I cannot install Firefox extensions

[Brian C]

When I try to install extensions in Firefox, I get a golden banner at the top of the screen telling me that software installation is disabled. How can I get FF to let me install extensions?

[Brian C]

OK, I think I've narrowed it down to running Firefox in safe mode. However, I am simply clicking the icon that came with the dotpup. How do I start FF in non-safe (standard) mode?

[Guest]

i think you enable extensions in the menu: Edit, Preferences, Content tab, Warn Me When Websites Try To Install Extensions Or Themes ... you can allow a website to install extensions by clicking the Exceptions button ... i think if you click the golden banner at the top of the screen it automatically opens the Exceptions window so you can allow that web site to install extensions

you can also install extensions by downloading the file and clicking File, Open File

i'm running Firefox 1.5.0.1

[Brian C]

I have tried all of those things to no avail. I have also tried reinstalling FF from the dotpup repository, and making sure that I have the 1.5.0.1 update. Does anyone have any ideas as to what's wrong?

[GuestToo]

does the message look like this?

if so, if you click the Edit Options button, then click the allow button to allow that particular website, it should work

[edr4d]

GuestToo speaks wisdom. Use the Edit button and it'll work.

[Brian C]

I'm afraid that's not how the golden bar looks. The bar states

"Software installation is currently disabled. Click Edit Options... to enable it and try again."

In addition to that, I've made sure that the sites that I want to get extensions from are in the 'allowed' list, and I'm working with the official Mozilla extension site rignt npw (addons.mozilla.org) which is a default in the list.

[Brian C]

After more testing, I have discovered that I cannot install themes either. This encourages me to believe that Firefox is running in safe mode. All I do is click the icon after installing FF from the dotpup repository, so I do not understand how I could find out if it is in safe mode, much less run it in normal mode.

[krumpli]

"When run in Safe Mode, Firefox disables all Extensions and reverts to the Default Theme."

This is from FF own on line help. So it appears you are correct. Now I only wish I had an answer.

Since I got the above quote from a help page that was titled:
"Extension Versioning, Update and Compatibility", may I ask if you had a prior FF version installed before using the DotPup for vs 1.5.

Paul M

[krumpli]

Here is a search page from Google with query "linux firefox safe mode".
It appears that starting with FF vs 1.5 it will automatically boot into safe mode if it finds any incompatibility with extensions or plugins (&themes??)

So if I am understanding what I read on the first few pages of the search, the questions are:
1. did you have a prior install of FF?
2. OR did you get to install any extensions, themes, plugins on the downloaded version 1.5 before this occurred?

Hope this helps.

Paul M

[GuestToo]

some versions of Firefox will not install extensions if the size of the cache is set to 0 (disabled) ... i don't know if that applies to Firefox 1.0.5.1

[Brian C]

krumpli: I do not believe that I had another versoin of FF installed before I installed 1.5, and I have not successfully installed any extensons/themes.

GuestToo: I checked my cache, and it was set to 0. I changed it to 20MB, and restarted FF, but I fwas still unable to install any extensions.

[shankargopal]

I had the same problem, but in my case the fact was that there was indeed a previous Firefox install. I suspect you have that too, because if you do a search of the Mozilla knowledge base, it has a page on this. The problem is that there used to be an option for this that was removed from the UI in Firefox 1.5 onwards, but if there was an old version of Firefox present that had the option switched off, that is carried forward.

The way out is to type about:config into the address bar and go to that page. In the "Filter" box, type "xpi". One of the options is xpinstall.enabled. Change that to true. That should do it.

[Flash]

Brian, how did you install Firefox?

[krumpli]

On Feb 9th Brian said:

However, I am simply clicking the icon that came with the dotpup. How do I start FF in non-safe (standard) mode?

On Feb 24th Brian said:

All I do is click the icon after installing FF from the dotpup repository, so I do not understand how I could find out if it is in safe mode, much less run it in normal mode

Hopefully the excellent post from shankargopal will shed some light when we hear from Brian again.
That was a very good info on determining if extension install is shut down because of a prior FF install. If the current FF install was placed on top of the prior FF install (which it appears happens when FF does an upgrade), then one would not really know for sure if there was a prior install causing the problem.

Paul M

[Flash]

Sorry, I guess I need to read more carefully.

Brian, did you know you don't need the Firefox dotpup? You can download the latest version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.com/
and there is no "installation" required to run it. All you have to do is click on the gear icon in the Firefox directory. You can drag the gear icon to the desktop, then change it to the Firefox icon, which is provided in the icon directory within the Firefox directory, if I remember correctly.

[Kal]

Move your .mozilla to another folder in /root and start again.
Luck, Kal

[Brian C]

I finally got it! In a tab, I entered "about:config" then did a filter on 'install'. There was a boolean option called 'xipinstall'. I double-clicked it to be 'true', and now I'm all set! Thanks for helping me out!