Distro integration for Plasma Browser Integration (was: Re: Plasma Browser Integration is in kdereview

[Martin Steigerwald]

Hello David.

Thanks for your effort on plasma browser integration.

I am unsure whether to keep CC to kde-core-devel and plasma-devel, please drop 
as you deem appropriate. Keeping all text for reference for those that only 
read distributions mailing list.

David Edmundson - 05.06.17, 15:42:
> Hey all,
> 
> We'd like to add project plasma-browser-integration into KDE[0].
> 
> The goal is to make chrome and firefox integrate better into a Plasma
> desktop environment through browser extensions.
> 
> How?:
> Firefox and chrome (and potentially others) allow plugins to talk to a
> native binary host [1]. This binary host is launched by the the browser and
> has a socket to a conventional browser extension. This project consists of
> both parts allowing a chrome extension to make normal DBus calls to
> services just like other apps.
> 
> Integrating what?:
> This gives us the following features:
>  - Finding open tabs via krunner
>  - Download progress in the task bar
>  - Showing now playing information with shortcuts (if the website supports
> it)
>  - "Send to KDE Connect" context menu on links
>  - Loading windows on the correct activity (WIP)
>  - An SNI if incognito windows are open with action to close them.
> 
> And potentially more in the future. There is a config to enable/disable
> parts as appropriate.
> 
> Deployment:
>  This repo consists of two parts. The binary host which should be
> distributed by normal distro means, and the browser extension which is
> going to be different.
> 
> The browser extension can be deployed in one of 3 ways.
>  - manually by the user from the code (useful for devs)
> 
>  - through the webstore [2][3]
>  - chrome also has a feature where we can ship a text file on the distro
> side that will make the browser automatically fetch an extension from their
> store.
>
> Ideally we want the extension available on the store from an official KDE
> channel.
> 
>  - potentially it could also be done by the distro, but it seems like FF
> might be removing that possibility and the digital signing is an issue.

What options are possible to distribute extensions via distro packaging?

I ask cause I think at least for chrome / chromium you need a Google account 
to use the plugin / extension store. Also it would put the extension outside 
of distro security support. Therefore I mostly use xul-ext packages in Debian 
as extensions for Firefox and also a new uBlock origin extension package for 
chromium.

Eventually this would need to be brought up with browser developers. I am 
willing to help there by creating wishlist item / bug report.

> [0] https://cgit.kde.org/plasma-browser-integration.git/
> [1] https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/nativeMessaging
> [2]
> https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/plasma-integration/cimiefiiaegbelh
> efglklhhakcgmhkai [3]
> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/plasma-integration/?src=cb-dl
> -updated
> 
> Regards
> 
> David and Kai

Thanks,
-- 
Martin