How to update your extension to Firefox 3.1beta2

Firefox 3.1 Beta2 is here ! As we said before, it’s time to update your add-ons. Many add-ons should work out of the box with beta2. Others might need a little tweak.

If you have tested and you are sure that your extension works with Firefox 3.1 beta 2 and doesn’t need any code update, just update the compatibilty version (3.1b2) on the AMO dashboard. This is enough.

If you know that you must update some code, do so and update the install.rdf file (increase the version of your extension and update maxVersion to 3.1b2), then upload your xpi file.

If you feel unsure about how to update your add-on, here are step by step instructions on how to update it. The following may sound very easy. That’s probably because it is easy.

1. First, download Firefox 3.1 beta 2 here:

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html

2. Next, test your add-on:

Edit your install.rdf: if needed, update maxVersion to 3.1b2, and increase the version of your add-on.

Create a new Firefox profile:
firefox --createProfile testBeta2
Launch firefox with the new profile:
firefox -P testBeta2

Install your add-on.

Test your add-on thoroughly. Ensure that there’s no weird behavior or javascript errors.
We encourage you to set these preferences:
user_pref("javascript.options.strict", true);
user_pref("javascript.options.showInConsole", true);
in order to be notified about any javascript exception or warning.

If you run into issues, please check these common issues that may cause your add-on to break:
https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Updating_extensions_for_Firefox_3.1
Even if you think you won’t run into any problems, we still strongly recommend you read this page. You never know.

Then, make sure that your add-on works on your current profile (with all data already set by the last version).

3. Update your add-on on AMO:

If your add-on does not need any code update, just update the compatibilty version on the AMO dashboard.
if your add-on does need code update, then upload the new version to AMO.

That’s all!

Update your add-ons. It should be easy. If you run into issues during the migration or if you need some support, see our last post.