Adding a Firefox component to Windows XP Embedded

Adding a Firefox component to Windows XP Embedded
by Sean Liming


The Firefox2 SLD is based on version 2.0.0.1 from the www.GetFirefox.com website. The Firefox2 SLD ZIP package, available for download here, only contains the SLD file. The actual Firefox binary files must be downloaded, installed in a system, and copied over to a flat release directory that the Firefox Repository is pointing to.

The SLD was created with the help of Component Helper, one of the tools in SJJ Embedded's supplemental tools package for Windows XP Embedded.

The registry keys captured were not needed since the application creates the necessary keys when it runs for the first time. The Firefox component use the Selector Prototype so you can enabled / disable component dependencies. In this case, Client for Microsoft Networks was added as a dependency since it is required for network access. One could disable this dependency and replace with a different network client, i.e. Client Services for Network

Instructions:

1. Download the v2.0.0.1 installation file from www.GetFirefox.com
   
   
2. Install Mozilla Firefox on an XP system.
   
   
3. Download the FireFox2.zip file containing the SLD.
   
   
4. Extract the contents of the zip file to your hard drive.
   
   
5. Create a new directory in the same directory as the SLD called Files. The Repository path is relative to the SLD. The Repository has been setup so the files are one directory level below the SLD.
   
   
6. Copy all the files in the different Mozilla Firefox subdirectories to the newly created Files directory. The files must be flat in the Files directory; no subdirectories are allowed. The picture below shows what the subdirectory should look like.
7. Also, use the file resources in the component. There are some required files under "\Documents and Settings\[User]\Application Data\Mozilla". These need to be copied to the flat release directory as well.
8. Import the SLD into the XPe data base using Component Database Manager.

Please note that some of these files have the same name. In testing, it didn't matter what file was used. Use the file resource in the Firefox component as a guide.


Copyright (c) 2007, SJJ Embedded Micro Solutions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced by WindowsForDevices.com with permission.

About the author: Sean Liming is a Microsoft eMVP and is the author of three books on Windows Embedded. Liming is currently the Managing Director of SJJ Embedded Micro Solutions, which offers books, toolkits, training courses, and consulting services covering all aspects of embedded design hardware, software, manufacturing, and life-cycle management.