Self sign my extension

Add-ons Development
#1

Hi all, I’ve been packaging my addon as a simple zip/xpi for years. I’ve read that I can us jpm and/or the signing api to self sign my addon so I can host a copy on my site (I do that for beta/unstable branches).

Am I reading this wrong or is there a way to self sign? It’d be a drag if I had to wait the 2-3 weeks for a full review everytime I put out a beta. I often catch bugs in the beta before posting a stable release to the AMO…

Thanks!

#2

There is no self-sign system.
For testing, you can tested unsigned addons in nightly/developer/unbranded versions of Firefox.

#3

A beta version should be signed immediately. There is no review process for betas. Make sure you add an a or b at the end of the version number to signify it is a beta.

However, as mentioned, for your own development it is more practical to use a Firefox build that does not enforce signing. Nightly and developer (aka Aurora) builds will never enforce signing. Currently, beta and release versions warn about unsigned addons, but allow you use them. In Firefox 45 (probably), when beta and release versions will not allow unsigned addons at all, Mozilla have promised “unbranded” builds that are functionally identical except that they allow unsigned addons to be used. This is specifically intended to allow development of addons.

#4

Keep in mind that beta versions are only available for fully reviewed listed add-ons.

#5

Aw dang! I was thinking of using the above for some of the developer addons like:

Github extension installer: https://github.com/diegocr/GitHubExtIns/issues/19

I just thought of a work around.

It is given that, internet connection HAS to be there for this addon. As in when the user is about to click the “add to firefox” button, internet has to be connected for it to work. Combining this with the fact that:
“A beta version should be signed immediately” (source: Mozilla Discourse :: Self sign my extensions - Comment 3) - I thought of this idea.

We have a dummy account on AMO. We sign into this account from the addon. This account already has a dummy addon listing. We reuse this listing for every addon. So the addon we just downloaded, we upload to AMO as a beta. It is signed immediately. We then download and install that xpi.

What do you think?

And XPICompiler: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/xpicompiler/

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