does the firefox plugin even still exist?

[spanktastic2120]

I checked the box to install the firefox plugin when i installed vlc, it didnt get installed. I search around and found some things referencing a mozilla folder in the vlc install directory, this does not exist. i cant find anywhere to download the plugin and i tried the 7zip package of vlc and there was no mozilla folder in there either. i would like to have vlc be the default player for all the content its capable of playing in firefox.

windows 7 64 bit
latest firefox - 16.0.2

[Arite]

VLC should install the Mozilla plugin if you check it in the installer. It works using VLC 2.0.4 (Win32 *.exe) with the current version of Firefox.

You can see if the VLC Web Plugin is active by typing:

Code: Select all

about:plugins

Into the Firefox address bar. FYI the plugin is npvlc.dll.

If you're use a 32-bit version of Firefox (I presume) you'll need the 32-bit (Win32) version of VLC too.

Arite.

[spanktastic2120]

I have tried the 64bit and 32bit versions of vlc now, both fail to install the plugin. The dll file is in the main folder of the vlc installation directory, but there is no mozilla folder still. I cannot install the dll as a plugin in firefox using the "manually install an addon" dialog, its not the correct file type and firefox just throws an error saying it is corrupted.

Where should i go from here?

[Arite]

A Firefox plugin is not the same as a Firefox add-on.

The VLC installer (e.g. vlc-2.0.4-win32.exe) should install the plugin if "Mozilla plugin" is checked when following the installer wizard. Try installing VLC when Firefox is closed, then open Firefox and visit "about:plugins" thing to see if the "VLC Web Plugin" is listed.

The VLC installer adds registry entries to MozillaPlugins, pointing Firefox to npvlc.dll etc. If you want to know what the NSIS installer does see here:
http://git.videolan.org/?p=vlc.git;a=bl ... =HEAD#l260

Arite.

[spanktastic2120]

I tried installing with firefox closed and it still isnt listed in about:plugins but it DOES make the registry entries. I dont know if firefox is supposed to scan the registry and use whatever plugins it find there but thats not what its doing. I also have a "coupon printer" plugin that is listed in about:plugins but does not appear in the registry, so the registry doesnt appear to be the only way to get a plugin into firefox. Any more troubleshooting steps?

[Arite]

Ah OK - yes you should be able to do it by just moving the *.dll and it's manifest to the Firefox plugins directory. See here:
http://wiki.videolan.org/Windows#VLC_Pl ... Mozilla.29

The files in the "mozilla" directory have been moved to the main VLC directory - they are npvlc.dll and npvlc.dll.manifest. Close Firefox and copy those to (or wherever Firefox is installed):
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\plugins

Then start Firefox up again and check to see if VLC Web Plugin is there (might be near/at the bottom of the page).

This will probably just crash by itself so becauase npvlc.dll doesn't know where VLC is, so try installing VLC with the Mozilla plugin too to setup the registry entries.

EDIT: If you also put libvlc.dll, libvlc.dll.manifest, libvlccore.dll and the entire "plugins" directory into Firefox plugins directory it should work without installing anything. This isn't ideal of course as you're essentially copying the majoriy of VLC into the plugins folder.

Arite.

[spanktastic2120]

"This will probably just crash by itself so becauase npvlc.dll doesn't know where VLC is, so try installing VLC with the Mozilla plugin too to setup the registry entries."
Im not sure what youre trying to say here, but if its "Install VLC with the 'install mozilla plugin' box checked" then ive already done that with both the 32bit and 64bit versions of vlc.

I moved all the files you mentioned into the plugin folder in the firefox installation directory, it still isnt getting added as a plugin. Is there no manual way to install a plugin in firefox, the way you can install extensions from an xpi?

[Arite]

There appears to be a nice *.xpi available here:
http://download.videolan.org/pub/videol ... -2.0.4.xpi

My bad - I didn't know there was a *.xpi version. Try that and see if it works.

Arite.

[spanktastic2120]

Well i now have a "vlc web plugin" but its listed as an extension and not as a plugin. It only shows up in about:addons under extensions, it is nowhere to be found in about:plugins.

I found this page to test the plugin http://goa103.free.fr/t_63455/example_1.html it has the standard missing plugin dialog and then fails to install a plugin when you click the prompt.

[Arite]

Are you using the latest 32-bit version of Firefox? i.e. found here:
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/fx/#desktop

Or here:
http://www.getfirefox.net/download.html

I don't know why Firefox isn't registering the plugin. Putting npvlc.dll and npvlc.dll.manifest in the Firefox plugin directory should show the "VLC Web Plugin" in about:plugins (albeit not work until additional dll's and VLC's plugin folder have been copied there too).

You could try reinstalling Firefox, maybe clearing preferences etc.

Arite.

[spanktastic2120]

Thanks for the help but im just going to give up.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

I think you need a 32-bits VLC and a 32-bits Firefox. You cannot run 32-bits plugins inside a 64-bits browser. As for a 64-bits version of the browser plugin, it would probably require a sponsor and a developer to port.

[spanktastic2120]

Firefox is 32bit, i tried 32bit and 64bit vlc, windows 7 is 64bit.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Well then, yes, the plugin still exists, but like much of the rest of the code base, it could use more sponsoring and development workforce.

[balasubramanya]

I copied win32 compiled libvlc.dll, libvlc.dll.manifest, libvlccore.dll and the entire "plugins" directory into Firefox plugins directory and I am able to play the videos using vlc in firefox. But this is not by installing the plugin. So is there a way to install the self compiled version of win32 vlc plugin and also I would like to know how to test the self compiled version of win32 vlc plugin in other browsers like internet explorer and chrome. I am using Vlc version 2.0.2.