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 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 (Section "Automatic updates and Security/Login breach information")

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

Besides, 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.json file into your Firefox installation folder. More information about this:

Customizing firefox using policies.json

DisableAppUpdate

Nevertheless, consider installing Abrowser from Trisquel, Icecat, Iceweasel for Parabola or Librewolf. They lack that connection:

Abrowser

Icecat for Parabola

Iceweasel

Librewolf

These browsers only have a connection to shavar.services.mozilla.com in order to update the blocking lists used by Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) that can be disabled changing browser.safebrowsing.provider.mozilla.updateURL to nothing.

Updating addons

Write about:addons

Choose Extensions

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

You may also install them manually downloading the respective xpi files.

Adding new search engines

Follow this guide:

Add a search engine from the address bar

Another option could be mycroftproject.com website. Beware! They have embedded Google analytic trackers.

Known problems

Some breakage?

Try changing "network.http.referer.XOriginPolicy" from 2 to 1

Performance loss?

Change these strings from false to true:

javascript.options.ion

javascript.options.baselinejit

javascript.options.native_regexp

Thanks:

I really thank the following authors:

• Arkenfox - The majority of this user.js and updates.
• Tor Project - Some Tor Browser strings.
• Quindecim - Some unique strings and user design.
• LibreWolf - Some strings.
• Spyware Watchdog - Mozilla Firefox Spyware Mitigation Guide (Archive.org)

License

GNU General Public License v3.0.

See LICENSE for more details.

Other mirrors

https://gitlab.com/Jorgu81/user.js/tree/master/Firefox%20Desktop