How to package language packs individually

[everyx]

I am making zen package for my Arch Linux build from the source code of zen-browser and I want to use an independently distributed language pack like Firefox does, through mach build merge-$lang and mach build langpack-$lang, I have created a separate language pack xpi file, but after placing these xpi files in the /usr/lib/zen-browser/browser/extensions/ directory, I cannot find the language pack in Zen's settings. How can I achieve the packaging of the language pack separately?

The attachment is the software package compressed in zh-CN language: zen-browser-i18n-zh-cn-1.0.1_a.19-1-any.pkg.tar.zst.zip

[dosubot[bot]]

Hey @everyx! I'm here to help you with any bugs, questions, or contributions you have while waiting for a human maintainer. Let's tackle this language pack issue together.

To package language packs individually for Zen Browser, you need to ensure that the language pack .xpi files are correctly recognized by the browser. Here are some steps and considerations:

1. Directory Structure: Make sure that the .xpi files are placed in the correct directory. For Zen Browser, this is typically /usr/lib/zen-browser/browser/extensions/.

2. Configuration: Check if there are any configuration files that need to be updated to recognize the new language packs. In Zen Browser, the configs/common/mozconfig file includes a setting for localization:

   ac_add_options --with-l10n-base="$PWD/browser/locales"

   Ensure that this path is correctly set to where your language files are located ^[1].

3. Localization Links: Update the src/browser/base/content/zen-locales.inc.xhtml file to include links to your new localization files. This file should have entries for each language pack, similar to:

   <link rel="localization" href="browser/zen-web-side-panels.ftl"/>

   Add entries for your new language packs here ^[2].

4. Verification: Ensure that the .xpi files are correctly formatted and contain all necessary metadata for Zen Browser to recognize them as valid language packs. Unfortunately, specific details on the required file formats or metadata are not available in the current documentation.

5. Testing: After placing the .xpi files and updating configurations, restart Zen Browser and check the settings to see if the language packs appear.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, further investigation into the specific requirements for Zen Browser's language pack recognition might be necessary, as some details might not be fully documented.

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

[everyx]

@dosu --with-l10n-base should only be related to the compilation phase, right? And I haven't made any changes; the compilation was successful. I updated the post and uploaded the packaged language pack. Could it be related to the plugin needing to be signed?

[dosubot[bot]]

The --with-l10n-base option is indeed related to the compilation phase, specifying the base directory for localization files during the build process. It shouldn't affect the runtime recognition of language packs.

Regarding the need for signing, Zen Browser does not require extensions to be signed by default. The configuration setting that controls this is MOZ_REQUIRE_SIGNING, which is typically set to allow unsigned extensions ^[1]. Therefore, the issue might not be related to signing.

If the language pack is not recognized, ensure that the .xpi file is correctly formatted and contains all necessary metadata. Unfortunately, specific details on the required metadata for Zen Browser are not available in the current documentation. You might want to verify the structure and contents of the .xpi file to ensure compatibility.

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

[everyx]

@dosu The build using mach should not have any issues, and I have also tried setting both xpinstall.signatures.required and extensions.langpacks.signatures.required to false, but it still doesn't work

[dosubot[bot]]

If setting xpinstall.signatures.required and extensions.langpacks.signatures.required to false didn't resolve the issue, it might be worth checking a few other aspects:

1. File Structure and Metadata: Ensure that the .xpi file is correctly structured and contains all necessary metadata. Although specific details for Zen Browser aren't available, you might want to compare it with a known working language pack from Firefox, as they share some similarities.

2. Configuration Files: Double-check any configuration files that might need to be updated to recognize the language packs. Ensure that all paths and settings are correctly pointing to your language pack files.

3. Logs and Debugging: Look for any logs or error messages that might provide more insight into why the language pack isn't being recognized. This could help identify if there's a specific issue during the loading process.

4. Compatibility: Verify that the language pack is compatible with the version of Zen Browser you are using. There might be subtle differences in how language packs are handled between different versions.

If these steps don't help, further investigation into the specific requirements for Zen Browser's language pack recognition might be necessary, as some details might not be fully documented.

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

[everyx]

Finally, I found the solution:

1. Set extensions.langpacks.signatures.required to false
2. Correct the plugin manifest.json file's browser_specific_settings.gecko.strict_min_version and browser_specific_settings.gecko.strict_max_version to be the version for Firefox, not Zen's version