[libvoikko] Mozvoikko needs to be signed and reviewed at addons.mozilla.org

[Andris Pavenis]

On 08/18/2015 05:20 PM, Timo Jyrinki wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Starting with Firefox 41, mozvoikko would need to be signed by the
> developer and reviewed at addons.mozilla.org. See downstream bug
> report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mozvoikko/+bug/1482219
>
> Mozilla's instructions are at
> https://support.mozilla.org/fi/kb/add-on-signing-in-firefox
>
> Another extension http://pad.lv/1482346 was reportedly already fixed
> "in the builds" (in a firefox-next package archive). When I asked
> Chris about the details on #ubuntu-devel, he had this to say:
>
> 20150818|15:11 < chrisccoulson> the addon needs to be reviewed and
> signed by the addons.mozilla.org team. The developer needs to do that
> though
>
> I didn't get a further reply though so I'm not sure if the new Firefox
> builds in Ubuntu then automatically allow any identical-to-addons.m.o
> extension when it has been signed on the addons site. But I don't see
> any indication that the downstream extension in question would have
> been modified, so maybe this is the case that signing at addons would
> only be needed.
>
> Debian's Iceweasel might need some modifications too.
>
I guess we can expect more problems in next years. There are plans to deprecate and with time 
remove support of using XPCOM API in extensions

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/

Mozvoikko2 uses XPCOM API. I'm not familiar with new proposed WebExtensions API (I have not done 
anything with JavaScript or Mozilla adons development already for several years). It's good that 
Mozvoikko2 uses javascript and accesses lshared libraries using jc-types. Initial version of 
Mozvoikko was written in C++ and used binary XPCOM support which is going to be no more available 
even faster:

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/05/04/dropping-support-for-binary-components/

Support of external spell-checkers depend on XPCOM API and I'm not sure it will survive full 
transition to new API. There are problems also with current implementation:
- the top spellchecker module is mozSpellcheker 
(http://doxygen.db48x.net/mozilla-full/html/de/d9d/classmozSpellChecker.html). External 
spell-checker registrations happens with object of this class. It is unfortunately not available 
from Javascript. That causes problems accessing spell-checking dictionary list from JavaScript. 
Usual way is querying only HunSpell instance. As the result dictionaries added by mozvoikko are not 
visible in this case. An example of such problem is dictionary lookup in Thunderbird configuration. 
This is the reason why one does not see finnish in configuration 
(Preferences->Composition->Spelling->Language) but only in editor context menu.

Andris