Oct 14, 2026, 3:46 PMI had other things to do today, I had plans. I didn't want to spend today doing cleanup because my copy of Firefox decided TODAY is the day I switch away from Firefox
- Oct 14, 2026, 3:46 PM
Replies
- Oct 14, 2026, 3:49 PM
Oh, this box has been open in the background the whole time. "LOL". Obviously, there is literally no way I am going to agree to a "terms of use" to use a goddamn fucking web browser on my own computer.
- Oct 14, 2026, 3:55 PM
Downloading Librewolf and noting with approval, and additionally almost uniquely among open source software I've installed on Windows, they actually tell you on the download page who to expect the binaries be signed by.
Hm, hoping LibreWolf integrates with my updates on Debian when it comes to that.
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:03 PM
Oh. Great. Librewolf has the skittles vomit look. Although for inexplicable reasons (could I have gone in and set a flag months ago speculatively, then forgotten it?!) Firefox 153.5.0esr started with Nova off, Librewolf starts with Nova on. Turning it off does not fully remove the additional roundedness I percieve as having been added since 140. Well, whatever. The goal is to avoid shit in *future*, not shit now.
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:06 PM
I don't understand what I'm looking at here but I'm PRETTY sure it's my fault.
EDIT: So what I'm pretty sure is there's somehow two copies of Librewolf on my computer, and the only piece of software that knows what it is is the "default browser" picker in Windows. Add/Remove Programs sees only one. Tragically, right clicking in this picker does nothing.
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:19 PM
Okay so the first thing I want to do on Librewolf, obviously, is disable strict tracking protections. That's a feature. I hate features. The only reason I'm using Librewolf is so that they'll turn features off automatically instead of me having to do it.
Last time I used firefox, there was a choice in this box. Now there's only one option, "Strict", inexplicably with a radio button.
Can I turn off tracking protection and make Librewolf into basically a copy of Firefox, or is about:config time?
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:21 PM
Alternately, am I confused, and "ResistFingerprinting" is the obnoxious shit that breaks web pages, and 'tracking protection:strict" is something minor like third-party cookie protections that Firefox Baseline also has? (If so, that's REALLY strange that the high-impact feature is a tiny unlabeled checkbox lower down, whereas the low-impact feature is this big box with lots of warnings and explainers on it.)
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:26 PM
Okay another LibreWolf question. They've got these two questions about WebGL. But they don't mention WebGPU. What should I take that to mean? Firefox on Windows supports WebGPU by now. I guess Librewolf… doesn't? Or they do, but they don't have the "warning about to enable webgl" popup? Or what?!
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:27 PM
Librewolf disables offers to save passwords, offers to save credit cards, and offers to save addresses by default. Finally. Fucking finally.
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:33 PM
Man setting up a browser is so slow. I wish it was possible to self-host the settings syncing in Firefox instead of it being fake possible
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:05 PM
OK here's a question. And I thank you all for your patience with my questions and my cussing and whatnot.
In the last browser I enjoyed using—mid-2023 Chrome—there was a "V" button on the right side I could click to search my open tabs.
Firefox has, oddly, 2 versions of this, neither adequate. (A) brings up this complex "Firefox View" thing. (B) is a menu that allows an awkward tab search. I think I like (A) better, though I wish it had fewer clicks.
Librewolf is missing (A). Can I enable it?
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:08 PM
Also, as long as I'm now highly customizing my browser instead of simply accepting whatever slop Mozilla gives me… what I *want*, what I *really want*, is to remove the "V", put the "drawer"/"Firefox View" on the *right* side where the V is, and have clicking the button auto-select the text entry box in either "recent browsing" or "open tabs"? To replicate the old Chrome mid-2023 behavior?
Could I do this fancy thing with… "User Chrome"? or "XUL"? Or "ZOOL"?
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:08 PM
Back in the 00s I wrote a bunch of "XUL". The "XUL" called out to a web service I operated using "XML-RPC". I thought this was so cool. I thought this was the future of technology.
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:12 PM
RE: https://social.erambert.me/@eramdam/117440354252413751
Yes… ha ha ha… yes!!!
This is a Firefox feature! This has nothing to do with LibreWolf! I could've been doing this all along! I assumed "configure toolbar" only configured the toolbar and not the stuff above the toolbar! Oh, more fool I!
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:14 PM
More things I wonder but I think I know the answer to
1. Does "Add tab to taskbar" add the tab to… the *Windows* taskbar?
2. Container groups are still a plugin, published by Firefox. Does that mean if I install the container groups plugin on LibreWolf, I'm still gonna be getting ads for Firefox's VPN service or whatever even in LibreWolf?
3. Librewolf doesn't make "Profiles" any easier to use then their (wildly impractical) state in baseline Firefox 140esr, does it?
damien 🥖🐈⬛🧣eramdam@erambert.meOct 14, 2026, 3:47 PM@mcc also...did your copy of Firefox have this disabled? Because I feel like if you tell it to not install updates automatically it would respect that choice but I dont run ESR
- Oct 14, 2026, 3:49 PM
@eramdam Well, obviously I want point releases with security fixes. But also, I don't want features (if I was willing to accept features, I wouldn't be using ESR in the first place.) So I guess I just *assumed* ESR140 updates until the 140 line terminates and then you get a warning that you're no longer getting security updates. I guess that was a poorly founded assumption. I have no justification for why I assumed it.
- damien 🥖🐈⬛🧣eramdam@erambert.meOct 14, 2026, 3:55 PM
@mcc idk, ESR to me sounds like an alternative update channel which feels like is divorced from the "automatically install updates" setting 🤷
Oct 14, 2026, 4:26 PM@mcc @eramdam It's probably too late now, but I think this is the policy that you would have needed to prevent updating from 140.
https://firefox-admin-docs.mozilla.org/reference/policies/appupdatepin/- Oct 14, 2026, 4:28 PM
@Mayabotics @eramdam Thank you very much.
Shar(yna)Tran/Shark(aeopteryx)Sharksonaplane@mastodon.sandwich.netOct 14, 2026, 5:36 PM@mcc I mean I would have assumed the same bc that's how it used to work with software that was considered out of date. I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption and it's sure as hell not your fault that Mozilla jetéd itself into a trash heap.
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:37 PM
@Sharksonaplane like I just blankly assumed if one specifically opted into a 140 channel that means something. But no I didn't opt into the 140 channel I opted into "the ESR channel".
gaytabasedysfun@treehouse.systemsOct 14, 2026, 3:51 PM@mcc TOU: suck it LOL
Conor Titania Mc Bridepigworker@types.plOct 14, 2026, 4:06 PM@mcc delete last four words
May likes Torontomayintoronto@beige.partyOct 14, 2026, 4:10 PM@mcc That is so many browsers.
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:10 PM
@mayintoronto I was doing a lot of testing of WebGPU at one point.
Sophie of Ratsnake Gamesratsnakegames@mastodon.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:11 PM@mcc for the record, this is how my Firefox 157 with all the Nova toggles disabled looks - isn't that basically pre-Nova?
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:17 PM
@ratsnakegames Remember I jumped directly from 140 to 157 so I think some things that happened for you last december happened for me only today
- Sophie of Ratsnake Gamesratsnakegames@mastodon.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:23 PM
@mcc every 140 screenshot i can find already has rounded edges on the tabs, although slightly less than my screenshot. I guess you were using some legacy setting?
"Nova" is an even newer thing which is FAR MORE round and only came out a couple of weeks ago so that's probably where the confusion comes from.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AnduinOS_1.4.1_GNOME_Firefox_140.5.0_ESR_about_-_English.png
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:24 PM
@ratsnakegames no idea!
Ted Mielczarektedmielczarek@mastodon.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:13 PM@mcc inside your OS browser choice menu there are two wolves. also two foxes and a canary.
Keen Graspkeengrasp@layer8.spaceOct 14, 2026, 4:55 PM@tedmielczarek @mcc criminally underrated, critical-hit reply
Cactuar JoeCactuarJoe@retro.pizzaOct 14, 2026, 5:03 PM@tedmielczarek @mcc I picked a bad time to be a sack of grain :/
Gourdgourd@indieverse.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:23 PM@mcc ResistFingerprinting is the thing that breaks many webpages, IMHO.
I like Librewolf, but paranoid Firefox as a project probably shouldn't be the main slop-free version for normal people to use. Waterfox was/kinda is that but...
:blahaj: Why Not Zoidberg? 🦑WhyNotZoidberg@topspicy.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:24 PM@mcc Yes, this is correct. "Strict tracking protection" is the baseline feature in Firefox.
I use Waterfox, because Liberwolf was just too annyoing and restricting, and I find it a good middle ground, but I don't think I can go back to Firefox.
bipolaronbipolaron@scholar.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:28 PM@WhyNotZoidberg @mcc when I was picking between librewolf and waterfox I could have sworn waterfox leadership was not lending confidence. wish I remembered what the drama was.
alexandra catalinacatalina@selfy.armyOct 14, 2026, 5:14 PM
Faraiwefaraiwe@mstdn.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:35 PM@mcc it would be way too convenient if we could save settings to a file :/
ErinChateauErin@mastodon.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:45 PM@faraiwe @mcc I've had good success copying the profile folders between installs, except that...there was something weird about actually switching between them? I *think* my successes have been when I overwrite the profile folder in the new install with the old profile
many of my current tabs are technically older than this computer
Coelacanthus 😶🌫️ 🏳️⚧️coelacanthus@yuuta.moeOct 14, 2026, 4:48 PM- Oct 14, 2026, 4:50 PM
@coelacanthus @faraiwe what about all my configuration options for addons
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:52 PM
@coelacanthus @faraiwe like yeah i'm sure i can scrounge around and figure out where firefox stores prefs and where librewolf stores prefs and copy them between and hope they work, but the point of the built in syncing is that it does all the scrounging for you
- Faraiwefaraiwe@mstdn.socialOct 14, 2026, 4:54 PM
@mcc @coelacanthus saving your config prefs locally should be an option.
- Coelacanthus 😶🌫️ 🏳️⚧️coelacanthus@yuuta.moeOct 14, 2026, 4:58 PM
- Oct 14, 2026, 4:59 PM
@coelacanthus @faraiwe i see. i think i will eyeball the settings that are currently set and manually copy them over.
- Coelacanthus 😶🌫️ 🏳️⚧️coelacanthus@yuuta.moeOct 14, 2026, 5:02 PM
- damien 🥖🐈⬛🧣eramdam@erambert.meOct 14, 2026, 5:06 PM
@mcc it might just not be in the toolbar? is the Firefox View button available as an option when you customize the toolbar in LibreWolf?
Oct 14, 2026, 5:11 PM@mcc XML RPC was so hot in the 00s. I made a prototype of a browser based MMO with it in 2010.
Space Hobospacehobo@teh.entar.netOct 14, 2026, 5:40 PM
Cassandrichdalias@hachyderm.ioOct 14, 2026, 5:18 PM@mcc 1. Yes. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same as PWAs. I think it's like "install PWA" if there is a PWA, but otherwise just makes the tab into its own window/taskbar item that you can pin to the taskbar if you want.
2. If you get it from a.m.o, probably. I assume you can get a build from outside of a.m.o without that. I'm not sure.
3. AFAIK no. I find Profiles largely useless except for testing how things would behave in a completely vulnerable browser, and for that just running with $HOME pointed to something else (and a suitable sandbox since it's wide open) works better for me than Profiles. Container tabs and First-party Isolate meet my needs better for everything else.
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:19 PM
@dalias i didn't know about. First Party Isolate. I think I'm going to have to do a certain amount of reading to understand how it's different from regular firefox isolation
- Cassandrichdalias@hachyderm.ioOct 14, 2026, 5:24 PM
@mcc First-party isolate makes it so all cookies/storage for embedded third-party resources are scoped under the domain in the URL bar. It was developed by/for Tor Browser and upstreamed in Firefox. The Mozilla folks don't much like that it exists, and have developed their own much weaker heuristic 3p tracking protections that it replaces.
The canonical example is that embedded social media widgets can never see your logged-in state on their own site. Basically, embeds for tracking don't work at all.
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:25 PM
@dalias To your knowledge, how different is this from "Strict" tracking protection in Librewolf?
Also, I want to have the option to share data across domains, for example if a bank or something has spread a webapp across multiple domains for valid engineering reasons, I assume this can still be opted into?
- Cassandrichdalias@hachyderm.ioOct 14, 2026, 5:30 PM
@mcc There's no way to disable 1p-isolate on a per-site basis or anything. It's global.
I have not run into anything that seems to be broken by it. Normal SSO-type workflows nowadays know they have to pass data thru redirects and stuff rather than relying on being able to access cross-domain cookie state.
But if you're concerned, using a weaker tracking protection that can be turned off per-site might be a better choice for you. You cannot switch later without losing all your saved cookies (because of how the re-scoping works; actually I think the scoped ones are still there, but scoped in a way they'll never get used unless you switch 1p-isolate back to how it was set before).
- Cassandrichdalias@hachyderm.ioOct 14, 2026, 5:31 PM
@mcc I'm not sure exactly what "Strict" tracking protection does. I would assume LW has it behaving the same as upstream Mozilla's. My use of 1p-isolate predates "Strict" mode, so I never really evaluated the latter's technical design, but I tend not to trust Mozilla to get things like this right. They *always* want there to be some workaround for their slimy adtech buddies...
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:32 PM
@dalias Well, the reason I'm asking is Librewolf has this big box for a "strict" mode, and opt-outs to a "strict" mode, and this is unique UI not in base firefox, and I know this corresponds to SOMETHING that is either an option in Base Firefox or actively on in Base Firefox but I'm still a little confused about what.
波鉄 (Hatetsu)HaTetsu@mastodon.com.plOct 14, 2026, 9:36 PM@mcc Firefox letting you put toolbar buttons in the tab bar has been a thing for well over a decade and a hundred releases, I think they called that redesign "Australis"? Pretty neat thing if you insist on having maximum space for the address bar
ChartreuseChartreuseK@treehouse.systemsOct 14, 2026, 5:13 PM@mcc in a way it was (electron), just not XUL itself.
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:15 PM
@ChartreuseK yes, and XML-RPC failed but XmlHTTPRequest+JSON succeeded
- ChartreuseChartreuseK@treehouse.systemsOct 14, 2026, 5:31 PM
@mcc not sure it was really for the best, but the paradigm did succeed
- Oct 14, 2026, 5:34 PM
@ChartreuseK Yeah
