Pale Moon forum

I created a small script for 'dmenu' that allows me to open one of my existing profiles or a new one, if what I type does not match what is listed.

What I need is a way to automatically install addons (more specifically, 'pentadactyl', since it can install other addons by itself).

I have read about the 'palemoon' commandl-line switch '-install-global-extension' <viewtopic.php?t=8933>, but that does not seem to work. Besides, I don't know what "globally" means here, and would prefer to install addons or extensions only locally - that is, only for the chosen profile.

Here is the relevant part of my bash script:
(Where "${addons['pentadactyl']}" is a variable that expands to <https://addons.palemoon.org/?component= ... 6a72eacf42>.)

Sure you can install addon with the any regular script.
There is required two actions.
1. copy xpi to the extensions folder
2. add entry to the extensions.json
3. add addon settings to the prefs.js

As for the install-global-extension there is no such thing in the palemoon version 27.9.3

As noted, http://kb.mozillazine.org/Installing_ex ... stallation, says its been deprecated. (And then MDN also goes on to say, "restricted to only allow installing add-ons that are on local disks or mapped drives".)

Haven't done it in a while, but if I remember correctly the exension FEBE will let you make a single xpi for all the extensions you have installed. Then to install it/them in a virgin installation, I believe you can open with "File, Open file" from the menu of the new installation or if PM is defaulting to the virgin profile you can right click on the xpi and open it with PM. Or, I believe you can do something like "palemoon /path/to/enormous.xpi" from a command line. If PM isn't defaulting to the virgin profile, you'll need to use an option for the profile.

Thanks, Fedor2. The script now works as I modified it to do the following:

1. Create subdirectory 'extensions' in the profile directory.
2. Therein place an "extension proxy file" <https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Archive/Add-ons/Setting_up_extension_development_environment#Firefox_extension_proxy_file> named 'pentadactyl@addons.palemoon.org', containing the path to the previously obtained (and in my case, extracted) XPI file.
3. Start, then kill 'palemoon', in order to populate the profile directory.
4. Create, in the profile dir, the file 'user.js', to modify the value of the 'extensions.bootstrappedAddons' preference to '{\"pentadactyl@addons.palemoon.org\":{\"version\":\"1.2pre-pm-3\",\"type\":\"extension\",\"descriptor\":\"/home/bw/i/ib/var/pm/profiles/inf_pen/extensions/pentadactyl@addons.palemoon.org.xpi\",\"multiprocessCompatible\":false}}' - <https://superuser.com/questions/373276/how-to-enable-extension-when-running-firefox-for-the-first-time>.
5. Modify the file 'extensions.json' to have '"userDisabled":false' and '"active":true'. (See <superuser.com> link above.)

This is enough, though step 3 is rather ugly.

3. Start, then kill 'palemoon', in order to populate the profile directory.

Do you necessarily need to populate the profile directory?
(And no, I haven't actually looked at your links, yet.)

therube, I need to populate the directory mostly because I wouldn't otherwise know how to create the file 'extensions.json'.

But do you need to actually "populate the profile directory" or is simply knowing the path/name of the Profile folder sufficient?
Knowing the path/name, you can simply drop (copy) a user.js or (pre-created, with associated pathname, as extensions.json does contain pathnames) extensions.json into there?

If you can do that, then you don't have to actually run palemoon.exe, so then no need to kill it.

Hi,

why not create a new profile, install what you want, tar the contents of the profile directory to a file. When creating a new profile, just untar the file to the new profile directory?

Tom