How to have Firefox check add-on age only on startup.
I'm looking for an about:config switch that can be toggled to disable Firefox checking add-on age except when starting it (I suspect this age is "app.update.lastUpdateTime.addon-background-update-timer").
I occasionally set my Windows clock back about two years, which used to just throw security errors on new pages. Now it also disables add-ons, which is obnoxious. Even after resetting the clock and restarting Firefox, they still can't be enabled unless extensions.legacy.enabled is set to true, which seems inadvisable.
Alternately, is there a number I can reset "app.update.lastUpdateTime.addon-background-update-timer" or another variable to that will re-enable extensions?
Thanks.
All Replies (5)
Push back the clock two years? That's up to you I guess.
You can also post your question in the add-ons forum; https://discourse.mozilla-community.org/c/add-ons
Well yeah, the program that needs an incorrect clock, I start with a batch file that sets such a clock. The problem is, that breaks Firefox. If it just broke new pages, fine. But now, it breaks extensions on existing tabs.
Please explain the problem in detail. What happens? Error messages?
No errors, no.
Firefox is already running. Set clock back ~ 2 years. Firefox checks time since add-ons were updated, throws a fit. Add-ons get shunted to "legacy" category and turned off. Resetting clock to current, then restarting Firefox does not re-enable add-ons. Enabling legacy add-ons in about:config does work, but is a security risk. Eventually, Firefox moves the add-ons back to the normal category, and disabling legacy add-ons is possible.
If Firefox could be told to only check add-on age when I start it, this wouldn't be an issue. I have to restart it once every day or two anyway, so this is not a security issue for my use case.
I am still using v54 as my primary.