armagadd-on 2.0: Mozilla's legacy hot-fix for Firefox 52 through 60: feedback from users of Waterfox 56.2.9

[grahamperrin]

To users of Waterfox 56.2.9 whose profiles may be bitten by Mozilla armagadd-on 2.0

If your interest is in the forthcoming update to Waterfox:

• please see Waterfox treating signed addons as unsigned #936

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If you would like to add Mozilla's hot-fix to Waterfox 56.2.9:

• please share your feedback in this issue

– please do not address Waterfox feedback to Mozilla.

If you're new to Waterfox, it may help to know that historically, Waterfox 56.0 was based on Firefox 56.0.2.

Mozilla's hot-fix: a test routine for users of Waterfox 56.2.9

1. At about:addons (Add-ons Manager) please make a written note of the name of any extension that has a red alert (… could not be verified for use in Waterfox and has been disabled) – most users will find no such alert
2. in a new window or new tab, at https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/ – the extensions area of AMO – please find, for yourself, an extension that will not download (a different red alert: Download failed. Please check your connection.)
3. in a new window or new tab, visit https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1550793#module-attachments-title
4. click Legacy hotfix for Firefox 52 through 60 (signed)
5. when prompted to allow installation of software, click Allow
6. when prompted to allow installation of the add-on, click Add
7. after completion of the installation, click OK
8. bring to front the tab for the extension that could not be downloaded
9. without reloading the page, click the blue + Add to Firefox button.

For step (2) above, if you can not easily find an extension that is bugged by the download-specific red alert, try this one:

• Custom UserAgent String

[grahamperrin]

After following steps 1–9 above, please respond to this poll.

Click no more than once:

(A second click will not reveal the identities of respondents. A second click will be misinterpreted as another vote.)

[grahamperrin]

To the anonymous person who found no difference after adding Mozilla's extension: can you describe your situation?

If not here (maybe you have no GitHub account) then you might add a comment under https://redd.it/bnblfe

Thanks

[LeeBinder]

The extension approach ONLY works for Waterfox 56.2.9 Desktop, NOT for Waterfox 56.1.0 Android!

I have uploaded the certificate to my server with the correct MIME type and compiled a write-up how to import the certificate which works for both. You can find it here.

[grahamperrin]

Mozilla bug 1551289 - publish armagadd-on 2.0 hotfixes on AMO for self-install - to versions 52-56

… ready to ship …

Thanks to those of you who tested and responded to the poll.

All six of you! (I was two of the eight voters.)

[grahamperrin]

https://redd.it/boa46w

https://redd.it/boazxg

[LeeBinder]

@grahamperrin : https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disabled-add-on-fix-52-56/ working in Waterfox Android 56.1.0 fresh virgin account: the add-on installs, is NOT and can NOT be enabled in Add-ons (even after WF force-quit and re-launch), but affected Add-ons DO nevertheless install.

When force-quitting WF, remove cert9.db, re-launch WF, questionable Add-ons again do NOT install as before. Did some more tests [..] - in short, this hotfix WORKS even for WF Android. It installs the certificate then disables itself.

NOT immediately working for Waterfox Desktop 56.2.9: "This add-on is not compatible with your version of Firefox" due to Waterfox pretending to be Firefox 57 on AMO in about:config?filter=general.useragent.override (credit to laniakea64 for the hint). It can however be downloaded manually, be dragged into about:addons and is even active. In a fresh virgin account, affected Add-ons DO then install.

[laniakea64]

NOT immediately working for Waterfox Desktop 56.2.9: "This add-on is not compatible with your version of Firefox".

This is due to Waterfox pretending to be Firefox 57 on AMO, and this addon not being compatible with Firefox 57. You could also right-click the greyed out "Add to Firefox" button > Copy link location, then right-click Waterfox address bar > Paste & Go.

Change of useragent (tried many 51-66, Mac/ Windows/ Linux) does not change that.

What method were you using to change user-agent? Changing the value of about:config > general.useragent.override.addons.mozilla.org to a Firefox 56 user-agent worked for me.

[LeeBinder]

oh, you are right! I was using User Agent Switcher and Manager v.0.2.8. In older versions it would overwrite settings in about:config?filter=general.useragent.override, but v.0.2.8 acknowledges them and treats them superior. Thanks for the correction! However keeping that setting on 57 UA would most likely mean a regression in regards to the # of extensions that can be installed (most of which seem to be working fine in WF even though Mozilla would like them to only work in Quantum versions of FF), so I will keep that setting on UA 56.

Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.13; rv:57.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/56.0

[grahamperrin]

Please see https://www.reddit.com/r/waterfox/comments/boazxg/-/ene52ae/ – there's a direct link to Mozilla's extension.