desktop_user.js/README.md

## user.js | Firefox, Firefox ESR and Firefox Nightly.
A `user.js` file for configuring and hardening desktop Firefox privacy.

Concretely, this is a fork from the [arkenfox](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js) project.


## Goals

* enhance privacy and security
* improve performance
* better fingerprint possible
* reduce automatic connections to the minimum posible

## Considerations

This user.js is a fork from the arkenfox project with a substantial divergence. It tries to avoid all the automatic connections even though security could be reduced slightly.
For instance, OSCP is a privacy breach. Nevertheless, it is also a security feature. This user.js disables them as well as safebrowsing, automatic addons connections and so on. You will have to check manually addons updates in the related preferences section.

However, one connection could not be blocked anymore:

* firefox.settings.services.mozilla.com

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1598562#c13

[How to stop Firefox from making automatic connections](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-stop-firefox-making-automatic-connections) Section "Automatic updates and Security/Login breach information"

So you will have to include it to the host list of your OS.

Nevertheless, if you are on a .deb GNU/Linux distro consider installing Abrowser from Trisquel. It lacks that connection:

[Abrowser](https://archive.trisquel.info/trisquel/pool/main/f/firefox/?C=S;O=D)

Or if you are a Windows user have a look at these Unofficial Icecat builds:

[Icecat for Windows](https://github.com/muslayev/icecat-win64)

If you are still interested in using firefox vanilla take into account it makes a connection to aus5.mozilla.org in order to autoupdate itself so you'll also have to add it to your host list.
Alternatively, you could copy the folder `distribution` with the `policies` file into your firefox installation folder. More information about this:

[Customizing firefox using policies.json](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customizing-firefox-using-policiesjson)

[DisableAppUpdate](https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates/blob/master/README.md#disableappupdate)

## Updating addons

Write about:addons

Choose Extensions

Click the icon above on the right (Tools for all add-ons) and Check for updates.


## Adding new search engines

Installing new search engines from mycroftproject.com web is not working. Besides, they have embedded Google analytic trackers recently.
Follow this guide instead:

[Add a search engine from the address bar](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/add-or-remove-search-engine-firefox#w_add-a-search-engine-from-the-address-bar)

## Thanks:

I really thank the following authors:

* [Arkenfox](https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js) - The majority of this user.js and updates.
* [Quindecim](https://git.nixnet.xyz/quindecim/mobile_user.js) - Some unique strings.
* [Spyware Watchdog](https://web.archive.org/web/20200402031335/https://spyware.neocities.org/guides/firefox.html) - Mozilla Firefox Spyware Mitigation Guide (Archive.org)

## License

GNU General Public License v3.0.

See `LICENSE` for more details.