DownloadHelper 4.9.24.1 doesn't work on PM 27

[Davesnothere]

DownloadHelper 4.9.24.1 was pretty outdated, but it could still capture a couple video and audio files when it works. Since I updated Palemoon to 27 though DownloadHelper 4.9.24.1 has stopped working completely.

Is there an alternative to DownloadHelper on Palemoon that I didn't know about? I could really use one that works for version 27.

One which I still use with PM 25.8.x and SeaMonkey 2.39 is called Flash Video Downloader, which I also used to use with FireFox, prior to the Australis invasion.

AMO still had it, last time I checked.

There have been several updates to FVD this year, but not sure whether there has been one specifically for PM 27.

It seems to notice videos on a variety of websites (arrow on toolbar changes colour to say so), and will deliver them in Flash, MP4, and some other formats.

[Toa-Nuva]

I've had Complete YouTube Saver working on other sites as well. Just right-click the video and save

That's a browser feature. CYS only does Youtube.

[LegitimateGrapes]

DownloadHelper 4.9.24.1 was pretty outdated, but it could still capture a couple video and audio files when it works. Since I updated Palemoon to 27 though DownloadHelper 4.9.24.1 has stopped working completely.

Is there an alternative to DownloadHelper on Palemoon that I didn't know about? I could really use one that works for version 27.

One which I still use with PM 25.8.x and SeaMonkey 2.39 is called Flash Video Downloader, which I also used to use with FireFox, prior to the Australis invasion.

AMO still had it, last time I checked.

There have been several updates to FVD this year, but not sure whether there has been one specifically for PM 27.

It seems to notice videos on a variety of websites (arrow on toolbar changes colour to say so), and will deliver them in Flash, MP4, and some other formats.

Which version of Flash Video Downloader are you using? The latest version doesn't seem to be supported by Pale Moon.

[Daikun]

Does anyone know an alternative add-on to DH that can capture more than just video?

One of the things I liked about DH is that you could capture more than just video files. I gave the Video Download Professional suggestion a try, and I find that it can't capture audio or other file types.

I'm trying to capture a podcast that, for whatever reason, has no download link (even though it's free), is embedded into a page, and crashes when I try to listen to it on a browser. DH was great for dealing with that problem, but VDP doesn't help at all.

[GigaWatt]

OK, I've decided to post this (my first post actually ) because I've waisted a good part of a week trying to find adequate repalecements for all extensions/add-ons I've used before Pale Moon 27.

So, Flash Video Downloader - YouTube HD Download [4K] doesn't work any more, since it's a Jetpack extension... and Video DownloadHelper also. This is where I lost most of my time in the past week... trying to replace these two. Before Pale Moon 27, Video DownloadHelper (the older version, that wasn't Jetpack based) mostly worked, so in combination with Flash Video Downloader - YouTube HD Download [4K], it basically fit my video downloading needs. Flash Video Downloader detected... well, almost everything I've ever opened that had a video/audio stream, and if for some reason it didn't, Video DownloadHelper did, so... problem solved .

Since the drop of support with Jetpack extensions in PM 27, I had to find alternatives. Most of my add-ons/extensions didn't work any more. Video DownloadHelper just stopped detecting videos... period. On the other hand Flash Video Downloader did detect videos, but, for some reason, the button menu didn't show up, so... I couldn't download anything.

Anyway, Video DownloadHelper didn't work properly anymore (even on PM 26.x... it detect... maybe 30% of all videos), so I decided to concentrate on finding a replacement or modding Flash Video Downloader. I'm not a developer, but I do work with IT, so... I decided to give it a try.

The only version of Flash Video Downloader 4K that did pop up the download menu from the address bar button was 9.1.0. This is the last version that works "properly" with PM 27. Properly is in quotes because this version pops up the download menu, but it doesn't detect all of the videos. It detects most of the videos, but not everything I've opened.

I tried modding newer versions (the last one that isn't Jetpack based is 13.2.4), but I didn't manage to get the download menu to pop up... I though that it might be a problem with the skin so tried modding the css, but compared to version 9.1.0, there were no changes in the skin (interface, download menu). In the end, I just gave up... there was no point in digging any deeper. These were all older versions of Flash Video Downloader anyway and even if I did manage to get the download menu working, sooner or later, the add-on would stop detecting most of the videos anyway.

So, I started searching for new add-on that worked properly with Pale Moon 27. I didn't like most of the add-ons I tried and were suggested by users on the forum... they just didn't have the simplicity that Video DownloadHelper and Flash Video Downloader did. Until I stumbled upon this add-on .

Ant Video Downloader

I know, you can't install it in Pale Moon 27 "out of the box", but with making a few changes to the code, you can ... and the add-on is great , even better than Flash Video Downloader (which I preferred over Video DownloadHelper).

Anyway, here are the changes you have to make. I'm a Windows (and a "part-time" (:D) Linux) user, so, all of the tool mentioned might be "Windows only" tools, but you could do the same with other tools under Linux. What I'm saying is, the tools may differ, but the concept is the same.

---

1) Download the installer (the .xpi file) for Ant Video Downloader (right click on the "Add to Firefox" button --> Save Link As...). The latest version (2.4.7.47) works fine, so you don't have to look for older versions.

2) Extract the content of the .xpi file with any archiver (WInRAR, 7-zip...).

3) Find the install.rdf file and open it with any text editor (Notepad, Notepad ++).

4) Fin these two lines in the code:

Code: Select all

<em:minVersion>26.0</em:minVersion>
<em:maxVersion>36.*</em:maxVersion>

5) In the first line, change 26.0 to 20.0 (a different version number higher than 20.0 might have worked also, but... I didn't try it). You don't have to change anything in the second line. I did, but it was for testing purposes and didn't cnage it back...

Anyway, here is how I changed these two lines.

Code: Select all

<em:minVersion>20.0</em:minVersion>
<em:maxVersion>80.*</em:maxVersion>

6) Save the changes to install.rdf (Ctrl + S).

7) Pack the extracted files in a zip archive. I used WinRAR, but any archiver that can pack files in a zip archive will do. Remeber, don't pack the folder in which the files are extracted, just pack the files themselves.

8) Rename the archive from .zip to .xpi.

9) Drag and drop the .xpi file in Pale Moon.

10) Done .

---

I would have attached the .xpi file i modded in this post, but I have no idea under what license the add-on is released (didn't have time to bother any more, I just spent a week trying to replace all my add-ons), so... if anyone has info weather this is legal or not, just write me a private message, I'll upload it in this post .

The add-on uses ffmpeg, so it will download it after first run, so don't be alarmed by this . Flash Video Downloader uses ffmpeg too, but the author decided to bundle it with the add-on so it doesn't actually need anything else to download .

Now I stated previously that this add-on is even better than Flash Video Downloader. Why? Well, Flash Video Downloader didn't work with segmented video files (at least the latest version that worked with PM 26.x didn't). Ant Video Downloader works perfectly with segmented videos . It downloads all chunks of the video and muxes/splices them with ffmpeg . I've tested this with 2 sites so far, it detected and downloaded the video files perfectly. The only downside is that your download history clutters up, but hey... there has to be a downside, right .

Also, if you want to download a HD clip, you have to load it fist (choose the HD option from the player and reload the video). Basically, it detects the stream you're watching. If you're watching an SD stream, it will download it in SD, if it's HD, it will download the video in HD.

Other than this, the interface is more or less the same as Flash Video Downloader or Video DownloadHelper, so I'm using this add-on from now on... and let's hope that the developer doesn't choose to port this one to Jetpack :S.

[Davesnothere]

OK, I've decided to post this (my first post actually ) because I've waisted a good part of a week trying to find adequate repalecements for all extensions/add-ons I've used before Pale Moon 27....

Thanks for your detailed report.

I will repeat your tests and report back, hopefully soon.

[Davesnothere]

Which version of Flash Video Downloader are you using? The latest version doesn't seem to be supported by Pale Moon.

I have FVD 13.2.3, but that is on PM 25.8.0 and SeaMonkey, which does not help folks on PM 27, and I too will need to make a different choice if I switch to PM 27.

Currently I have some other reasons to switch to PM 27, such as it working with the recently revised GMX (and MAIL.com) WebMail page, as well as some reasons to stay where I am, such as XP support.

It's a mixed bag.

[Daikun]

@GigaWatt: I tried going through your steps, and it doesn't work for me.

[GigaWatt]

Are there any errors or Pale Moon just refuses to install the extension saying it's not compatible with Pale Moon 27.x? Try what Moonchild suggested in this post.

[Daikun]

It tells me the file is corrupted.

Also, Moonchild said that submitting a modded XPI is okay under that license (Ant Video Downloader is also under MPL), so you can just upload it here.

[GigaWatt]

OK, here is the modded .xpi file.

Again, if this is against the forum's policy, please let me know.

[Daikun]

I just tried it out. It works beautifully. Thanks!

[GigaWatt]

Great .

BTW, I was wrong about the download history cluttering up with Ant Video Downloader . After the separate audio and video streams are downloaded (or chunks in segmented video files), ffmpeg muxes/splices them and the extension just removes the other downloads (separate audio/streams and/or chunks) from the download history and enters a new entry, which is the video you've downloaded .

If you want to disable the add-on from making .webm videos (disable the webm container), untick the "Enable MSE for WebM video" option in Tools --> Options --> Content --> Video. That way, the extension will only see the mp4 or flv stream and mux the resulting video in .mp4 or .flv. For some reason, the extension defaults to the WebM container on YouTube (I guess if you enable MSE for WebM, YouTube detects this and loads the WebM stream instead of the MP4 stream), so if you want to edit or watch the video in anything else than VLC or MPC-HC, the video is useless .

[context]

Thanks for the xpi file. Would it be possible for you to restate your steps as clarification of how to use the file? If would be a great help if you did that.

[Male Poon]

You really can't blame the developers over the loss of your extensions really

The reason why Jetpack compatibility was lost is because PM27 uses a newer platform that no longer has that functionality. Losing Jetpack support wasn't intentional but it was a consequence of the shift in platforms, which needed to happen to maintain compatibility with many types of newer websites. To add back Jetpack support would basically require the entire browser backend to be rewritten, so we have to move on.

Well, again, I'm not having a go at PM developers because they're volunteering and it's free... but isn't that quote exactly what I was talking about? When it came to the crunch, continuity of user experience was not the number one priority.

It's kind of hypocritical to say "I'm not having a go at the developers", and then say something false "they don't care about the users".

Common Sense would dictate that if user continuity wasn't a priority, then PM would look and act a lot differently than it does now. Please think before spewing words out of your ass.

Come on, guy, I didn't say they don't care about the users. I said that, given the choice between maintaining continuity of user experience and not rewriting "the entire browser backend", the developers chose the latter. I don't blame them - they're doing this for free - but it seems a matter of simple logic to observe that keeping things the same for the users was not the #1 priority.

If that strikes you as ignorant, or stupid, that's fine.

[back2themoon]

Come on, guy, I didn't say they don't care about the users. I said that, given the choice between maintaining continuity of user experience and not rewriting "the entire browser backend", the developers chose the latter. I don't blame them - they're doing this for free - but it seems a matter of simple logic to observe that keeping things the same for the users was not the #1 priority. If that strikes you as ignorant, or stupid, that's fine.

It's a web browser, so the priority goes to web browsing. Simple as that. Giving priority to Firefox extension compatibility (which does not equal "user experience" and many of them work fine anyway) instead of web browsing wouldn't be a "matter of simple logic" as you say, but pure madness.

[GigaWatt]

Thanks for the xpi file. Would it be possible for you to restate your steps as clarification of how to use the file? If would be a great help if you did that.

Well, I think I explained everything. I don't know hat else to clarify. Could you be more specific? There are some grammatical and logical errors in the post (I didn't double check the post after I wrote it), but other than that, I think it's pretty clear what has to be done to make Ant Video Downloader "compatible" with Pale Moon 27.0.2 (at the time I wrote the post, 27.0.3 wasn't released yet, so I have no idea if any changes have to be made to the extension to install it in Pale Moon 27.0.3). I've applied the same steps to Session Manager 0.8.1.12 and I've corrected the grammatical/logical errors in that thread.

[riiis]

Thanks for the xpi file. Would it be possible for you to restate your steps as clarification of how to use the file? If would be a great help if you did that.

Ant Video Downloader will install and work out-of-the-box in Pale Moon 27.0.3. A modified Ant xpi file is no longer needed.

To use "Flash Video Downloader" version 13.2.4 in PM27, comment out (or delete) lines 35 thru 37 in the \modules\downloads.js file in FVD's xpi file.

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// else if ( browserName == 'palemoon' ) {
// 	useNewStyle = false;
// }

[hackerman1]

To use "Flash Video Downloader" version 13.2.4 in PM27, comment out (or delete) lines 35 thru 37 in the \modules\downloads.js file in FVD's xpi file.

Code: Select all

// else if ( browserName == 'palemoon' ) {
// 	useNewStyle = false;
// }

Could you please post a link to Flash Video Downloader" version 13.2.4 ?
The search-function on Mozilla is useless, i get a lot of results even when searching for EXACTLY "Flash Video Downloader" version 13.2.4"...
Do you mean Flash Video Downloader - YouTube HD Download [4K], version 13.2.4 ?

[Davesnothere]

Ant Video Downloader will install and work out-of-the-box in Pale Moon 27.0.3. A modified Ant xpi file is no longer needed.

To use "Flash Video Downloader" version 13.2.4 in PM27, comment out (or delete) lines 35 thru 37 in the \modules\downloads.js file in FVD's xpi file.

Code: Select all

// else if ( browserName == 'palemoon' ) {
// 	useNewStyle = false;
// }

Thanks for the tips !

For a long time, I have used extensions VDH 4.9.24 and various versions of FVD for all of my video stream downloading needs, until each encountered problems and/or functionality limitations of one sort or another as browsers and websites evolved, and I too have been looking for a better solution for that purpose, so these two threads and a few others in the PM forum have been of major interest to me.

As a result, during last weekend, I began posting in the below-linked thread, permalinked to begin at my first post :

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=10849&start=96

An engaging conversation developed where I learned (among other things) that the NEXT release of Pale Moon plans to RESUME SUPPORT for Jetpack/SDK-based extensions.

It doesn't seem like there has been much specific fanfare about this, so I thought that those in the current thread would appreciate knowing this too.

Thanks to forum user JustOff, some links were posted of which I had not previously known, to nightly builds of this upcoming Pale Moon release (which BTW is also available as a PORTABLE edition), and to an extension dedicated to letting us test such extensions with it.