The folder /usr/lib/MozillaFirefox/searchplugins is created using too restrictive permissions, making it impossible for regular users to add Firefox search plugins (e. g. Google, Amazon, Gentoo Forums etc.; see upper right corner of Firefox main window). This problem can easily be fixed by issuing "chmod 777 /usr/lib/MozillaFirefox/searchplugins", however this may pose a security risk. Gentoo developers will surely know better. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Start Firefox. 2. Try to add a new search plugin at for example: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/central.html#central-engines ("Add new search engines") 3. Note that the added search engine will not appear in the list on the upper right of the main window. Actual Results: Nothing. Expected Results: The new search engine should have appeared in the list. A restart of Firefox is not needed (and does not help, anyway).
There is an extensive discussion of this on bugzilla.mozilla.org (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=248719). The last patch was added just a few weeks ago, but it doesn't specify whether it applies to the Firefox codebase or not. If it's clean, perhaps the patch can be "borrowed" for the next ebuild. As a (slightly) more secure workaround, I did "chgrp users /usr/lib/MozillaFirefox/searchplugins && chmod g+w /usr/lib/MozillaFirefox/searchplugins". At least this way it's not world-writeable :-)
Dang it! Copied the wrong URL. Bug in question is https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=123315
We'll need to wait for upstream on this. I can't justify making a directory on the /usr filesystem even group writable by users. For what it's worth I completely agree though. Plugins / searchplugins should be user-installable as they are under Windows.
