v2.2.0 (Beta 2)

Summary

This is the second Beta before v2.2.0 with some new and exciting features 🚀
Keep in mind that UX is still work in progress: questions, bug reports and suggestions will be very much appreciated!

Installation

• Firefox: Install from Our Self-hosted Signed Beta Channel
  or download signed .xpi attached to these release notes and follow these steps
• Chrome: Beta Channel at Chrome Web Store
• Other: use .zip above or build and install it manually

New In This Beta

New Feature: Upload files via embedded js-ipfs

We now provide a mechanism for switching between embedded and external ipfs nodes.

This was initially a part of Brave browser integration effort (#312), but users of other browsers can still benefit from partial functionality. Namely, due to missing APIs in Firefox and Chrome it is not possible to download via embedded node.. yet (we use public gateway for now), but it is a fine upload fallback for situations when user needs to quickly share a file with someone on IM and have no IPFS daemon running locally.

UX Note: Embedded node does not run when external one is used. Every time you switch to Embedded node, a new instance is spawned on-demand, so it takes a few seconds for a brand new node to find peers:

New Feature: window.ipfs (IPFS API Proxy 🎭)

For up-to-date details about this feature see our Notes on exposing IPFS API as window.ipfs.
Additional background can be found in original issue: Expose IPFS API as window.ipfs (#330)

Some highlights below:

• window.ipfs property in every web page!
  • also adds window.Buffer if not there
  • also adds window.Ipfs
• Proxies to running js-ipfs or go-ipfs node (via js-ipfs-api) in the extension
  (improves performance and battery life)
• Scope-based permissions (details in #386 (comment))
• Built-in access controls for proxied IPFS functions (#382)
• Adds option to the Preferences to enable/disable 🎭 access via window.ipfs proxy
  
• Access controls on non-whitelisted ipfs functions prompt user for a allow/deny 🎭 decision on first use:
  
• Adds a page for managing permissions
  

Other

• Migrated Beta Channel away from AMO (#385)
• Various internal UX tweaks and small vendor-specific fixes
  • Please report any regressions or odd behaviors you notice 🔧