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Thousands of Firefox add-ons already work on Firefox 4
Broken extensions are nothing new when it comes to Firefox updates -- pretty well every Minefield version I've played with over the years has shut down one or two of my add-ons. Still, there are some major changes under the hood in Firefox 4 which could cause a little more breakage than normal -- something which has Erez a little concerned.
... But you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs -- and Firefox 4 is definitely a better omelette, as it were. As it turns out, plenty of developers have already begun adapting their extensions to work with the new version. Mitch Keeler of Firefox Facts points out that there are already at least 1,000 (the maximum number of results which the add-on site search will return) extensions which work with Firefox 4.
... But you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs -- and Firefox 4 is definitely a better omelette, as it were. As it turns out, plenty of developers have already begun adapting their extensions to work with the new version. Mitch Keeler of Firefox Facts points out that there are already at least 1,000 (the maximum number of results which the add-on site search will return) extensions which work with Firefox 4.
That's a pretty small chunk of the total you'll find on the add-ons site, but consider how many haven't been touched in years. The site is rife with outdated extensions and at some point they've got to fall by the wayside. More popular and actively developed extensions will update in time for the release -- so the vast majority of Firefox 4 users won't have to worry about breakage.
The final release is still a ways off, of course, so there's plenty of time for developers to make the necessary changes. If you're getting impatient, you can always follow Erez' example and offer the developer a little financial motivation to get the ball rolling!
Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsJoshAug 30th 2010 12:11PM
Too bad the definitive theme, GrApple, looks to be dead.
ChrisSskAug 30th 2010 1:11PM
I think the XPCOM changes that broke many add-ons landed with beta 3, so any add-on updated to work with beta 3 should work on beta 4 and minefield using the add-on compatibility reporter
Andrew PollackAug 30th 2010 3:01PM
Firebox, Flashblock, AdBlockPlus, & webdeveloper are the critical ones for me. Without them, I don't upgrade. Lots of others I like, but those are the critical ones.
WilliamNighthawkAug 30th 2010 3:07PM
I use to be a pure minefield user. Always liked being on the edge of the advancements of Mozilla. This caused a lot of programs to be incompatible with my build. There is a very quick fire around this and it works with every build of Minefield and Firefox. Just download the Nightly Tester Tools.
(I've switched to chromium)
Bryan PriceAug 30th 2010 4:15PM
I just went through the list of extensions that I have for my 3.6.8. I got a few to work, surprisingly. Xmarks, NoScript and a couple of others. Much better than AdBlock Plus, which seemed to be the only one awhile ago.
SilverWaveAug 30th 2010 5:15PM
Hmm going to stay with 3.6 for a while...
4.0 looks good but I have 3.6 working perfect.
I have been looking for alternatives though, that is to replace unsupported must have extensions...
Readability is looking good to replace platypus at a pinch... but repagination is a deal breaker so far.
SilverWaveAug 30th 2010 5:17PM
Oh and I had to hit repagination with a big hammer just to get it to work with 3.6 :-(
frikoAug 30th 2010 6:32PM
Won't upgrade until Greasmonkey works.
FreezerAug 31st 2010 2:33AM
And of course, Tab Mix Plus will be among the ones that aren't ready for FF4 (and won't be for several weeks after release).
They're nothing if not consistent.