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On recently upgraded machines (Jaunty->Karmic) and newly installed Karmic machines (they come with FireFox 3.5.4 I believe) I am noticing this "Ubuntu Firefox Modifications" add-on. What exactly is this add-on? What does it do? Are there any bad effects of disabling it? And finally, how to purge this from the system.
Thanks.
user16354
Posted 2009-11-03T16:50:35.393
Reputation: 171
8
In this post on an Ubuntu forum thread someone poked around the package contents to see what the addon's source actually does when enabled. It lists the following functions:
One undesirable side effect is that it seems to interact oddly with a number of other extensions1 such that you can not add their toolbar buttons to any toolbars, even on the default theme2. Disabling the Ubuntu extension re-enables adding these buttons to toolbars.
Footnotes:
1. most notably FlashBlock and TabMixPlus in my case
2. some people suggest the problem is related to theme choice, I have found this not to be the case
David Spillett
Posted 2009-11-03T16:50:35.393
Reputation: 22 424
4
It allows you to install Firefox add-ons through the Ubuntu package manager. If you disable it, you won't be able to install add-ons through the package manager. You should be able to remove it as normal, but I'd recommend just disabling it at most.
John T
Posted 2009-11-03T16:50:35.393
Reputation: 149 037
1
Disabling it also brings back the "middle click paste to go to website in pastebuffer" function. I missed it enormously.
feitingen
Posted 2009-11-03T16:50:35.393
Reputation: 11
This is done through the the Firefox preference "middlemouse.contentLoadURL", and can be reverted by setting that to "true" in about:config. See https://bazaar.launchpad.net/~mozillateam/ubufox/trunk/view/head:/defaults/preferences/ubuntu-mods.js
– sondra.kinsey – 2017-07-16T15:09:27.4471
Disabling it also brings back the ability to drag URL links to your desktop. A feature I missed so much it almost made me switch to a different default browser.
JannieT
Posted 2009-11-03T16:50:35.393
Reputation: 981
1
That extension has been part of Ubuntu's Firefox for a while, or so I thought. I've seen it as early as intrepid. As others have said, it's simply to allow extensions to come in through the Ubuntu repos.
Disabling it will have no ill effects on your system.
To remove it, remove the ubufox package.
Broam
Posted 2009-11-03T16:50:35.393
Reputation: 3 831
Do you mean that it allows me to install FF addons as if I were installing Debs of those addon? So, if I were to install an addon, it would it get installed globally due to that extension? Sorry, I am still not clear about it. If it is the former case, I think the extension would not work for non-admin users. – user16354 – 2009-11-03T17:10:44.727
It allows you to install it for your user account. – John T – 2009-11-03T17:17:18.023
hmm ... okay. So if it allows me to install an addon for my own user account, what is the Ubunut Modifications addon's advantage over the usual method of installing addons (by clicking on xpi files or download them and installing)? Sorry for further questions, but am still not clear on what extra role the addon plays for a typical user. – user16354 – 2009-11-03T18:10:42.487
You can search in the package manager instead of going on the internet and searching the mozilla add-on website. – John T – 2009-11-03T19:07:31.233
Yes, that is one way, but I didn't know the name of the specific package. Well, going on the internet and searching gave me this: http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/ubufox. But that description does not shed any insightful light on this.
– user16354 – 2009-11-03T19:34:31.427afaik, it does install it on all users. i used it in hardy to install adblock for my parents. it will only update when the addons are updated in repo, not in a.m.o. though. – Capi Etheriel – 2009-12-01T01:36:33.013