Customize default user profile
I am running Windows 10 Pro 19042.746. Firefox is version 85.0.1 64 bit.
I would like to pre-configure firefox so that it has my custom settings and bookmarks.
I'm not sure if this is the correct method to pre-configure settings:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\pref\autoconfig.js
pref("general.config.filename", "firefox.cfg"); pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0);
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.cfg
// IMPORTANT: Start your code on the 2nd line. lockPref("app.update.auto", false); lockPref("app.update.enabled", false); lockPref("startup.homepage_welcome_url", ""); lockPref("startup.homepage_override_url", ""); lockPref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.aboutHome.enabled", false); pref("app.shield.optoutstudies.enabled", false); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.addon-background-update-timer", 0); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.background-update-timer", 0); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.browser-cleanup-thumbnails", 1612634584); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.rs-experiment-loader-timer", 1612634555); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.search-engine-update-timer", 1612634704); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.services-settings-poll-changes", 0); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.telemetry_modules_ping", 1612634614); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.telemetry_untrustedmodules_ping", 0); pref("browser.discovery.enabled", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.discoverystream.rec.impressions", "{\"83755\":1612634554787,\"83807\":1612634554788,\"22687889\":1612634554787}"); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.discoverystream.spoc.impressions", "{\"15078464\":[1612634554785]}"); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.feeds.section.highlights", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.feeds.section.topstories", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.feeds.snippets", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.feeds.topsites", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includeBookmarks", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includeDownloads", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includeVisited", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.showSearch", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.showSponsored", false); pref("browser.newtabpage.enabled", false); pref("browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.lastupdatetime", "1612634570418"); pref("browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.nextupdatetime", "1612636398418"); pref("browser.search.widget.inNavBar", true); pref("browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID", "20210204182252"); pref("browser.shell.mostRecentDateSetAsDefault", "1612634554"); pref("browser.slowStartup.averageTime", 632); pref("browser.slowStartup.samples", 2); pref("browser.startup.homepage", "about:blank"); pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID", "20210204182252"); pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone", "85.0.1"); pref("browser.startup.lastColdStartupCheck", 1612636306); pref("browser.tabs.loadInBackground", false); pref("browser.tabs.warnOnClose", false); pref("browser.taskbar.previews.enable", true); pref("browser.toolbars.bookmarks.visibility", "always"); pref("browser.uiCustomization.state", "{\"placements\":{\"widget-overflow-fixed-list\":[],\"nav-bar\":[\"back-button\",\"forward-button\",\"stop-reload-button\",\"home-button\",\"print-button\",\"library-button\",\"sidebar-button\",\"urlbar-container\",\"search-container\",\"downloads-button\"],\"toolbar-menubar\":[\"menubar-items\"],\"TabsToolbar\":[\"tabbrowser-tabs\",\"new-tab-button\",\"alltabs-button\"],\"PersonalToolbar\":[\"import-button\",\"personal-bookmarks\"]},\"seen\":[\"developer-button\"],\"dirtyAreaCache\":[\"nav-bar\",\"PersonalToolbar\",\"toolbar-menubar\",\"TabsToolbar\"],\"currentVersion\":16,\"newElementCount\":3}"); pref("datareporting.healthreport.uploadEnabled", false); pref("dom.forms.autocomplete.formautofill", true); pref("privacy.history.custom", true); pref("privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown", true); pref("services.sync.clients.lastSync", "0"); pref("services.sync.declinedEngines", ""); pref("services.sync.engine.addresses.available", true); pref("services.sync.globalScore", 0); pref("services.sync.nextSync", 0); pref("services.sync.tabs.lastSync", "0"); pref("print.print_footerleft", ""); pref("print.print_footerright", ""); pref("print.print_headerleft", ""); pref("print.print_headerright", "");
Is this the correct method to pre-configure the default user profile? Where can I find a list or generate output so I can see configurable settings?
How to pre-configure firefox window size?
How can I pre-configure my booksmarks on the bookmark tools bar?
Thanks in advance, -Kevin
All Replies (5)
Best is to exclude (remove) lines that contain a Unix Epoch time string or otherwise set a specific value because the autoconfig file is read each time you start Firefox and pref() calls will always reinitialize a pref (i.e. you do not keep changes made during a session).
- pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.browser-cleanup-thumbnails", 1612634584);
- pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID", "20210204182252");
Only include prefs that aren't used internally and that you know are linked to a setting you can make via Options/Preferences or otherwise.
Not sure I understand what you are saying? Are you saying I should remove:
pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.browser-cleanup-thumbnails", 1612634584); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.rs-experiment-loader-timer", 1612634555); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.search-engine-update-timer", 1612634704); pref("app.update.lastUpdateTime.telemetry_modules_ping", 1612634614); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.discoverystream.rec.impressions", "{\"83755\":1612634554787,\"83807\":1612634554788,\"22687889\":1612634554787}"); pref("browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.discoverystream.spoc.impressions", "{\"15078464\":[1612634554785]}"); pref("browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.lastupdatetime", "1612634570418"); pref("browser.safebrowsing.provider.google4.nextupdatetime", "1612636398418"); pref("browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID", "20210204182252"); pref("browser.shell.mostRecentDateSetAsDefault", "1612634554"); pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID", "20210204182252"); pref("browser.startup.lastColdStartupCheck", 1612636306);
When a user starts Firefox for the first time a user profile is created. I want the profile created with my unique settings and my bookmarks on the menu bar. Does anyone have a detailed procedure on how to accomplish this?
You can use a policies.json file to deploy settings.
Are the policies applied on every firefox startup or at the initial creation of a user profile?
If I use policies.json will the new user profile use defaults for policies not specified?
I'm not familiar with XML, do you have a somewhat complicated policies.json file I can use as a template?
Thanks for your responses, -Kevin
Policies.json stores its data in JSON format and not in XML format. You can see examples in this article
There is this extension, but I don't think it has been updated to support all policies that got added during the past year.
- Enterprise Policy Generator
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/enterprise-policy-generator/