Support Firefox as a browser in flutter run

[jonahwilliams]

The Firefox remote protocol claims to support a subset of the chrome devtools protocol: https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/remote/index.html . If this subset is sufficient, we might be able to connect with out existing chrome devtools logic and have it mostly work. This would allow 1st class support for flutter run -d firefox

[jonahwilliams]

More info: this is only available on the nightly download and doesn't seem to be supported on windows.

[jonahwilliams]

more breadcrumbs: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Tools/Remote_Debugging/Debugging_Firefox_Desktop

[Zenb0t]

Any updates on this? Would be nice to test in a different browser...

[NicTanghe]

Flutter is ran by google highly doubt it will happen.

[jonahwilliams]

All the updates are provided above. in summary, it does not seem like it is possible to connect to the devtools of a Firefox browser unless you are using a nightly build, and even then only on certain platforms. Connecting to the browser devtools is a requirement for making Flutter devtools fully work.

We could build the Flutter tool to open firefox with the newly compiled app and support basic hot restart without any additional debugging functionality. This would mean that if you launched firefox from your IDE, you would be unable to do things like set breakpoints. Functionally, it would not be much different than flutter run -d web-server and opening up that page in Firefox, so we haven't spent any time on it. I'd also be worried it would be confusing to folks that are used to how Chrome is supported today.

@NicTanghe I resent the accusation that we are intentionally withholding functionality due to some vague implied conspiracy. Many aspects of Flutter are a labor of love and that includes Flutter Web. We have chosen to focus on performance and compatibility for the Web instead of investing significantly more time in expanding the debugging experience. I realize that not everyone will be satisfied with that - but the cost of working on a popular project is that there are many more requested features than we have time to work on.

If anyone wants to spend their time working on this, you would certainly get no objections from me - and I'd be happy to help review patches and provide guidance. I just can't help when it comes to actually connecting to firefox, since that is the whole reason this isn't done.

[caniko]

This seems more like a firefox issue than a flutter issue.

[NicTanghe]

I’m not saying you are withholding functionality.
I’m saying most of the work is being done by people that work at Google, and it would be contra productive to spend time on creating said functionality for said people.

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -start-debugger-server

/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -start-debugger-server

firefox -start-debugger-server

Might fix a hurdle.

[pixiekat]

Yes, please. Firefox is my main browser and I hate having to have an instance of Chrome open just for one thing without all of my settings.

[olfek]

Just ran flutter doctor on the latest version of Flutter

...

Doctor summary (to see all details, run flutter doctor -v):
[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.3.10, on Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22621.1105], locale en-GB)
...
[✗] Chrome - develop for the web (Cannot find Chrome executable at .\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe)
    ! Cannot find Chrome. Try setting CHROME_EXECUTABLE to a Chrome executable.
...
[✓] VS Code (version 1.74.3)
[✓] Connected device (2 available)
[✓] HTTP Host Availability

! Doctor found issues in 4 categories.

😢😢😢💔💔💔

Chrome - develop for the web

We need Firefox support

[Himura2la]

The Firefox discrimination is outrageous! I don't have Chrome because I purposefully avoid using Chromium-based browsers. And everyone should! Please, support Firefox in flutter doctor, this is essential!

[MeyerOppelt]

@Himura2la They also removed web server support. If you research a bit back, you used to be able to run flutter run -d web-server but you can't anymore for some reason.

[vladislav1nikov]

I think it will be good to add not only Firefox but also Safari. Chrome, Firefox and Safari are the most popular browsers and all use different engines. I think they are all important

[Ridhubharan]

Any updates?

[SakshamKarnawat]

Nearing 2024 but no support for Firefox is concerning. I love Flutter but please don't make me install Chrome 😟

[i0x404]

We still need this

[pixiekat]

Either support Firefox or change Chrome - develop for the web to Chrome - develop for Chrome.

[juxuanu]

https://hacks.mozilla.org/2023/12/puppeteer-webdriver-bidi/

Could Flutter use webdriverbidi instead of the proprietary Chrome protocol, so that it could be used with any browser implementing this protocol?

[Ken-Andre]

4 years around now, and didn't do that. So not her priority. When we all think that only Apple being so restricted environment for devs; Now think that Google and all his open-sourced products web oriented, joined him(Apple).