Open MPEG streams in a external player from firefox

[asimov-solensan]

Hello,

I have got a DVB server that streams TV channels at home. In Firefox ESR you just click in the stream and it's loaded in the embedded VLC player. Pretty convenient.

But how do I do this in newer firefox versions? I can configure it to use VLC (or other player) as default but it tries to downlad the file and then open it with VLC, since this is a stream the file has no end and it keeps downlading it.

Any idea?

[doktor5000]

Probably not at all, as the embedded player was probably an NPAPI plugin.
See also https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=138044

Although you can check if something like https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/a ... en-in-vlc/ helps.

[asimov-solensan]

Yeah sure, that's exactly the problem. In newer versions of firefox the plugin isn't there anymore.

I have checked some extensions but the amount of permissions they ask sound insulting to me. Is this what the internet became? I'm sorry but I won't install something that claims to download files and modify browsing history in the background. So basically computers are becoming spyware devices as are smartphones.

I appreciate your answer, it indeed solves my problem. But if I can abuse of people kindness, I would like to ask if there is an extension that solves this without additional permission requeriments, or even a way to do this natively in firefox or maybe another browser.

I would like to ask also where is firefox-esr in mageia 6. My desktop computer has got it since it is an update from mageia 5 but in my laptop I have got a clean installation and it's not in the repo.

[doktor5000]

Well, the firefox we have in our repos is the latest ESR, which is 60.4.0.

Also, the plugin you use does exactly that, download files - so what do you mean by additional permissions? Either you want to use the plugin or not.

[asimov-solensan]

You are right, I'm already using ESR. I remember having Firefox and Firefox ESR as diferent entries in the menu, but it must have been another distro, here only ESR is available.

I was using all the time ESR, but then I don't have the vlc plugin, and can't find it in the repos, I have enabled non-free and tainted. Is it mozilla-plugin-vlc or I'm wrong?

Still the quesion about non-ESR versions remains, because this year ends support for version 60.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/

Regarding additional permissions I was talking about this (I'm using the extension you pointed as example):

- Access data on all web sites
- Download files, read and modify browsing history
- Accessing browser tabs
(and there are extensions even more intrusive)

I don't think this kind of extension needs such permissions, it seems to me that the authors are monetizing this in an ethically questionable way. I asked if someone knows of an extension that does this (or adds the option in the context menu) and doesn't asks for this kind of permissions.

Regards.

[doktor5000]

I was using all the time ESR, but then I don't have the vlc plugin, and can't find it in the repos, I have enabled non-free and tainted. Is it mozilla-plugin-vlc or I'm wrong?

Yes, that is because that plugin is an NPAPI plugin, and those are not supported anymore. Read https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/npapi-plugins

Still the quesion about non-ESR versions remains, because this year ends support for version 60.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/

We don't use non-ESR versions, and by the time 68.1 ESR is released, we gonna switch to that.

If you have a problem with the permissions, better talk to the author of that extension. Also, only because it requests permissions, where does it state that this is even monetized, and why do you assume it to be in an "ethically questionable way" ?

[asimov-solensan]

Indeed, telling authors my concerns about permissions is the only constructive thing I can do.

I will check if can do an extension by myself in the worst case that might be a fun project.

If you have a problem with the permissions, better talk to the author of that extension. Also, only because it requests permissions, where does it state that this is even monetized, and why do you assume it to be in an "ethically questionable way" ?

You will forgive me, but I work on IT security and my work turned me into a paranoid by nature. Of course without the source code in my hand that's not a statement but a believing from a paranoid guy. I won't censor anyone that uses this kind of extensions.

[jiml8]

In the modern digital environment, it is impossible to be too paranoid.

But, as I look at the permissions you are complaining about, it occurs to me the plugin might need those permissions to run. Access tabs in order to open a frame in the tab from which you requested the stream, modify browsing history because it needs to log that you streamed the video, just as FF logs every site you visit, and download files because...well...what is a stream, anyway?

[doktor5000]

It may be indeed, I'm already checking if I can do an extension but just for the sake of it. In fact I solved the initial problem simply with a xdialog script.

Leaving aside those questions I still don't know where is the vlc plugin in the repo. How is the packet called in mageia 6?

[isadora]

Quoting the message just before the one you reply at is not needed, or actually superfluous.

[doktor5000]

Leaving aside those questions I still don't know where is the vlc plugin in the repo. How is the packet called in mageia 6?

npapi-vlc

[asimov-solensan]

Thanks a lot!