, User testing I can do to a degree, but not code or programming testing or correction.

I can confirm when I was "sort of" User testing whether FDM would work with newer versions (whilst waiting for the delayed Firefox 39 to be released to Beta channel) that FDM in addition to Firefox 39.0.1b (beta) also did not with:
38.0.5 BETA ,
or
Developer (used to be called Aurora) Firefox 40
or
Nightly version of Firefox 41 (from approx. a week ago) . with Nightly the Extension Checking was more advanced and I was not sure if disabled (and if not how to do it).

Hopefully the issue with 39.0.1b is the same issue for these versions. I do feel there is another issue than Extension Signing (which I do not believe is an issue (YET) as I have several unsigned Add-on, all of which are still working normally (three of which are: Tab Mix Plus (Dev. pre release version), Greasemonkey 3.1, HTTPS-Everywhere 5.0.3)

Being lazy I do not set my install.rdf to the next version of Firefox but set it several in advance.
Saves me keep updating the file every time I upgrade Firefox ( unless a FDM Update with a new install.rdf arrives in between, of course).

Dave

Well, I installed Firefox 39.0 Aurora (firefox-39.0a2.en-US.win32.installer.exe dated 2012-05-10) and got expected results:

Firefox Aurora wrote:Free Download Manager plugin could not be verified for use in Firefox Developer Edition and has been disabled.

Link for users: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/fi ... fied-addon
Link for developers: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Addons/Extension_Signing

I have tried to update other extensions. Some of them, hosted on AMO are already signed (and version number is bumped by .1), some are still unsigned (possibly beta releases) and Firefox displays warning:

Firefox Aurora wrote:Tab Mix Plus could not be verified for use in Firefox Developer Edition. Proceed with caution.

Some external extensions are blocked like FDM, some other (f.e. RoboForm) are enabled with warning lile Tab Mix Plus.

That's all we as users can do for now. An option xpinstall.signatures.required is set to false in about:config of Firefox Developer Edition, and it generates the messages quoted above. There seems to be impossible to override it now in nightly builds, and for sure it is impossible in beta and final relerases. The FDM developers' action is required.

I did some more tests as there were reports that Firefox 39 nightly doesn't work properly. I have bumped maxVersion in FDM plugin to 44.* (next ESR will be 45), cleaned startup cache in Firefox, downloaded and installed the newest Firefox nightly build. All extensions have been detected by Firefox again, and after allowing them I have restarted Firefox. Now FDM plugin is enabled in Firefox nightly, but it doesn't work - it stays inactive, and I can see only "Download by..." in the context menu.
So there must be some more incompatibilities in API and after fixing them there is a page to report working extensions: http://arewee10syet.com/ - FDM is not listed there yet.

Usher wrote:I did some more tests as there were reports that Firefox 39 nightly doesn't work properly. I have bumped maxVersion in FDM plugin to 44.* (next ESR will be 45), cleaned startup cache in Firefox, downloaded and installed the newest Firefox nightly build. All extensions have been detected by Firefox again, and after allowing them I have restarted Firefox. Now FDM plugin is enabled in Firefox nightly, but it doesn't work - it stays inactive, and I can see only "Download by..." in the context menu.
So there must be some more incompatibilities in API and after fixing them there is a page to report working extensions: http://arewee10syet.com/ - FDM is not listed there yet.

Thanks Usher, confirms my finding and your testing go further.
I have 2 options currently:
1) go back to 38.0.1 RELEASE until the FDM team have time to produce an update solution.
or
2) continue using 39.0.1b and download via Firefox until a FDM solution is forthcoming. Main problem with this option is slower downloads and I keep closing Firefox whilst downloading ) forgetting its not independent when downloading, like FDM.

The reason I like normally like to use FF Betas, is that it gives me an early warning of any issues to come (as in this case) This allows me to report to add-on and FDM developers earlier than if only used FF releases, the advantage being that it gives Developers more time to work on and avoid issues for FF RELEASE (only) users.

I think this time I will temporarily go back to 38.0.1 Release, as I now know on my set-up apart form FDM all my other Add-ons are OK on FF39. ( Now - see side note below)
---
*SIDE NOTE* Tab Mix Release has issues with FF 38.0.5 & above regarding how it displays the Active tab label and its background area. Tab Mix Plus developers suggest their development builds should be used with FF Betas and above. I found the newest Dev. Build (which I believe was specifically a fix for this issue) does work (Tab Mix Plus 0.4.1.8pre 150411a1)
---

Thanks for all help and input on this issue Usher
Kind Regards, Dave

You have done a good choice, I think. Firefox devs warn that signing for external (not AMO-hosted) extensions just started and may not work properly yet.
Ad side note - This is an unofficial release of TMP dev build. It's not available on AMO, it won't be signed and probably won't work in Firefox 39.0 final and newer beta releases, as Firefox devs warn in docs linked earlier.

Usher wrote:You have done a good choice, I think. Firefox devs warn that signing for external (not AMO-hosted) extensions just started and may not work properly yet.
Ad side note - This is an unofficial release of TMP dev build. It's not available on AMO, it won't be signed and probably won't work in Firefox 39.0 final and newer beta releases, as Firefox devs warn in docs linked earlier.

We are agreed I'm already back on 38.0.1 (Release) as I type, and enjoying FDM downloads again.

I also agree with you that the TMP fix probably will not work on Firefox 39 Release, but thankfully the TMP authors seem pretty active and I suspect that by the time Firefox 39 comes to official Release that the fix and other TMP Development changes will be official and available on AMO (cross fingers).

Dave

I've JUST noticed this in the FDM5 Preview Topic.

Build 4520.2(2015-05-15)
[*]Added compatibility with Firefox 38 and 39

I rarely look at FDM 5 as it is still in Alpha and I understand you still cannot assign a permanent save folder yet, which is very important to me.

IF indeed FDM 5 is compatible with Firefox 39 (so I assume 38.0.5 as well) then I applaud the FDM developers BUT find it very disappointing that Alpha compatibility appears to be being addressed BEFORE FDM Release or RC candidate compatibility, which MOST users use and relay upon hugely. FDM5 is still in Alpha stage and possibly a long way away from Official Release due to the complexities involved.

I know from personal experience, it is ONLY a 20 minute effort (maximum) to try out BOTH Firefox Beta and Developer (previously called Aurora) as they advance A STAGE and check WHETHER THE FDM plug-in is broken or not. IF you already know what is needed for compatibility with FDM 5 Alpha, I assume making the FDM Release or RC compatible should be relatively easy and quick to do.

I know FDM Developers work for free and hard in their own time for all of use and I appreciate all your efforts on our behalf.

THIS POST IS NOT A CRITICISM but a request/suggestion. I am NOT asking for further development of FDM 3.9.* (used by most FDM Users), but I AM asking for priority maintenance until FDM 5 is much closer to Official Release.

Kind Regards
Dave