[nstart]

From what I know (and I've got quite a few self developed addons running), installing unsigned XPI files has not been allowed for a while. I've been uploading them to my profile in the add-ons developer portal and getting back the signed XPI file. I could be misreading this though so apologies if I jumped the gun here.

[ahbyb]

If you have to upload your addons to the internet before you can install them (even if it is to have them signed) that's hardly "local".

[callahad]

Signing is only required on official release and beta builds -- users on developer edition, nightly, and unbranded builds can opt-out of the signing requirement by flipping a setting in about:config.

[mook]

There are no release (as in, non-Alpha) builds with updates, last I checked.

Developer edition and nighties are not release builds.

Unbranded builds don't get updates.

[A1kmm]

I worked around this with a script that patches the omni.ja zipfile to change the setting to require signing.

It needs to be unpatched for updates - I don't allow my normal day-to-day Firefox instance to write to it's own binary anyway. Firefox tells me when there is an update, and I then restart into my special script that unpatches, runs Firefox with permissions to modify itself and a profile that I don't use for day to day browsing, only for updates, and then patches it again.

Scripts to patch / unpatch it are here: https://github.com/A1kmm/enable-unsigned-firefox-addons

[barryvan]

Developer edition definitely gets regular updates, fwiw.

[Dylan16807]

Developer edition has updates but it's a beta. Unbranded builds aren't a beta but don't get updates. There is no version that's just like normal firefox except without signing enforcement.

[whitexn--g28h]

Unsigned extensions are also not for end-users.

[catalogia]

Developers are end users too.

[apostacy]

> Unsigned extensions are also not for end-users.

Says who???

Part of the problem is the very delineation between developer and end user.

How about Firefox just be a powerful open platform that anyone can develop for easily with as few roadblocks as possible? We should all be one step away from being developers.

I am so glad I was on the old Firefox 12 years ago. I'm glad that I was able to quickly whip up extensions and share them with my friends. Wanting to automate bypassing my school's wifi captive portal, or wanting to change how the bookmark menu was displayed encouraged me to experiment.

The fact that Mozilla now sees only an audience of consumers that need to be protected from themselves and marketed to is the problem. Mozilla is afraid of their precious precious brand being sullied.

[Jonnax]

There's a developer edition which allows unsigned add-ons.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/developer/

[apostacy]

The point of my post was that there should not be such a hard delineation between regular users and developers. A developer edition is not a helpful solution.

[Dylan16807]

Would setting up signatures have taken more than a few extra minutes?