Firefox and addons updating

I finally made the leap from Firefox 3.6.x to 9.x and now I'm trying to figure out how to set Firefox to automatically check for addons update, but not apply automatically. I want it to give a small pop-up when it finds updates, so I can check which addons have new versions and their changelogs and then decide which ones to update. Same for Firefox programs update, I'd like to be notified and able to make the decision if it finds an update.
EDIT: Found the option for FF itself, now still the addons.

 

Firefox 3.6 had the capability in the Advaced tab to look for updates to Firefox Add-ons and Search Engines (if checked). Does FF 9 no longer have that capability?

-- Tom

 

Yes, but since v4 it does also update them automatically instead of only checking, and I want it to just check automatically. I unchecked the option Update Add-ons Automatically in the Addon manager, but I don't know if I completely disabled it or if it still automatically checks without updating them.

 

I use this add-on for that reason. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/addon-update-checker

 

I think Add-ons update either automatically or manually. Black and white.

I do it manually, and when it checks I'm then given the further option to install. The only 'automatic' process within that is the extension update is dowloaded automatically when I say to check, but it doesn't get installed until I say so.
I can cancel if I don't want to install it.

I don't believe it can be configured in the 'automatic' setting to check but notify you before taking any action. Not like Microsoft Auto Updates, in other words.

There is an 'extentions.update.notifyUser' entry in 'about:config', but I believe the true/false value there is only to notify you that an extension was updated, rather than doing it silently and without a notification.

When set to 'manual', going into the Add-ons Manager every once in a while and selecting 'check for updates' is not a difficult thing to do.
And you're usually not missing anything special if an extension update has been out for a few days without your applying it. The great majority of those updates will have more to do with functionality behaviors than they do with any security issues.

You might be interested in knowing about this setting, too:

http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/how-to-opt-out-of-add-on-metadata-updates/

 

I have found that the SeaMonkey/Firefox extension Add-on Update Checker 1.12 is very useful if you have several portable thumb/flashdrives & need to quickly update browsers on each one. You can place a discreet updating icon on the GUI & this is a pragmatic way to update as it can be set to show updates on opening the browser itself.

 

Maybe not, but it can become a bit of a chore on updating browsers on three separate computers & multiple flashdrives. Anything that can make the process a tad faster or more convenient gets a big from me!

I disagree, most of mine tend to be NoScript, ABP, RequestPolicy or other security based extensions. IMHO it is best to be as up to date as you possibly can. Anything that can ease or speed that process isn't just some misplaced nostrum or superfluous I reckon.

 

+1
Why wouldn't you install all the updates? What would you gain by not installing them?

 

Calling ABP specifically a 'security extension' is debatable. And since a version of NoScript (or any other updatable extension) is already installed and being used, the only thing you miss out on by not immediately updating is the functionality of whatever new changes were made to that extension, which are as often as not relatively minor.

You don't gain anything, and nobody suggested not installing them.
My only point in my previous post is that just because you're not installing an extension update the split-second it's released doesn't mean your extensions cease to function adequately or that it suddenly became open season for malware infections through your Firefox browser.

If you want to update manually, then it's incumbent upon you to actually go check for updates once in a while.
I just don't see any great harm or danger resulting because you happened to wait until tomorrow to update rather than having updated yesterday.

 

There's one major exception to that, although I otherwise agree with you. And that's when an important extension, judged incompatible with and therefore disabled by a new Firefox version, does update for compatibility and reactivates.

NoScript has (so far) been excellent with staying in pace with Firefox (probably by actively working with the betas), but some others do take a while before they can be used again.

 

This extension is soon to be installed in SeaMonkey by default! LOL

 

And yet it is probably responsible for stopping much of the malware distributed by infected flash ads. It is most definitely a security extension for me.

Unless they are not minor, it just isn't wise to take the chance IMO.

Most of the average users that I know personally have been infected with something or other over the past few months. I have only ever had one infection (a trojan over three years ago), & that was from a flash ad. ABP, which I didn't have installed at the time, would probably have stopped that.

 

Fine. However you want to look at it.
Though I suspect if we ask Mr. Palant what his intentions were when developing the extension, his response would be something like 'heightened speed and webpage loading, and the removal of an annoyance factor' rather than saying security against malware was the main factor.

The fact infected ads are removed right along with all the others is simply a sort of side-effect gravy that goes with the territory.

Yeah, I suppose it would have.

So, did you click on this ad, or did it do its malfeasance without your taking any action whatsoever?

 

Regardless of the original intentions, it is now viewed as much as a security device as anything else. The original programmable electronic computer was designed to crack the Enigma codes used by the Germans in WWII, primarily to predict where U-Boat Wolfpacks were located. Most owners of laptops probably don't do that so often these days.

It was a drive-by.

 

I'm with Daveski17 on this one, ABP is definitely a security add-on. Not every website is vetting their ads. There's scareware, redirects, spyware, pfishing for passwords...

IMHO it's better to automatically install all updates. If there were an incompatibility or problem, I'd rather do a System Restore in Windows than risk a security hole.

 

Thanks, I'll take a look at the Add-on Update Checker addon

I agree that ABP has also become a security addon with all the malware served by legit sites because of compromised ad servers these days. However it's not necessary to update it because of security reasons as it will still be blocking ads and the ad-subscriptions update independently from the addon. With NoScript however it's different as it has been updated multiple times in the past to add protection against new web-based attacks.

If there's a security hole I can read about it in the changelog and update it