Stacks.js: Custom protocol redirect prevents usage in browser extensions

[larrysalibra]

See forum post:
https://forum.blockstack.org/t/got-a-few-questions-considering-using-blockstack/5608?u=larry

Supporting alternative authentication flows might help #284

[markmhx]

@zone117x I've assigned this to you so you can take browser extension support into consideration with your protocol handling work. Any initial thoughts on how your work on https://github.com/blockstack/blockstack.js/pull/591 may be relevant here?

[marsrobertson]

Found some code here: https://gist.github.com/dantrevino/b0cc9124de892ede436113d817c89c8d

https://youtu.be/0REU77wBIZw

Does not work for me:

Are there any workarounds?

[markmhx]

@zone117x posted some guidance on Slack recently here: https://blockstack.slack.com/archives/C074LC7RC/p1559716701022100

@moxiegirl this question has come up a few times from different developers recently – think we may want to capture that Slack guidance in the docs somewhere before it goes poof?

[marsrobertson]

think we may want to capture that Slack guidance in the docs somewhere before it goes poof?

Example

What to do with the authResponse?

http://localhost:3000/?authResponse=eyJ...........1Nr_eng

Docs: https://blockstack.github.io/blockstack.js/classes/usersession.html

For simplicity, you can assume that I do everything serverless: app hosted on GitHub pages, Firebase as a storage, occasional Heroku app when I need to sprinkle node.js...

1. Chrome Extension: generate userID
2. Redirect to standalone web app
3. Blockstack auth
4. Receiving authResponse
5. Saving in Firebase at userID _(unless a better way of communicating between web app and Chrome Extension)_
6. Chrome Extension reading it...

Now I would like to use authResponse and be logged in, being able to access the storage. How?

[moxiegirl]

@markmhx Sure. But this is a wide-ranging discussion across several apps (forum/Slack/GitHub) it would help if you specify the exact question and the answer you are expecting. I created an issue to address your request ^^^. I'll put down what _I got_ from the discussion there. Please refine it.

[marsrobertson]

EDIT: Updated my comments as I was replying from email, only now I see the full context...

What happens when Chrom Extension does window.open() - maybe that will be better?

Anyway this issue seem better now: https://github.com/blockstack/docs.blockstack/issues/272

[arunpdl]

Any updates on this? If anyone was willing to share an example on how to approach the hints provided by matt on slack, that would be swell. Thanks

[markmhx]

@arunpdl I've asked if @zone117x could provide some sample code on the other issue linked here in documentation (https://github.com/blockstack/docs.blockstack/issues/272). So hopefully we can help out more on the documentation front shortly.

[zone117x]

@marsrobertson

1. Chrome Extension: generate userID
2. Redirect to standalone web app
3. Blockstack auth
4. Receiving authResponse
5. Saving in Firebase at userID _(unless a better way of communicating between web app and Chrome Extension)_
6. Chrome Extension reading it...

Now I would like to use authResponse and be logged in, being able to access the storage. How?

At step 4 you'd want to pass the authResponse to your web extension, and have the extension complete the login process with it (handlePendingSignIn(authResponse)).

Or, have the web app to complete the auth process itself then hand-off the relevant user data to the web extension. The appPrivateKey and hubUrl are the minimum required to work with the blockstack.js file functions. See here for related usage: https://forum.blockstack.org/t/creating-a-usersession-using-app-private-key/8096/5

Communication between web extensions and web pages can be done client side. See the WebExtensions Tab API:

• https://developers.chrome.com/extensions/messaging
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Content_scripts#Communicating_with_background_scripts

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