Firefox defaulting update preferences & solution - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2022, 04:01:42 am
content: I have different versions of Firefox and profiles for experimental use and I don't use them that often yet but I discovered something that I was very displeased about:Despite doing as much things to disable the updates to the program last year they still update with no warning. I did disable the nagging message somewhere which worked in hiding the message but still no control over it. So had to copy a backup of the program and profile in question a couple of times everytime it does that. When looking further quite a few preferences seem to reset on startup especially this one on the top of the list:app.update.auto.migrated.Further looking it does indeed do this disregarding my preferences:Changed value to false, saved at time 02:24 and start Firefox from shortcut above:Surprise, surprise, file unexpectedly edited at 02:26 and Notepad++ reports a program had changed it and whether to reload it in edtor:Reloaded and value set back to true:I was furious. Very naughty isn't it?Solution:With the help of:https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/ghsvu3/why_ff76_doesnt_respect_the_policiesjson_file/QuoteIt took me a while to get the syntax right but found out it was getting it wrong after trying out the "Enterprise Policy Generator" but I had problems with that where it installs but would not extract or show the gui for some reason at first and so tried to do it manually but worked on another profile so a setting I set caused that:Policies.jsonQuoteNo comma (,) on the last entry.I was a bit unsure but all that just a file to edit (Policies.json) in a certain folder (Distribution), in the Firefox program folder.Also works for Firefox 95 see attachment.Just found some more similar to what I would want:https://old.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/bxuvsn/how_to_completely_block_update_checks/QuoteDid this automatic defaulting of Firefox preferences affect you in any way/ what do you think?

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2022, 04:09:35 am
content: I've used the following for years to mitigate any potential issues :Code:brad@xxxxx:~$ cat /opt/firefox/distribution/policies.json{"policies": {"DisableAppUpdate": true}}

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2022, 05:15:54 am
content: Firefox has no revenue model, how does this massive free S/W get funded and compete with google and microsoft?I find they have jumped on the slutty silicon valley bandwagon and I spend literally an hour disabling bullshit in about:config only to have the policy names/setting changed at the next update. Just getting sick of it.Google has signed deals with Mozilla $400M/yr for 3 yearssearch engine agreement"...Google as the default search provider in the Firefox browser" as if that's worth that much money. I think the two are a little too close now to expect respectful software.

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2022, 06:44:31 am
content: I was very upset seeing this when it automatically updated yesterday where I had to replace the program and profile from a backup:Contemptable spammy behaviour:Suddently dimming the background which hurts my eyes in the process and thereby obscuring cutting me off from the contents which I find rude and disrespectful. This is one reason why I decided to not to try the later editions past 89/95? where it started to happen excessively. It would do this on prompts,offers (that i thought I disabled before) and I absolutely despise this behaviour with interfering with the background. Why can't they leave the contents alone like before.I thought in June last year let's leave some feedback.The feedback button redirected to this site:Firefox feedback leads me to:https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/Signed up, started a suggestion on a potential issue, it was still waiting moderator approval a couple of months or so later and it seems to have been removed.GONE:Complete waste of my time so no point in leaving feedback there.I felt a bit disheartened with it being removed like that.My irrational paranoia tells me: Some arrogant person up there (who thinks thy are better than everyone else) decided to start put DIMMING OVERLAYS over everything found "my idea" and had it removed without giving it a chance for others to vote. So my idea is not up for discussion or votes when they feel like it. More like their idea is suppose to be my idea.I suppose could go on the support pages where they comments andcomplainask for a solution.There are other things I am not happy about Firefox 78+ is with pages/messages like this that I find insulting and the arrogance I see:We're? It is not we're. it's not human. I find it very insulting and puts me off. Like I am somewhat stupid and confused, don't know what I am doing and they expect me to think it is human and it can think as if it was "smarter" than me. I don't find the messages and notifications from the two other browsers Vivaldi and Firefox 22 (attached) insulting. They look respectable to me. Palemoon 28 has the same connectivity page/notification as Firefox 22.Those are some of the reasons I don't use Firefox 75+ often but I have been trying to gradually alter it to make to look and behave more the way I want it to behave but I found Vivaldi 3 and 3.8 was so much more easier to customize and has been serving me very well for two years.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2022, 09:22:38 am
content: Nothing will improve until WW3 creates an open season on software developers.source: am a software developer

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2022, 05:34:22 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 06, 2022, 05:15:54 amJust found this... Ex Mozilla employees commenting on this dedicated Mozilla hate website:http://firefox.sucks/FirefoxQuoteWell that sounds like a sad state of affairsQuote1That's when, their idea whatever they decide (at the top) is suppose to be the user's idea.2So the management are director are getting greedy.Not looking good for Mozilla.I find it a bit sad for what it once was but there is Palemoon around the corner and I am hoping more will go over there to help maintain it for it to do a lot better.Since 28.9.6 it seems very stable.

author: Bassman59
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 05:20:14 pm
content: Firefox has been getting worse and worse with each release.Their mail client, Thunderbird, is unusable, and the only saving grace it has is that it's better than the mail client that ships with Windows 10 (not Outlook, the free thing) which is so gawd-awful.