Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

"Recommended" extensions that are not actively maintained

more options

Hello,

I have a question about Firefox extensions that are not maintained anymore but still have the "Recommended" badge. I like several of them, but I am not sure whether I should still trust them (some have not been maintained for years according to Github).

I am very grateful in advance for any assistance on the matter!

Fabio

Hello, I have a question about Firefox extensions that are not maintained anymore but still have the "Recommended" badge. I like several of them, but I am not sure whether I should still trust them (some have not been maintained for years according to Github). I am very grateful in advance for any assistance on the matter! Fabio

Fabio trɔe

Ŋuɖoɖo si wotia

Fabio said

For now I'm going to ice this project (i.e. stop working on it for a while) until I figure out how to continue with it.The extension will continue to work until Mozilla completely disables the background pages. Not sure when this will happen.

I think the author is referring to a potential mandatory transition from Manifest V2 API's to Manifest V3 API's. Currently, it is optional to change, and I wouldn't expect it to become mandatory during 2023. Several months ago, Mozilla tweaked its V3 API's to provider an easier migration path (event pages rather than service workers, ref. blog).

That said, developers do not always want to maintain an extension forever. If at some point the extension stops working in all supported releases (current rapid release and extended support release), I would expect it to lose its Recommended status at that point.

Xle ŋuɖoɖo sia le goya me 👍 3

All Replies (5)

more options

Hi Fabio

Depending on the add-on and what it does, it may not need much in the way of maintenance. As an example, one if my own add-ons still works but has not been updated since February 2021.

more options

Thank you very much for your kind reply, Paul.

I am still rather puzzled, however. Mozilla states, about Recommended extensions, that:

Developers of Recommended extensions must maintain their content to ensure it evolves with the needs of Firefox users.

(Quoted from: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recommended-extensions-program#w_how-are-recommended-extensions-selected)

On the other hand, the extension's developer wrote a long comment in 2021 on GitHub, intended to justify the development's discontinuation. Among other factors, he makes explicit reference to technical problems very deeply related to Firefox's own development. I quote only a part:

For now I'm going to ice this project (i.e. stop working on it for a while) until I figure out how to continue with it.The extension will continue to work until Mozilla completely disables the background pages. Not sure when this will happen.

Perhaps my question is too technical and has to do with Mozilla's internal policy standards.

Please, let me know if my question goes beyond the scope of this discussion and help page.

Many thanks again,

Fabio

more options

You could post your questions at https://discourse.mozilla.org/c/add-ons/35

more options

Thank you James! I will follow your suggestion and certainly post my question on the Mozilla Discourse forum if the matter cannot be settled here (as I said before, I fully understand that my question might be too specific for the purposes of a general help and support page/forum). I will just wait a little for any other possible contribution before closing this topic here.

Thanks again!

more options

Ɖɔɖɔɖo si wotia

Fabio said

For now I'm going to ice this project (i.e. stop working on it for a while) until I figure out how to continue with it.The extension will continue to work until Mozilla completely disables the background pages. Not sure when this will happen.

I think the author is referring to a potential mandatory transition from Manifest V2 API's to Manifest V3 API's. Currently, it is optional to change, and I wouldn't expect it to become mandatory during 2023. Several months ago, Mozilla tweaked its V3 API's to provider an easier migration path (event pages rather than service workers, ref. blog).

That said, developers do not always want to maintain an extension forever. If at some point the extension stops working in all supported releases (current rapid release and extended support release), I would expect it to lose its Recommended status at that point.