View source for PFS

PFS stands for the Plugin Finder Service and is used to serve up RDF files that describe plugins for a given mime-type and client.

A new feature in Firefox 3 is [[PFS:Blocklisting|Plugin Blocklisting]].  If you're looking for the next generation of PFS, see the [[PFS2]] page.

= URL Format =

The client requests the RDF at pfs.datasource.url:
 https://pfs.mozilla.org/plugins/PluginFinderService.php?mimetype=%PLUGIN_MIMETYPE%&appID=%APP_ID%&appVersion=%APP_VERSION%&clientOS=%CLIENT_OS%&chromeLocale=%CHROME_LOCALE%

An example of the Flash RDF:
 https://pfs.mozilla.org/plugins/PluginFinderService.php?mimetype=application/x-shockwave-flash&appID={ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}&appVersion=2007032403&clientOS=Windowsxp&chromeLocale=en-US

= RDF Format =

The RDF format looks like this:
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <RDF:RDF xmlns:RDF="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:pfs="http://www.mozilla.org/2004/pfs-rdf#">
 
 <RDF:Description about="urn:mozilla:plugin-results:application/x-shockwave-flash">
  <pfs:plugins><RDF:Seq>
   <RDF:li resource="urn:mozilla:plugin:{4cfaef8a-a6c9-41a0-8e6f-967eb8f49143}"/>
  </RDF:Seq></pfs:plugins>
 </RDF:Description>
 
 <RDF:Description about="urn:mozilla:plugin:{4cfaef8a-a6c9-41a0-8e6f-967eb8f49143}">
  <pfs:updates><RDF:Seq>
   <RDF:li resource="urn:mozilla:plugin:{4cfaef8a-a6c9-41a0-8e6f-967eb8f49143}:"/>
  </RDF:Seq></pfs:updates>
 </RDF:Description>
 
 <RDF:Description about="urn:mozilla:plugin:{4cfaef8a-a6c9-41a0-8e6f-967eb8f49143}:">
  <pfs:name>Adobe Flash Player</pfs:name>
  <pfs:requestedMimetype>application/x-shockwave-flash</pfs:requestedMimetype>
  <pfs:guid>{4cfaef8a-a6c9-41a0-8e6f-967eb8f49143}</pfs:guid>
  <pfs:version></pfs:version>
  <pfs:IconUrl></pfs:IconUrl>
  <pfs:XPILocation>http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/xpi/current/flashplayer-win.xpi</pfs:XPILocation>
  <pfs:InstallerShowsUI>false</pfs:InstallerShowsUI>
  <pfs:manualInstallationURL>http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer</pfs:manualInstallationURL>
  <pfs:licenseURL>http://www.adobe.com/go/eula_flashplayer</pfs:licenseURL>
  <pfs:needsRestart>false</pfs:needsRestart>
 </RDF:Description>
 
 </RDF:RDF>

= Script Variables =

In the [http://viewvc.svn.mozilla.org/vc/addons/trunk/site/app/webroot/services/pfs.php service itself], there are variables that need to be defined in order to add a new plugin.  These are:
 $name = ' ';                    // Name of the plugin, used in UI.
 $guid = '-1';                  // GUID to uniquely identify this plugin.
 $version = ' ';                 // Version string.
 $iconUrl = ' ';                 // URL of the icon for this plugin, used in UI.
 $installerLocation = ' ';       // Location of the external binary installer, should be SSL or rely on installerHash.
 $installerHash = ' ';           // Installer hash value, used to verify installer.
 $XPILocation = ' ';             // Location of the XPI the browser should install.
 $installerShowsUI = 'true';    // Does the installer show a UI?  If no, chrome is used.
 $manualInstallationURL = ' ';   // URL to go to if auto-install fails.
 $licenseURL = ' ';              // License information, if needed.
 $needsRestart = 'false';       // Does it require a browser restart?

= New Plugin Checklist =

If you are thinking of listing a new add-on on PFS, you'll need the above info.  Here is an easier to copy/paste list:
* Name of the plugin (Windows Media Player 11/Vista)?
* GUID
* Version string
* URL of the icon to be used for the plugin installer UI
* Location of the XPI that the browser should install.
* Does the installer show its own UI?
* URL for manual installation if the auto-install fails.
* License URL
* Does it require a browser restart post-installation?
* Mime types it needs to be associated with.
* Operating systems (in UA string) that should be given WMP 11.
* Versions of Firefox that are compatible (if not all)?

= Testing PFS =
if you want to test PFS, here are the steps to do so:
# update pfs.datasource.url to point to your instance of PFS.  The default is:
 https://pfs.mozilla.org/plugins/PluginFinderService.php?mimetype=%PLUGIN_MIMETYPE%&appID=%APP_ID%&appVersion=%APP_VERSION%&clientOS=%CLIENT_OS%&chromeLocale=%CHROME_LOCALE%

 Change your server to:
 http://yourserver.com/services/pfs.php(then the rest of the junk from the default)

 If we're testing on preview:
 https://preview.addons.mozilla.org/services/pfs.php(then the rest of the junk from the default)
# Open a page with an embedded object with a mime-type that corresponds to the plugin you want to test.
# Note: you can always use LiveHTTPHeaders or TamperData to see what URL your client is actually hitting.  Going to the URL directly will let you view the PFS RDF for errors.