Introduction
The Citrix Toolbar and Sidebar extension for Firefox provides access to your published applications on multiple Citrix Presentation Server farms. It has similar functionality to the Program Neighborhood Agent client but its user interface is integrated with the Firefox browser instead of the Windows desktop. In addition, other Citrix applications and Web sites can be accessed from the Toolbar and Sidebar.
Testdrive farm
Currently, the extension is pre-configured with a testdrive farm. The credentials for using the testdrive farm are:
• User name: citrix
• Password: citrix
• Domain: testdrive
Your citrite, MyCitrix or CDN credentials will not work.
You can add your own farms.
Status
The Citrix Toolbar and Sidebar extension for Firefox is an experimental prototype. It is not a complete Program Neighborhood Agent client. In particular, it does not list <ContentSettings> and does not obey all the instructions in the config.xml file - although it does redirect. It is a proof of concept not a product.
It comes without warranty, support or commitment to further development and has had only limited testing.
It does not work in any other browser and no versions for other browsers are being developed.
The extension is configured so it can be updated from this site using Firefox's extension update capability.
Requirements
Mozilla Firefox version 1.0.* or 1.5.* and Java plugin version 1.4.2 or later.
Java is required to run the Java ICA client. The Java ICA client is used both to increase portability and because the current generation of native ICA client can't be embedded in a Firefox page.
The extension can only connect to farms deploying both the Program Neighborhood Agent service and the Java ICA client codebase.
Portability
The extension is written in JavaScript and uses the Java ICA client. It has been tested on:
• Microsoft: Windows XP, Server 2003
• Linux: Mandriva 10.2, Ubuntu 5.10 (Firefox 1.0 only)
• Apple: MacOS 10.3 & 10.4 (only with Firefox 1.5, because 1.0 can't access Apple's Java 1.4.2 plugin)
It will probably work on most systems that Firefox runs on, but experience with the above systems suggests that minor UI problems may occur where Firefox conforms to a different native look and feel.
User Interfaces
The extension has its own button and two user interfaces with identical functionality, a toolbar and a sidebar. Both can be embedded in the browser window or undocked to run in their own window.
Citrix button
This can be used to launch the toolbar or sidebar in the browser window. It can be placed on another toolbar by:
Menu : View > Toolbars > Customize - to display the Customize Toolbar panel
Scroll : until the Citrix button is visible
Drag : and drop it onto one of the toolbars
Click : Done
Toolbar
The embedded toolbar can be displayed by middle clicking the Citrix button or by View > Toolbars > Citrix Toolbar.
The embedded toolbar can be displayed with other toolbars. Embedded toolbars are overlayed into the main browser window and are more susceptible to interference from other extensions than sidebars.
The toolbar uses less real estate but has less information immediately visible.
Applications for the currently selected farm are displayed in a nested drop down applications menu.
The favorites area is to the right of the application menu and favorite applications are displayed with just an icon, but they have a tooltip with the application name.
Sidebar
The embedded sidebar can be displayed by left clicking the Citrix button or by View > Sidebar > Citrix.
The embedded sidebar can not be displayed with other sidebars because Firefox only allows one sidebar to be displayed at a time. Opening any other sidebar will close the Citrix sidebar.
Embedded sidebars are executed in a separate XUL <browser> element and are less susceptible to interference from other extensions than toolbars.
The sidebar uses more real estate and can display more information.
Applications for the currently selected farm are displayed in a treeview.
The favorites area is above the application treeview and favorite applications are displayed with both an icon and a name.
The buttons are split between a top and bottom toolbox too keep the sidebar narrow.
Major functionality
Both user interfaces have the same functionality, more details are given in the help page installed with the extension.
Farms
Currently, the extension is pre-configured with a testdrive farm. The credentials for using the testdrive farm are:
• User name: citrix
• Password: citrix
• Domain: testdrive
Selecting a farm
The available farms are listed in a drop-down menulist initially displaying "Select a Farm." Click on the menulist, then click the required farm on the drop-down list. The application menu or treeview will then be populated with all your applications that are published on the selected farm.
You will be asked for your credentials every time the farm is accessed (to refresh the applications list or launch an application). These can be stored in Firefox's Password Manager for future use.
Editing the list of farms
Click the settings button. To add a farm, click the New button. You will need the URL's to both the Program Neighborhood Agent config.xml file and the Java ICA client's codebase.
You can call the farm by any name you want. If you fill in the fields in order, the extension will suggest possible URL's based on the farm name. These may not be where they are deployed on your farm, so if there are any problems - check them with your administrator. In particular, you need to know which protocol is being used, http or https.
An incorrect Java codebase URL can cause the Java plugin to freeze Firefox, so that it can only be closed by the Task Manager.
Applications
Only applications for the currently selected farm can be listed and launched from the toolbar and sidebar.
Application icons are provided by the farm, not the extension.
Listing applications
The application menu or treeview is only populated after a farm has been selected or refreshed. When a farm is selected, its applications are retrieved from the local cache if they are there. To force a refresh of the application list from the farm itself click the refresh button.
Population of the application menu or treeview is not complete until the activity throbber has stopped circulating.
Launching applications
Clicking on the icon or name of an application in the application menu or treeview will launch it. Where the application is displayed is controlled by which mouse button you use to launch it:
• left : in the current tab
• middle : in a new tab
• right : in a new seamless window (on windows: if the native ica client is installed, it will be used instead of the Java ica client)
Applications are launched by a launcher page which has details of the farm and application to be launched as parameters in its URL. No username, password or domain information is kept in a launch URL.
Closing and disconnecting applications
If you click on the application's close button, the application and its session will be closed. But if you click on the tab or window's close button, the session running the application will be disconnected.
Favorite applications
Favorite applications can be copied from the applications menu or treeview onto the favorites area by dragging them from the menu or treeview and dropping them onto the (initially empty) favorites area. Favorites can be removed by dragging them out of the favorites area and dropping them onto a popup drop zone that appears when they are dragged.
Favorites attempt to launch their application on the currently selected farm, but the application may not be published on all farms.
The toolbar and sidebar share the same list of favorites.
Bookmarked applications
Any launched application can be bookmarked and re-launched on the same farm from the bookmark menu.
These bookmarked application URLs can be passed around and used by anyone with the Citrix Toolbar and Sidebar extension installed in Firefox and Firefox set as their default browser.
If a set of application bookmarks are stored in a leaf folder (i.e. a folder which doesn't contain any folders) then Firefox appends an Open in Tabs command to the folder. Selecting this command will open each bookmark in the folder in its own tab.
Launch buttons
These buttons launch a web page or local application. Where a page is displayed is controlled by which mouse button you use to launch it:
left : in the current tab
middle : in a new tab
right : in a new window
The Help button launches the Citrix toolbar or sidebar help page, which gives more detailed information about functionality and user preferences.
The GoToMyPC button will display the GoToMyPC launch page.
If the GoToMeeting application has been installed on the local machine, clicking the GoToMeeting button will launch it. Otherwise the GoToMeeting install page will be displayed.
Undocking the toolbar or sidebar
The toolbar or sidebar can be undocked by pressing the <> button. There is no dock operation, but the toolbar or sidebar can be easily re-displayed with the Citrix button.
Installing the Citrix Toolbar and Sidebar extension for Firefox
See CTX112018 – Firefox Browser Extension for installation instructions. These also include instructions for installing Firefox and Java.
Feedback and support
Use the Citrix® Toolbar and Sidebar extension for Firefox forum (log on with your MyCitrix credentials). If we have the bandwith, we will try and solve any problems, add requested features and update the prototype.
We would like to know what you think of the extension and any suggestions you have for improvement. Customer feedback is a persuasive argument for turning this prototype into a product (and for developing a version for that other browser).
