v2.3.10 on Firefox Android Matches no Sites, Addon UI Not Working

[Ultrabenosaurus]

Description

I've used Stylus on Firefox for Android for years and years, starting in the old version of the Android browser and then in Fennec F-Droid ever since they finally implemented addon support to the new codebase a few years ago.

Since I got the v2.3.10 update today, I am seeing no matches at all for any styles against any websites in Fennec F-Droid on Android. I also can't actually open the Stylus settings / Manage page as most of the UI elements do nothing (they change colour to indicate I've pressed them, but nothing else happens) so I can't backup or export my styles to reinstall the addon, nor can I manually write any new styles either.

(from #1910)

2. AFAICT there are no changes in source code for style matching between 2.3.9 and 2.3.10.

Looking at the version history on the Mozilla website, it jumped from 1.5.51 straight to 2.3.10 so there being no changes to style matching code since 2.3.9 doesn't really matter.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/styl-us/versions/

Luckily my desktop browser hasn't updated yet, so I've disabled automatic updates for now to ensure I don't completely lose all my custom styles.

The version history page on Mozilla lets me download the xpi file for v1.5.51 and this was also suggested by @fhoshino on #1910 but Fennec isn't recognised as an option to open the file after downloading it. I'm going to investigate how, if at all, to sideload xpi files on Android.

Update: some versions of Firefox for Android do let you install xpi files directly, after a few steps to enable the option. This is confirmed working in the Nightly builds of the official app and in the Fennec F-Droid fork.

1. download an old version of Stylus from here or the version history page on Mozilla
2. settings > about Firefox > tap logo five times
3. navigate back
4. secret settings > keep debug menu revealed
5. navigate back
6. install extension from file
7. (optional) go to about:config, filter the list for extensions.update.enabled, and set it to false

System Information

• OS: Android
• Browser: Fennec F-Droid 134.0.0 (Build #1340020)
• Stylus Version: 2.3.10

Screenshots, links, CSS

[tophf]

Looks like no one has ever tested the 2.x version in Firefox for Android and it turns out there's no support for some permissions that Firefox for desktops supports like contextMenus. We'll revert the extension in AMO until we post a fixed version. Meanwhile you can install the older version manually.

[endearmint]

How would I go about installing the older version?

OS: Android 15
Browser: Firefox 134.0.2 (Build #2016068999)
Stylus Version: 2.3.10

[JC8472]

How would I go about installing the older version?

OS: Android 15 Browser: Firefox 134.0.2 (Build #2016068999) Stylus Version: 2.3.10

You can't.

But I don't know why this issue has been closed. The bug would be high priority, because this extension does not work at all! (Not only Android, Windows too...)
In Windows platform the Firefox allowed older extension installing, and auto-update to disable. Android version doesn't allow this.

[Ultrabenosaurus]

@tophf please reopen this issue. There is no new release published to Mozilla nor has 2.3.10 been reverted, so the problem is still ongoing. Stylus is still broken.

[Ultrabenosaurus]

@endearmint @JC8472 someone on another issue found the way to do it. At least it worked for me using Fennec F-Droid, I'm not sure if it will work on the stable release of the official app.

You can enable an "install from file" option like so: https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/18khd3i/firefox_nightly_for_android_now_allows_addon/

Then just download an older xpi file from here or the version history on Mozilla and install it.

Also not sure how long it will work, as you can't disable automatic updates for addons on Android like you can on desktop...

[tophf]

The bug is closed because it's fixed in the source code, that's the standard behavior for bug trackers. I've asked @Mottie to disable 2.3.10 in AMO, which will hopefully rollback the extension for the users quickly. We'll publish the fix later today, but it'll probably take many days to review in AMO.

[3052]

Firefox on Android doesn't provide an option to revert extensions, it's not our fault.

this is 100% your fault. it wasn't Firefox or uBlock Origin or something else that broke, it was Stylus.

This bug report is closed because it's fixed in the source code, that's the standard behavior for bug trackers. The workarounds are posted above.

since developer doesn't seem interested in helping users impacted by this, here is an actual solution:

1. https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/file/4338993/styl_us-2.3.9.xpi
2. chrome://geckoview/content/config.xhtml
3. extensions.update.enabled = false
4. settings
5. about Firefox
6. tap logo five times
7. navigate up
8. install extension from file

[tophf]

It's not our fault that Firefox on Android doesn't provide an option to revert extensions. There's also no "developer". This extension is maintained by users, I'm simply one of them and currently the only one who's actually doing it, so indeed it's me who broke the extension. No one has tested this version in Firefox Android, because I forgot about it (I tested an earlier version) and there's just a couple of users who test the nightly builds more or less regularly.

[chocmake]

here is an actual solution

For those that have reverted the version has that restored the missing userstyles? Not exactly the fondest of globally disabling addon updates either way though.

I have a backup of my userstyles for FF for Android but was just curious if this bug is a destructive loss or something closer to the recent desktop bug where they were mostly just hidden.

Edit: will mention a silver lining: sometime in like the last year a bug had occurred where the Stylus management UI wouldn't open when clicked from an open tab and trying to do so would crash FF for Android. Since the update this is no longer the case (at least with empty userstyles). I didn't report it since I figured most addons for Android weren't really properly supported unless on Nightly or forks like Fennec.

[OtherBreathingYuria]

@chocmake yes, it loaded all scripts correctly

[Mottie]

I couldn't disable 2.3.10... please be patient.

[J4CKED]

In Windows platform the Firefox allowed older extension installing, and auto-update to disable. Android version doesn't allow this

In Android you can disable auto-update in about:config > extensions.update.enabled change to false, restart browser.

[pabli24]

You can enable about:config in the stable version by going to chrome://geckoview/content/config.xhtml then search for general.aboutConfig.enable and set it to true

[JC8472]

3052, J4CKED, pabli24
Thank you very much!

[krystian3w]

The xpinstall.signatures.required may helps install nightly version of add-on at stable Firefox 135 for Android (the add-on does not disappear after killing the browser process and even restarting (rebooting) the system).

This seems a bit worrying until I'd have to check how it worked in release 68 (back then the lock was PC only).

In the worst scenario can be no lock unsigned add-ons regardless of the above preference at Android.

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then search for general.aboutConfig.enable and set it to true

Fails after restart (reboot) system, update browser or something kill process in background. I won't be surprised if it's the same in Beta after to Nigtly (That is, that you have to use a fork all the way to make the settings permanently preserved in the absence of root).

[OtherBreathingYuria]

The new version seems to be up on mozilla.

[sudoshindo]

It seems like something here has been overlooked.

There is normally supposed to be a Settings option here right before Details.