Firefox 57+ support / Turn VimFx into a WebExtension

[lydell]

Note: VimFx is dead. It won't be updated for Firefox 57+. See README.md for more information.

Orginial post below. Warning! It contains some outdated stuff.

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Firefox has several types of extensions. The newest type is called “WebExtensions.” Mozilla plans to stop supporting all other types than WebExtensions at the end of 2017.

See Mozilla’s blog post Add-ons in 2017 for more information.

VimFx is not a WebExtension.

The other types of extensions are very flexible. They can do almost anything. While that is really cool, it also holds back the development of Firefox. Wonder why multi-process Firefox took so long?

WebExtensions are not as powerful — yet. Mozilla seem to be open to adding new APIs, but it will take time.

VimFx will be maintained and continue to work like it does now as long as Mozilla supports the “legacy” types of extensions. But no new features will be added. The more features, the harder it will be to turn VimFx into a WebExtension.

For a couple of months, I looked into converting VimFx to a WebExtension. But I've lost the motivation.

So, for now I recommend supporting philc/vimium#2425.

I want to create a new extension with the best of VimFx. But I don't know when that will happen.

Here are a bunch of interesting links:

• Bug 1215061 - Better keyboard shortcut support
• This comment on bug 1215061
• Bug 1341416 - WebExtensions: Implement _focus_content_area command

Summary:

• You can use the current VimFx for the rest of 2017.
• Then, Vimium is your best bet: Support for Firefox philc/vimium#2425
• VimFx is free software, so if somebody feels like converting it to a WebExtension they're totally free to do so! (But you're probably going to spend your time more wisely on Vimium.)
• I hope to create a new add-on with the best parts from VimFx some day.
• Firefox will become a better browser! It’s sad but worth the sacrifice.

[letientai299]

Hi @akhodakivskiy, I've followed this topic for a while. Since there's nothing news recently, I wonder:

• What is the current status of WebExtension VimFx versioon?
• Where is the repo of WebExtension version? (So that we could learn and contribute)
• When could we suggest new features for VimFx? The issue template still direct to this issue, which is clear that feature request are not accepted.

[lydell]

Thanks for reaching out, @letientai299! Ive updated the issue description.

What is the current status of WebExtension VimFx versioon?

There is none.

Where is the repo of WebExtension version?

There is none.

When could we suggest new features for VimFx?

Never. (Or when a new maintainer decides that it would make sense.)

[f1u77y]

There couldn't be any WebExtension version now because its APIs don't have proper keyboard shortcuts handling (yet?).

…

On 03/28/2017 09:49 AM, Tai Le wrote: Hi @akhodakivskiy <https://github.com/akhodakivskiy>, I've followed this topic for a while. Since there's nothing news recently, I wonder: * What is the current status of WebExtension VimFx versioon? * Where is the repo of WebExtension version? (So that we could learn and contribute) * When could we suggest new features for VimFx? The issue template still direct to this issue, which is clear that feature request are not accepted. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#860 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AKyf5bQhlGEAyg5Q9HLrNdBHf73Gr312ks5rqK2KgaJpZM4LdYpl>.

-- Bogdan Sinitsyn

[lydell]

There could absolutely be a WebExtension version now: Vimium is living proof. But the keyboard shortcut handling is very different in WebExtensions, and more restricted. A WebExtension version will be similar but different. Never ever 100% the same.

[Eremiell]

So I just noticed, my Firefox Nightly tagged VimFx as legacy today and came around to see, how things are. What I read here is a bunch of bad news.

I have Vimium installed in my Google Chrome and VimFx is one of the huge reasons I stick with Firefox. Even without VimFx I still wouldn't convert, as the other reasons add up, but it feels and works so much smoother and generally better.

I have no clear insight into how much work it is to convert VimFx or an other legacy add-on into the WebExtension, but I still really hope, this will happen.

Just wanted to personally thank you for all the hard work so far and show how much useful it is to me and certainly countless others and express my hopes it will survive this change.

Thank you and everyone who helped make this happen so far again.

[lydell]

I have no clear insight into how much work it is to convert VimFx or an other legacy add-on into the WebExtension, but I still really hope, this will happen.

Thanks for the positive words! But realistically, VimFx is basically dead. 😢

[Eremiell]

Is there any way I could possibly help? Most of my work happens in C++, but I probably can write an ECMAScript line or dozen. But I'm no expert on the domain, neither ECMAScript, nor browser plugins. Still would love to give a hand if possible.

[lydell]

Is there any way I could possibly help?

Nobody, including me, have "signed up" for doing this so far, so you wouldn't "help" but rather "do it all yourself". If you want to do that – great! You'd make lot's of people happy. Having worked on every single part of the code base, I can provide guidance to anyone who would like to try porting to a WebExtension a go. 👍

[Eremiell]

I'm not sure, I'm the right person to push the whole thing through as I haven't done any major ECMAScript since 90s before the whole "block scripting in your browser" movement (which was huge at least locally), which turned me other ways. I may look into WebExtensions docs (there are some, right?) once I have an hour or two to see what it actually expects. I have agreed before to go ahead on projects I had no technical knowledge about and if it gave me one thing, it was to look into it before whenever possible.

I'd love to see VimFx to roll on and if I find out, I'm able to help that, be it rewrite it myself, I'll give it my best. But don't put up bets on that yet. If anyone else feels like pushing it forward, someone with more experience in ECMAScript and browser extensions, I'll gladly assist.

[braham-snyder]

another alternative is qutebrowser (it's not Firefox, but that's of course better in some ways: it's unencumbered by WebExtensions, for example), whose author just funded a kickstarter (that hasn't ended yet) to work full-time on v1.0

[f1u77y]

I'd like to try translating (subset of?) VimFx to WebExtension. I know that Vimium exists but their main goal is to support Chrome and not to struggle with non-trivial Firefox incompatibilities. And I do also like the VimFx way(extensive usage of default browser features instead of reinventing the wheel).

I've looked into the code but I have now some questions to @lydell:

1. AFAIK features like "focus some browser element" are dead due to nature of WebExtensions. That could be main reason for Vimium authors to implement their own UI for opening pages(which I don't like). Could there be any progress in the related issue?
2. I cannot understand how does the smooth scrolling work. As I can see it calls element.scrollBy({ top: someNumber, behaviour: 'smooth' }) but when I try to call it from the console, scrolling is not smooth.

[musoke]

It's actually still working for now... but exppecting it to stop any day.

…

On 08/10, Michael Comella wrote: FYI: [it was announced](https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/dev-addons/2017-August/003059.html) that tomorrow's Firefox Nightly will disable legacy extensions by default so presumably VimFx will stop working in 57. -- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #860 (comment)

[lydell]

@lindhe’s comment convinced me. I’d like to change the license, but there are more copyright holders. I emailed @akhodakivskiy and @zhuochun about a couple of days ago, but neither of them has replied yet. We also need to ask @XrXr (I don’t have his email address). If nobody answers, I guess we could change the license only of the files that only I have copyright on. We could possibly even change the license on stuff that @akhodakivskiy and @zhuochun have copyright on, because VimFx used to be MIT licensed and neither of them have contributed code after the license change to GPL.

[XrXr]

@lydell Got email from Github. I have no problem giving up my copyright on the stuff I contributed :) feel free to do whatever

[zhuochun]

I have no problem giving up my copyright as well. Thanks for notifying.

[eejdoowad]

Thanks for the relicense! Now I definitely have to port VimFX's algorithm.

Also wanted to mention that Saka Key is now a pretty good choice for Firefox (in my subjective opinion). It has import/export support, configurable profiles, good presets, smooth scroll, multi-frame link hints, and, as far as I can tell, no deal-breaking bugs.

Give it a chance by installing the Development Channel version from the Addons Marketplace. Don't install the default version as that's hopelessly outdated.

[lydell]

@eejdoowad The actual relicensing hasn't happened yet, but I'll get to it soon. Nice to hear about the progress on Saka Key! I want to try that out soon too, and add links to Saka Key and Vimium in the VimFx description so that people find their way to alternatives.

[lydell]

@eejdoowad VimFx has now been re-licensed to MIT. Enjoy!

I've also now officially declared VimFx dead, and added links to Vimium-FF and Saka Key in the readme as well as on AMO.

[pluto439]

How about continuing development for palemoon instead? I can try to help with something.

I tried to switch to chromium, but I can't get used to the ui. I tried remove this "use f11 to exit fullscreen mode", but the answer I found honestly asked me to patch dll file in hex editor. I'm shocked by how hard it is to get such simple things. https://superuser.com/questions/1264349/how-to-completely-remove-press-f11-to-exit-full-screen-chromes-message

Also it's impossible to get "ctrl-v to enter address bar" and "esc to leave it" in anything that's not VimFx. It's kind of glitchy in VimFx too though, sometimes it mutes the page instead. Still, it's a must have for me. I can't compile chromium on my own pc, so I can't change anything in there. Maybe with palemoon I'll be more lucky.

[lydell]

Re-opening so peolpe can find this more easily.

[lydell]

Three years later … if anyone’s still around here I’d like to plug my new extension – Link Hints. It’s basically VimFx’s Hints Mode on steroids.

Note that it’s not a replacement for the Vim parts of VimFx – it’s just link hinting. It does not even offer Vim-style keyboard shortcuts. These days I just use standard browser shortcuts plus Link Hints.

Enjoy!

[girst]

congrats on shipping! I've been following your new project for some time now. any blog posts or similar explaining the inner workings planned? - - - - note, to others reading this: vimfx (and the legacyfox shim for fx68+) is still being maintained for the forseeable future.

[lydell]

Nothing planned, but yes, I should probably write something about it.

[braham-snyder]

To those thinking "I need the vim parts", it sounds like there's some chance Link Hints could be integrated into other vim extensions.

Two big advantages would be vastly faster hinting and more intuitive placement.

Link for potential integration: lydell/LinkHints#6

[girst]

Closing, as the information here isn't accurate any more. VimFx has supported Firefox 68 or higher for a while now.