Are little apps that add new functionality to Thunderbird (extensions) or change its appearance (themes). This article shows you how to install an add-on to your Thunderbird.
Table of Contents
The ideal case
In an ideal world, all the add-ons you would want are officially vetted, approved, and can be found on the official website, addons.thunderbird.net.
For add-ons that fall into this category, you can simply go to the Add-ons Manager tab in Thunderbird by clicking the menu button followed by Add-ons and click on the Extensions panel on the left to display the search box in the top -right corner. Enter the add-on"s name or enough of it to limit the search results returned to a manageable number and press EnterReturn or click the magnifying glass icon.
Once you have done your first search, a new Search category appears in the panel on the left. You can keep refining your search until you find what you want.
Here is a search for add-ons that mention "Contacts":
Once you locate an add-on you like, click on Install , wait for it to be downloaded, then click on Restart now if prompted.
A slightly less ideal case (Install from a downloaded XPI file)
You may have been given an URL for the add-on, or the add-on you want isn't on the "official" page. Searching for it, as shown above, doesn't locate the add-on.
Visit the webpage in your browser, right-click the download link with your mouse, select Save Link As… and save the XPI file to a location on your computer that is easy to remember. As the download is temporary, it is suggested you use either your Downloads folder or your desktop.
If you are using older versions of Firefox, a left-click on the download link will cause the browser to try and install the add-on into Firefox itself. This invariably results in an error about compatibility, as the add-on is designed for Thunderbird. If you"re using another browser, a left-click might result in your browser attempting to download and "open" the XPI file. This is basically a small program, so it is not meant to be opened. It has to be saved to disk.
To install a downloaded XPI file into Thunderbird, you have two options.
Download
Right-click the link and select Save As… or Save Link As… as described earlier.
You will be invited to download and save the file. Most browsers have a default download location. Make a note of where it downloads to, and what it"s called. Some add-on files may have silly names like "latest-234.xpi", which is not very helpful when you"re trying to find it later on.
Open the Add-ons Manager tab in Thunderbird. There"s a button to the left of the search box. Click this and select Install Add-on From File… from the subsequent menu.
You will need to navigate to where you saved the XPI file using the file picker and select it to complete the install.
The file with the XPI extension contains data archive for installing additional software Mozilla. The installation package is an uncompressed archive or a ZIP archive compressed using the "deflate" method. XPI extension name is short for cross-platform installations - XPInstall, which is the name of the technology , used V I process installations This is sometimes called "lightning". XPI packages are used to install, add new features and extend the functionality of such software applications, How:
- Fire Fox,
- SeaMonkey,
- Thunderbird.
An XPI package file can contain plugins, extensions, themes, or dictionaries. The file also contains installation instructions, saved in script file install.js and manifest file install.rdf. The software is package file. The XPI file may also contain images of media files used by these applications. XPI packages for Firefoxa can be created using the SDK Add-on library. Standard Firefox installation, installing only Mozilla digitally signed XPI files. The user just needs to drag and drop XPI into the web browser widow to download the package and once downloaded, open the menu “Tools” - “Add-ons / Extensions / Themes”. If the user wants to install third party packages not certified by Mozilla, he must use Firefox version for developers and set to parameter about:config page parameter xpinstall.signatures.required meaning false. The contents of the XPI package can be viewed by changing the file extension in the ZIP and extracting it.
Programs that support the XPI file
We hope we helped you resolve your XPI file problem. If you don't know where you can download an application from our list, click on the link (this is the name of the program) - you will find more detailed information regarding the place from where to download the safe installation version required application.
What else could cause problems?
There may be more reasons why you cannot open an XPI file (not just the lack of an appropriate application).
Firstly- the XPI file may not be linked correctly (incompatible) with installed application for its maintenance. In this case, you need to change this connection yourself. For this purpose, click right button mouse over the XPI file you want to edit, click the option "To open with" and then select the program you installed from the list. After this action, problems with opening the XPI file should completely disappear.
Secondly- the file you want to open may simply be damaged. In this case, it would be best to find a new version of it, or download it again from the same source (perhaps for some reason in the previous session the download of the XPI file did not finish and it could not be opened correctly).
Do you want to help?
If you have Additional Information about the XPI file extension, we will be grateful if you share it with users of our site. Use the form below and send us your information about the XPI file.
XPI (pronounced Zippy) is a technology used in the Mozilla Application Suite, SeaMonkey, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird and other XUL-based applications to install Mozilla extensions that add functionality to the software. The Installer.XPI module is a ZIP file that contains the installation script at the root of the file, and a selection of data files. Since Firefox 1.0, XPIS from sites other than Mozilla Add-ons are blocked by default. This was an attempt to prevent malware, How computer viruses, Trojans and spyware, can be installed by novice users. Although you can put the site in White list which limits the areas that XPIS can be installed, malicious sites cannot install extensions in background until the user approves the installation. This is due to a confirmation dialog that must be answered for each extension installation. However, users should still be advised to only install extensions from trusted sources.
In order to install a file locally on the system, the user can drag and drop the file into open window Firefox browser or use File Firefox | Open menu command. Typically the file will be downloaded through Firefox after the user has searched for new add-ons and will automatically install itself and be available after the browser is restarted.
The XPI extension is also used by LcdStudio, a program that allows users to create programs that display computer performance data on the entire monitor screen. They contain a list of XDS project files for playback in the LcdStudio application, and are used to display dynamic rendering data from live computer performance.
Are you having trouble opening .XPI files? We collect information about file formats and we can tell you what XPI files are needed for. Additionally, we recommend programs that are most suitable for opening or converting such files.
What is the .XPI file format used for?
Files with the XPI extension are compressed installation packages for Mozilla applications: Firefox browser, SeaMonkey Internet suite and Email Thunderbird. These archive files used to install software extensions, themes, and plugins for Mozilla applications.
XPI files allow users to customize the somewhat minimalistic Mozilla Firefox web browser and add new ones to it useful features. For example, you can download and install new skins, search engines, applications for reading RSS feeds, PR indicators, dictionaries, and so on. There are thousands of different add-ons posted on the official Mozilla Add-ons website, as well as on personal forums and blogs.
Files with the extension .xpi work similar to .zip files. They contain a number compressed files installation data, as well as the installation script or chrome manifest in the root of the file. To unpack a file with the extension .xpi, you can simply drag it to any open Firefox window or use third party programs to convert/unpack files.
Loading...
