DevTools/WiFi Debugging

Security Warning

This page describes how to use the current version of WiFi debugging in the tree. There is still much work to be done to make it secure. If you want more info what the completed version would be like, check out the design details.

The current version of WiFi debugging is not authenticated or encrypted. This means that, if you enable it as described below:

• Anyone on the same WiFi network can connect to your device with the DevTools
• Anyone on the same WiFi network can read your debugging traffic (which can include full requests, responses, etc.)

Because of this, it would be wise to avoid enabling this feature at this time on a device with data that is sensitive or personal in any way. These issues will be resolved before this feature is available by default.

Overview

WiFi debugging allows WebIDE to connect to your Firefox OS device via your local WiFi network instead of a USB cable.

The connection experience is generally more straightforward (especially after connecting to a device the first time) than with USB and also more convenient to use since you're no longer tied down by a cable.

Toggle Feature Flags

Since this feature is still under heavy development, there are few things you must do make it available:

• Firefox Nightly:
  • Set the pref devtools.remote.wifi.scan to true
• Firefox OS:
  • Set the pref devtools.remote.wifi.visible to true
    • This exposes a UI option to control WiFi debugging from Settings -> Developer

Also, it's best to make sure you're using the latest Firefox Nightly and latest build of Firefox OS from master.

Connect

1. Enable WiFi debugging on Firefox OS:
   1. Go to Settings -> Developer
   2. Check DevTools via Wi-Fi
   3. If you don't see this option, verify you've set the pref above
2. Open WebIDE in Firefox Nightly (Tools -> WebIDE