Recently I came across WebmailCompose. It makes mailto: links load your webmail’s compose page and adds a Compose link to the context menu. It’s a simple, but useful tool.
The problem is, that originally it isn’t compatible with Firefox 2 and later.
But with a little hack (discribed on the pluginpage) it also works with Firefox 2.0+.
I’ve uploaded the hacked file here. This should install fine on your Firefox 2.0+.
Update: We wrote a more detailled article on How to install WebMailCompose in Firefox 2.0.
Please let me know when it doesn’t work for you.
Wont install. get an error -204 install script not found.
please email me a working one if you manage to bug fix it bro.
cheers. Amin.
fastah at gmail dot com
i seem to have fixed it. i renamed the original and your hacked xpi to .zip to take a peek inside. i realised the original install and chrome files are in the root of the zip whilst yours are within a folder. quick copy over and rename and it worked.
I’m assuming a simple repacking should resolve this problem for others.
Many thanks, i appreciate you helping this fine extension install on newer firefoxes.!
I’ve uploaded a new version. You were right, it was a packaging problem. The files were in a subdirectory and not in the root of the archive.
It should work now.
How does this install – I can download it but can’t figure out how to install it into my FF 2.0+ – using a Mac by the way…
Press Ctrl+O to open the “Open File…” dialog and select the file you downloaded.
It should also work on a mac.
Thank you! Oh, I’ve so missed having webmailcompose.
i downloaded it to my desktop and can’t open the file…..
grhino: Any error messages?
What’s your Firefox Version and you OS?
I’ve downloaded your file, but have no idea what to do with it. Is xpi a Mac thing? I’m on Windows XP.
Margot: You have to open the file with the “File Open…” dialog.
Menu File → Open File…
or press
CTRL+O
Right! You have to use Firefox to open it. I went straight to the downloaded file and got a message that Windows couldn’t open it. It’s installed now, thank you.
I installed your program… no problems there…
But now when I click on a mailto link, IE opens & tries to open hotmail… I don’t even have an hotmail account!!! What did I do wrong???
(trying to set gmail as my main client)
ohh… It works… just not on pages that have the no right click script installed, I guess….
Thnx!
lol ya.. me again….
In the settings, I have left click enabled… but when I left click, it still opens Outlook… how do I shut it off. I know I used to have it shut off, but now I can’t remember how I did it…
Me too… :(
Jacq & Diego: I’ve posted a more detailed article on How to install WebMailCompose in Firefox 2.0.
Hope it works for you.
Niiice!
If you go to http://jedbrown.net/1.0/mozilla/extensions/ it looks like the extension is now at 0.6.6 (it says 0.6.5 on the page but when you try to install it says 0.6.6) – still not compatible with ff 2.0.0.1 though.. any chance of hacking that version too?
Thanks for the tip LV, I’ve updated the URL in the article. Now there is version 0.6.6 instead of 0.6.5.
I’ve also updated the addon in my browser and it works.
Works great! Thanks so much for the update. I was missing this extension greatly.
ff won’t install after I click install (3 sec’s go by) … and it says "download error -228
Oh God! Oh Buddha! Oh Goddess! Oh Darwin! Thank You!!! Since 2.0 I have missed this OH SO MUCH and now I finally have it again!!!!!! You are my savior!
still will not work……
could not connect to server localhost; connection refused
???
did everything as instructed.
(it was working before I clicked on the silly extension update). just 2 days ago.
sigh
Many people don’t realize how INCREDIBLY USEFUL this tool is !!!
I program one mailer with ˆT so i can click on any text-based URL and go straight to that url. That is VERY valuable when reading message forum websites. unfortunately, if the URL has a ?, webmailcompose strips out the argument and won’t work.
I program a second mailer with http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP.dll?ViewItem=ˆT
so i can click on any number on any web page and go directly to that ebay auction number.
I plan to program a 3rd and 4th mailer to look things up in Wiktionary and Wikipedia !!
I have also used it to perform certain types of searches with certain search engines.
If only people realized how valuable this tool was, I think it would be updated a lot more often !!
My previous email was messed up by this blogsite.
I am using CARET-T to program webmail to take me to any highlighted web page.
I am using the ebay url which ends in ViewItem=CARET-T to go to any ebay auction.
This is fantastic. Thanks a lot for your hard work!
Thank You!!! It works…i love it
This is the ONLY version of this add-on that I found will work with 2.0.0.3!! I’ve read many articles saying how to edit the install file and then zip the folder and rename as an .xti, etc etc etc, but it either says incompatible, not a valid extension, can’t find install file… but this one WORKS!! THANK YOU!!
And by .xti I meant .xpi ;)
Thanks!