Firefox 35 update disabled Free Download Manager plugin 1.6.0.8

[BB1950]

Today I received the update for Firefox 35. In the process it disabled Free Download Manager plugin 1.6.0.8.

At first I was surprised with this as, a couple years back the Free Download Manager plugin was approved by Mozilla and the FDM plugin was available for download in AMO. Since FDM plugin was approved by Mozilla. Firefox took care of auto updating the add-on.

It was supposed to take care of the problem whenever a new version of Firefox was released, the FDM Plugin installed by Free Download Manager would be automatically be disabled in the browser, with the rapid release cycle not helping the FDM plugin to compatible with the newly released Firefox versions.

I discovered today that the add-on was removed by Mozilla in Sept 2013 because it violated their add-on rules in AMO. The page now shows a message ‘This add-on has been disabled by an administrator’. It is further made more complicated because of a couple of other reasons:

• The latest link in the FDM 3.9.4 forum, 3.9.4 build 1479 with Firefox Extension ver.1.6.0.8 (2014-10-15) is not up to date.
• Uninstalling and Installing a new version of FDM does not up update the plugin in C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\Firefox\extension
• The extension is a proxy not an XPI file.

I discovered that Free Download Manager plugin 1.6.0.9 is included in FDM ver. 3.9.4 build 1482 and is compatible with Firefox 35. Here's how I rectified the problem:

1. Disabled Firefox monitoring in the FDM settings.
2. Removed the Free Download Manager plugin 1.6.0.8 from Firefox extensions.
3. Downloaded FDM ver. 3.9.4 build 1482
4. Uninstalled Free Download Manager
5. Installed Free Download Manager build 1492
6. Copied all the files from C:\ProgramData\Free Download Manager\Firefox\Extensions\1.6.0.9 to
   C:\Program Files\Free Download Manager\Firefox\extension
7. Started FDM
8. Enabled Firefox monitoring in FDM
9. Enabled the Free Download Manager plugin 1.6.0.9 when Firefox started.

FDM now works in Firefox 35!

[IMHO]

So Mozilla removed the plugin for unknown reasons - but most likely security related - and that's not enough to scare you off it?

[BB1950]

No, Free Download Manger isn't known for security related issues. You're only implying that.

There are more security related issues with Adobe Flash Player!

There are several reasons Mozilla can remove addons from AMO. Sometimes it's a disagreement between the developer and Mozilla. There have been several over the years.

[IMHO]

Yep, I was assuming - that's for sure

I can't see any real reason why, as a plugin developer, you wouldn't want your plugins in the Mozilla or Chrome galleries/store though. Simple marketing 101 says promote your product where the audience is Given that these are pretty much free and open marketplaces, with 100,000's of participating vendors, I still think it's a fair assumption the developers did something naughty that Mozilla didn't agree with...

For me, if Mozilla don't trust/like them, I'm just going trust that judgement - there's too many other options out there to take the risk - but that's just my POV

[BB1950]

For sure the developers of FDM did something Mozilla didn't agree with. The whole purpose of the addon was to provide a method of interfacing FDM to Firefox.

Originally it wasn't offered on AMO. The developers of FDM included it in the installation of FDM. The reason it was offered as on AMO was that with the move to the rapid release cycle of Firefox, the addon wouldn't become disabled with each new release. Firefox would help insure it's compatible with new releases and wouldn't disable the addon with each new release of Firefox. This worked good for a few years.

With it not being offered on AMO, Firefox is now disabling it again. My thoughts are that Mozilla isn't liking external apps which operate outside of Firefox. There were some excellent developers who were against the rapid release cycle and pulled their offerings because of the implementation of it.

[ThaidDown]

Update

Free Download Manger 3.9.4 Build 1482 now available, installs ver 1.6.0.9 add on in Firefox which is not tagged 'incompatible' and works fine (for me).

http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/download.htm

[Boomer9052]

Thank you - very much appreciate your detailed instructions as I also use the Firefox + FDM add on a lot. Only suggestion I would add is to

1. export the FDM settings before uninstalling FDM and

2. import after installing 3.9.4 build 1482.

Thanks again!

[NamKAheng]

Instructions from BB1950 also work with FireFox 36.0.4, thanks very much BB1950

[Digitalbanana]

Firefox 37 is out today.

[BB1950]

Firefox 37 is out today.

Yes and Free Download Manager 3.9.5 RC build 1526 was updated to work with Firefox 37 on 3/27/2015.

There is a newer version of FDM, released on 4/2/2015, Free Download Manager 3.9.5 RC build 1530. It's also compatible with Firefox 37. It uses Free Download Manager plugin 1.7.3. You can download it here

Edited April 3, 2015 by BB1950