Tag: install

Categories
Mozilla Security

Skipping Extension Installation Delay

Firefox has a delay when you install extensions as a security mechanism. This is done because it would otherwise be pretty easy for a website to trick someone into installing an extension before they even realize what they are doing (which is obviously a bad thing). See Bug 162020 for details and even an example.

I’ve seen a few sites publicize how to disable this security feature, though I’d point out this is really not a good idea. It’s 5 seconds people. Even if you have 20 extensions installed, your talking about 100 seconds, less than 2 minutes of your life. Seems like a reasonable compromise for the extra security.

Categories
Software

How to install software ‘by hand’

Installers suck for 1 key reason: you have no control. They put whatever they want on your computer. You may just want a driver, but your getting a whole package of garbage you don’t want. There is a workaround for this that works in most cases. It’s semi-technical.

Get Cygwin

You’ll need to install cygwin through the installer if you don’t already have it (yea installer, but it’s pretty handy stuff and a good installer since you select what you want)… In the “Archive” group select ‘cabextract’. I’d personally recommend you leave the rest alone, though you can slim stuff down if you want. Install.

cygwin

Get The Installer you hate

In my case I’ll use the Logitech QuickCam driver.

Extract

In the cygwin command prompt, navigate to the file, and use:

cabextract installer.exe

Where installer.exe is, replace with your installer. In a few seconds you should see something like this:

cabextract

Install

Now navigate to the driver or file you want.

In my case I want a driver, so I can right click on the INF and “Install”.

Install INF

Perfect. It now works, and I don’t have those “utilities”, “updaters”, or what ever garbage they think I actually would want.