CODEWITHSUNDEEP
firefoxgoogle-chromeweb-applicationsfirefox-os
auino
auino

Reputation: 1656

Does Mozilla Marketplace allow packaged apps submission?

I'd like to submit an app to the Mozilla Marketplace. I have not published the app, it's a packaged app, standing to Chrome Web Store definition.

I tried to submit an app to the Mozilla Marketplace, but it seems not to support packaged apps. It's needed for me, as I don't want to publish my app on a website.

Does someone know if the Mozilla Marketplace (already) allows packaged apps submission?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 479

Answers (3)

Wladimir Palant
Wladimir Palant

Reputation: 57651

Note: This answer is outdated. For more current information see the answer by robhudson.

No, Mozilla's Open Web Apps concept builds upon existing web standards, with the goal of widespread adoption across browsers - which means that the web app has to stay on a web server even though it might be usable without an Internet connection. "Web apps" that aren't located somewhere on the web don't really seem to fit that concept and are bound to use proprietary concepts (like Chrome's chrome-extension:// protocol).

If your goal is a Firefox-only equivalent of Chrome's packaged apps then building a regular extension would be the way to go. For example, with the Add-on SDK you could add your web app's files to the data/ directory and open them in a new tab whenever your icon is clicked.

Upvotes: 3

robhudson
robhudson

Reputation: 2658

The Mozilla Marketplace will add packaged app functionality in the future. I think the best reason about why we went this way is in this wiki page: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Apps/PackagingProposal

Packaged apps will:

  • be a zipped folder of assets
  • have a manifest at its root
  • be signed by Mozilla Marketplace once it is reviewed and approved

MDN also has some documentation on packaged apps: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Apps/Packaged_apps

If you want your app to be used on the upcoming Firefox OS phone and have access to various sensitive web APIs (like the camera, or SMS, etc) you'll need to plan on using a packaged app.

Upvotes: 4

dain
dain

Reputation: 6689

Well, it's coming soon with Firefox OS, so I assume eventually we'll see the same thing happening on the desktop.

If you're curious enough, take a peek at some recent Mozilla meeting notes: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Apps/StatusMeetings/Engineering/2012-08-08#state_of_packaged_apps

Also while Chrome might use proprietary ways to give platform access, hopefully it's going to be a first step towards standardisation, which a Mozilla implementation effort would greatly increase.

Upvotes: 2

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