Active Directory Integration

Project Name

Active Directory Integration

Project Description

Firefox doesn't have integrated Active Directory (AD) support. AD is useful generally in enterprises where there are thousands of machines and setting up web browser preferences on each one may be a tedious task. AD lets you set up group policies that Firefox should follow. For example, some policies may include setting the default home page, or setting the proxy settings based on user groups.

Project Leader

Cesar Oliveira

Project Details

This is where the status of the project. Mainly, releases will go here.

Project Roadmap

Based off a blog post and work done, the following roadmap table shows what is done and what still needs to be done.

Release 0.7

• Added a page to explain how to create a new policy
• Update policy done
• Refactored some code to work with JS registry component done (customizeToolbars, and others).

Release 0.6

• XPCShell Unit tests working. Can access components, interfaces.
• Refactored browser.xul code

Todo for next release :

• Still add policy for disabling updates
• Update code to use new Javascript components

Release 0.5

• Been trying to get test cases running for the extension, which is turning out to be much more difficult than expected. XPCShell unit tests are still not working. In talks with developers to resolve this for next release.
• Test cases should really be done before code cleanup starts, because the code cleanup will use the js registry wrappers. But it depends on how much XPCShell wants to struggle with me.

Todo for next release :

• Finish the test cases.
• I want to add a policy that disables automatic updates. (need to figure out how to test this in Firefox 3).
• Comment code that is difficult to read.

Release 0.4

• The code was updated to include proxy support and locking home page
• There is initial support for registry javascript wrappers, but hasen't been throughly tested. (Maybe something that fuel can use)
• Posted in bug 267888
• Published a list of working/broken policies

Todo for next release :

• Mostly outlind in the [blog]
• Email contacts for comments on bug

Release 0.2

Moved mkaply's grouppolicy extension into the tree. The extension is available here. It will also be available under the subversion repository

svn://cdot.senecac.on.ca/ff-ad

The documentation to add the grouppolicy extension into the tree, and test out a group policy is also available.

Release 0.1

This goal of this release was getting familiar with the concepts of Active Directory and Group Policies. No code has been written at this point in the time.

• I have set up a Google Notebook to keep track of important links and conversations.
• Had a few discussions with Michael Kaply (mkaply), a Firefox Advocate who works at IBM.
• Discussed some of the goals for this project :
  • Many of IE's policies change more than just IE preferences. For example, there are policies to disable full screen mode. So it is not just a matter of mapping Firefox preferences to a policy, it is much more broad than that.
  • Still in the early stages. We should have a meeting this Monday to discuss exactly what should be worked on.
• Started commenting on bug 337679

Status right now :

• mkaply has started doing XUL overlays to disable some functionality. He's reading IE's policies and 'translating' them into Firefox policies.
  • Some obvious problems. Firefox has some options that IE does, and IE has preferences that Firefox does not.

Project Resources

Client Customization Kit

FirefoxADM - a visual basic script that changes firefox prefs based on some registry values

WetDog - a C++ program that does something with active directory.

MSDN articles on implementing registry based policies

Bugs 267888 and 337679.

Firefox Enterprise Working Group