How do I build everything from the source code into a working .xpi extension?
The easiest way to bundle everything up nicely, is to use Apache’s Ant. (Think “Makefile” if you don’t know it.) If you also want to provide updates for “your own” extension (rather than having to uninstall and re-install each time you change anything), you will need access to a web server. It’s probably the most convenient solution to have this web server running locally (http://localhost/). We use Apache’s Httpd. Finally, we strongly recommend to use a developer’s environment, where you just have single “build” button (which then bundles everything into an .xpi file and also puts it onto the local web server). We use Aptana Studio for this. The next points give more detail. If you do decide to make your own build available to others, be sure that the update url is NOT to your local machine. Otherwise, you won’t be able to provide updates to your “customers”. Back to the list of FAQ.
