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How to fix this: Cannot install unverified add-on even with xpinstall.signatures.required set to false.

  • 7 replies
  • 58 have this problem
  • 615 views
  • Last reply by James

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Firefox version 48 (OS X) disabled an add-on of mine that I am developing after Firefox updated. The add-on is unverified. After removing the add-on I am now unable to reinstall it despite xpinstall.signatures.required being set to false in about::config (I've toggled this on and off whilst restarting Firefox).

Although I am not interested in getting Mozilla to verify my personal add-on, now I'm hypothetically unable to work on my add-on to make it verified.

Firefox version 48 (OS X) disabled an add-on of mine that I am developing after Firefox updated. The add-on is unverified. After removing the add-on I am now unable to reinstall it despite xpinstall.signatures.required being set to false in about::config (I've toggled this on and off whilst restarting Firefox). Although I am not interested in getting Mozilla to verify my personal add-on, now I'm hypothetically unable to work on my add-on to make it verified.

Modified by James

Chosen solution

hi, you can use firefox developer edition where the xpinstall.signatures.required pref continues to be supported: https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/developer/

in addition you can easily get an addon signed - this is not the same as getting a full manual review for an extension that should be publicly listed at addons.mozilla.org: https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/12/01/de-coupling-reviews-from-signing-unlisted-add-ons/

in addition you can also load unsigned addons temporarily through about:debugging: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Tools/about:debugging

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All Replies (7)

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Hi, sorry, but I'm afraid add-ons that aren't signed in v48 won't work - the about:config fix was a temporary measure. The only thing you can do is to contact the developer and alert them to the problem.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/48.0/releasenotes/

If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you!

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That is incredibly frustrating since I'm the developer and I don't want to/can't get it signed. The add-on relies on pulling code remotely which is dangerous in principal so cannot be verified in the add-on store. It would take days to clone the code needed and I would have to spend months in the future keeping it up to date. I have no interest in doing this for a personal project, and no interest in distributing it in a store. I only want the add-on for personal use. Is there now no work around?

How are other developers developing add-ons if there is no way of loading an unverified add-on?

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Chosen Solution

hi, you can use firefox developer edition where the xpinstall.signatures.required pref continues to be supported: https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/developer/

in addition you can easily get an addon signed - this is not the same as getting a full manual review for an extension that should be publicly listed at addons.mozilla.org: https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/12/01/de-coupling-reviews-from-signing-unlisted-add-ons/

in addition you can also load unsigned addons temporarily through about:debugging: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Tools/about:debugging

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philipp said

hi, you can use firefox developer edition where the xpinstall.signatures.required pref continues to be supported: https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/developer/

Is xpinstall.signatures.required planned to be phased out in the developer version?

Modified by James

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no, that's what devedition is for, among other purposes :-)

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I thoroughly appreciate your help and I've got my add-on working. Yay! Thanks very much.

Modified by James