Sun Slips Firefox Extension Into Java Update 311
pcardno writes "It seems it's not just Microsoft that have spotted a good opportunity to distribute their software through Firefox Addons. On installing the latest annoying, sysbar bubble based Java update, my Firefox informed me that I had a wonderful new Java addon automatically. Here's the addon screenshot. Yes, I could opt out of it, but why are Sun installing Addons to my Firefox without me making specific choices in the application itself? To be clear — I have never chosen to install this Addon, yet it has been installed without my permission with the latest Java Update."
Stop this right now (Score:4, Interesting)
Could Firefox add some sort of public/private key extensions signing so I can sign extensions I want to use? Then unsigned extensions wouldn't be loaded and this sort of thing could be stopped ( by the technical minded anyway ).
Re:Obviously this is something you need.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Look a lot of apps have agents that load on startup so that when you want them the visual startup time is much shorter, because it has been differed to when the system started up.
Over the history of Java people have complained about how long the JVM startup time is. While Sun has made many improvements in this over the years, the FF add-on just assists this even more. When you launch FF and this add-on is enabled it initializes the JVM and the applet sub-system.
This way if you go to a site that has an applet on it, it will appear and be function much more quickly.
Re:Unlike Microsoft, this one benign and documente (Score:4, Interesting)
It preloads all the bloatness of Java, every single time, even if you installed it just for a single page you visited half a year ago.
I don't see the problem. (Score:4, Interesting)
There's lots of software that installs browser addons automatically, without even asking you. That's been normal and expected behavior for a decade, it's long since past time to raise Caine over this one.
I think Sun should be accoladed for giving you the option to opt out.
Ever try to install Acrobat without getting the browser plugin? You have to rummage around in the Acrobat directory and remove the plugin component or else EVERY TIME you run Acrobat the plugin will be reinstalled.
Re:You're right--convenience sucks (Score:3, Interesting)
You're whining because you can't uninstall (only disable) half a meg of application, but you're okay with having the entire JRE installed?
Do you have any idea how incredibly stupid you sound?
I'll help you though.
Open regedit
(the following should be done for both HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER for any users you want this to apply to)
Go to the 'SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions' key (This may be different if you are using an alpha or other version running as a codename (like shredder) rather than a standard release build).
Remove the registry key for the offending extension.
After this, you can also probably remove the directory that key points at if you want it 'uninstalled', you really should use the apps uninstaller unless you're prepared to deal with issues later from the apps own upgrader/uninstaller. Since you're already being a whiney little bitch, I'll just accept you're going to do that no matter what happens.
Now, set the permissions for this registry key to deny write by everyone. You won't be able to write to it yourself, but you can fix the permissions later.
Next go to the directory where you installed firefox and remove the plugins from there. Again set the permissions on the directory (and subdirs/files!) so that you aren't allowed to write to them. You don't need to normally, writes go to your profile directory, only globals go to the main app dir.
Now, you can stop your whining because nothing is going to be installing random firefox plugins or extensions on you. You can then immediately start whining when you can't install some plugin/extension globally because you just made it impossible to do so.
As the original post said, You're right -- convenience sucks.
Further more, disabling a plugin is effectively the EXACT same as uninstalling it with the exception of when you open the plugin manager. If the plugin manager window is not open, the plugin has nothing in memory. The only thing loaded when the plugin manager window is open are what you see in the window and the manifest files that have to be loaded to find the information displayed in the plugin manager window.
I ask again, do you have any idea how stupid whining about the fact that you can't uninstall a half a meg portion of a 20 meg install sounds?