What settings need to be set for the muff. Where are the settings in Mozilla?

Igor. Update: June 3, 2019.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. It is difficult to find a user, including a beginner, who does not know at least a little about . In a series of articles, I will try to expand the information about the most popular browsers to the necessary extent, including Mozilla (by the way, the literal translation of “firefox” is “fire fox”).

If we talk about numbers, today Mozila ranks in popularity 3rd place in Russia(about 10% of users prefer this browser) and 4th place in the world(about 6%). In both ratings, the leader with a huge advantage is the rapidly progressing one, which at the moment is beyond any competition.

But Firefox is quite capable of competing with other browsers, since it has its own advantages that are useful to a number of users. Moreover, it is quite possible that in the near future the Mazil browser will become a serious competitor to Chrome by installing the new Quantum engine, which will make the “fire fox” lighter and faster.

History of Mozilla Firefox and its main features

The first graphical web browser, Mosaic (created in 1994 by Netscape Communications), can rightfully be considered the ancestor of Mozilla, later renamed Netscape Navigator, and then Netscape Communicator.

In January-February 1998, Netscape decided to make the browser source code open, but for a number of reasons it was necessary to write it anew. For this purpose, it was formed non-profit organization Mozilla, which got its name from the working name of the Netscape web browser.

In November of the same year, the company was acquired by the large American media corporation AOL, which reduced funding for the project and Netscape Communications was disbanded in 2003. This was the beginning of the end of the browser of the same name, the last version of which was presented by the developers in 2007, after which it died for a long time.

At the same time, the new Firefox browser (the first version of which was released in 2004) was simultaneously gaining momentum thanks to the support of a specially created group of the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary Mozilla Corporation. Its development was carried out by programmers Blake Ross and Dave Hyatt based on the newly created open source Mozilla code (which, by the way, was also used in the 8th and 9th versions of Netscape).

One of main features Firefox is the fact that initially the developers did not overload the base kernel with full-blown extensions. This made it possible to achieve good speed characteristics and make this browser easily customizable to the needs of any user. At the same time, the potential functionality remained very broad due to the possibility of installations that perform different tasks.

So, unlike other popular browsers (Chrome, Opera, Explorer new versions), where numerous functions are already implemented initially, in Mozilla everyone can customize the set of options to a greater extent at their own discretion through extensions.

You don't have to look far for an example. On the blog pages I already have , which at one time was a real godsend for webmasters, allowing you to edit the code of absolutely any page on the fly. It was a breakthrough.

But competitors are not asleep, and therefore over time, tools similar to Firebug were built into new versions of Opera (), Explorer () and Chrome.

By the way, in Mazil this option is already implemented by default, so Firebug is no longer supported by the developers. But, despite this, I still advise you to follow the link to the publication about this extension and read it at least briefly to understand the principle of operation of any tool of this kind, naturally, if you plan to use them in practice in order to speed up the process when editing HTML and CSS code.

Another important one for webmasters, which is also extremely useful, including for SEO optimization of website pages. The same applies to . Both of these extensions, unlike Firebug, are still relevant today.

In general, in terms of the breadth of choice of plugins, Mazile has no equal. For example, I still use some of its add-ons from time to time, which I still consider to be superior in ease of use to the built-in analogues of other web browsers.

For a long time, Mazila had the only serious competitor, namely Internet Explorer, and that was because it came bundled with the most popular Windows operating system.

However, then another strong player appeared, namely, the brainchild of the powerful Google corporation, the Chrome browser, whose share of the global market by 2018 reached 60%, as a result of which Firefox, despite regular updates, lost its leading position.

But at the moment, the competitive situation may change again in Mozila’s favor. Of course, this is still far from a fact, but there are serious prerequisites for this.

The fact is that initially and for some time Firefox worked on Gecko engine open source. However, starting with version 57, its gradual replacement with a fundamentally new engine began Quantum, which promises to make Mazila the fastest and lightest browser. In addition, according to numerous examinations, Firefox has an advantage in the processing speed of Javascript and CSS, which is also important in light of the development of modern technologies.

Where to download and how to install Mazila

Let's begin with You can download Mozilla in Russian for free from the official website (). The latest version is always available on it, which is very important from a security point of view:

From there you can install Mazila for Windows(including for version 10) both 32 and 64 bits, for Linux and for poppy. As you can see, all major options are available.

It should be noted that starting with version 53, support for the Windows XP and Vista operating systems no longer works (and for earlier ones even more so), and the release of version 60.2 in 2018 meant the final transition to Mozilla Quantum, which was another breakthrough for the developers.

Mozilla Firefox can be configured in two ways: standard, which is available to every browser user, and hidden. The first uses the standard program tools, and the second requires changing the configuration file. Obviously, the last setup method is recommended to be used only by people who already have extensive experience working with PCs. If you make incorrect changes to the settings, this can lead to slow browser performance, crashes, and other consequences.

Where are the settings saved?

Where are browser settings stored? Mozilla Firefox, like all other browsers, stores all information changed and entered by the user, including bookmarks, passwords, cookies, caches and settings, in a profile folder, which is not located in the browser's public folder on the system drive. The profile is created by the program by default immediately after the first launch of the program on the PC after successful installation.

The profile folder is located in the Application Data folder and then in Roaming on the system drive. These folders are usually hidden from the eyes of the average user, but they can be accessed.

Basic setup

You can and should customize your browser. All standard changes cannot harm the browser: in any case, it will work effectively. Even if you notice that the performance is not the same after tuning, you can always return the program to its original state using the restore option.

Click on the three-bar icon in the browser panel on the right.
Select "Settings". A new tab will open. It does all the standard Firefox settings.
Select the section you need.

Specify the location where all files downloaded using this browser will be saved. This will eliminate the need for the guide to search for the right path each time.
In the Content tab, turn on pop-up blocker.
Check that in the “Privacy” section there is no prohibition on saving session data. If the phrase “do not remember history” appears, then all information will be deleted from the program along with its closure. If you want to have a private mode, leave everything as is.

What is better not to turn off?

The “Protection” section contains items that are not recommended to be disabled, as this will reduce the level of security for the browser and the PC as a whole. The “Master Password” item is left at the user’s discretion.
It is better to leave all the marks in the “View Sites” tab. This will make it more convenient for you to work in the browser.
The “Data Selection” item was created for development specialists. When various errors occur, information is transmitted to them. Next, they analyze it and solve user problems. Accordingly, it is better for this option to be activated.

Fine tuning

Fine-tuning Firefox is done in the hidden advanced settings menu. That's why it's hidden, because changing the items there can lead to a decrease in browser performance at best. Everything must be done carefully and competently.

How to open hidden Firefox settings?

1.Copy the link to the browser navigation bar: about:config.

2.Click on the “I promise I’ll be careful” button. This confirms the fact that you know the possible consequences of incorrect data changes in fine settings.

3.A list with parameters will appear. They will go in alphabetical order. Call up the search using the combination Ctrl+F. This will make it easier to search for items.

Step 1: Reduce RAM Consumption

The browser can take up a lot of RAM. How can I configure the browser so that it needs less memory to run? Open the hidden menu.
1.Create a new parameter. Right-click on a free area so that no parameter is captured. In the context menu “Create” – “Logical”.

2.Write the phrase in the line: config.trim_on_minimize.

3.Set the value to True and click OK.

4.In the search bar, write browser.sessionstore.interval.

5.Increase the value of 15000 to 50000 or 100000. Double-click on “Value” and enter the desired number.

6.Next, look for the browser.sessionhistory.max_entries parameter. Here, on the contrary, you need to reduce the value to 20. The parameter means the number of future and previous actions that the user can do in the browser. If you change this setting, the amount of RAM your browser consumes will also decrease.

7.If you click on the “Back” button and the browser immediately launches the previous page, this means that the program removes the required amount from RAM for user actions. This volume can also be reduced. How? Find the parameter browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers. Place 2 instead of -1 in the “Value” column.

8.As a rule, the browser remembers up to 10 closed tabs. This also affects the amount of memory consumed. The browser.sessionstore.max_tabs_undo parameter is responsible for closed tabs. Open it. Put 5 instead of 10.

Step 2: Mozilla Firefox responds quickly to actions

1.Make a new parameter again via “Create” – “Boolean”. Name it like this: browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone. Set the value to "False". This way you deactivate antivirus scanning of those files that enter the system through this browser. Of course, you run the risk of downloading and using infected software. Keep this in mind.

2.In order for the program to consume less system memory, you must also disable geolocation. Find geo.enabled and set it to False.

3.Find accessibility.typeaheadfind. The value must be False. The browser will therefore not waste resources on displaying search queries that you have already entered in this browser.

4. By default, the browser itself loads its own icon for each site. Enter two parameters into the search: browser.chrome.site_icons and browser.chrome.favicons. Set it to False again.

5. Firefox shows you a list of suggested URLs you can go to as you type keywords into the navigation bar. If you don't need this option, find network.prefetch-next and set it to False.

As you can see, even a beginner can set up Mozilla Firefox. It is enough to carefully study the standard settings. However, he is not recommended to go into the hidden settings menu himself, where configuration information is stored. This menu expands the customization options. Study this or that parameter carefully and find out what the parameter means before changing the value.

Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard.
When searching for settings, enter “firstparty”.
Two parameters appear: "privacy.firstparty.isolate" and "privacy.firstparty.isolate.restrict_opener_access".
We activate both parameters (it is recommended to disable the second parameter if problems arise with authorization on any site).

Enable First-Party Isolation via add-on

Install the First Party Isolation add-on.
Reloading the browser.

Hidden features that increase the anonymity of the firefox browser

Google Safe Browsing

This option sends data about all your online activities to Google. For example, the files that you download are first checked in the Google Cloud service for the correctness of the hash and other parameters, and only then are they downloaded to your computer. This is done with the good intention of protecting the user from downloading infected files. However, if you have something to hide, or you are absolutely sure that the document you are downloading is blocked by Google by mistake, then disable this option. To do this, find three parameters:

- safebrowsing.downloads.enabled

- safebrowsing.malware.enabled

- safebrowsing.phishing.enabled

You can also disable the function browser.safebrowsing.blockedURIs.enabled

Mozilla Browser Statistics

You can safely disable the setting that is responsible for collecting data about your behavior and sending this report to browser developers. Turn off the following lines:

- healthreport.uploadEnabled

- policy.dataSubmissionEnabled

- healthreport.service.firstRun

Using WebRTC

We recently wrote about this option in, we recommend reading it if you use not only Firefox.

The parameter responsible for expansion in Mozilla is the following:

- peerconnection.enabled

Using DRM

DRM is a technical means used to protect copyright. Simply put, those sites that do not want their content to be stolen block their data with such a digital signature. Very often this is done by hosting services with video files, for example, Netflix.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely remove DRM from Firefox (to do this you need to download a separate assembly), but you can disable the most active component of the protection tools:

Also, it would be a good idea to uncheck the box in the “Settings” - “Content” menu:

Disabling geolocation

We believe that the browser does not need to know exactly where you are, but we must warn you that disabling this function will inevitably affect the delivery of your queries in search engines.

Submitting your search history

Since we're talking about search results, we can't help but mention the fact that Firefox sends the entire history of your queries to the search engine. It seems to us that doing this is not at all necessary, so disable the function:

- search.suggest.enabled

So, we have listed six parameters that should be disabled, and now we will tell you what needs to be activated.

Prohibition of tracking by sites

This option forces sites not to track your behavior on them. Mozilla Firefox's site blocking is very fine-tuned, and after activating this option, we did not notice that the browser allowed any Internet hosts to collect information about user actions:

- trackingprotection.enabled

Watch a 3-minute video in which we show how to set up anonymity in the Mozilla Firefox browser:

"New spy device can steal all personal data from smartphones via Wi-Fi"

This article provides information on how to change the start page in Mozilla Firefox. After all, cases are different. Sometimes, the user may unknowingly change the settings when installing software downloaded from the Internet. Sometimes this can happen due to malware.

What is the Mazila Firefox start page

The Mozilla Firefox start page is the page that opens when you launch the browser of the same name. It consists of a set of popular sites selected by developers from the Mozilla Corporation. This selection can be changed if desired to suit your needs and preferences. This handy feature allows users to organize their favorites.

You can manipulate the start page as follows. In the upper right corner of the browser, select the icon with three horizontal stripes, then click on the “Settings” tab in the context menu.

In the page that opens, in the “Basic” item, it is possible to make changes, namely the following:

how to make a search engine;
how to make the start page in Firefox;
how to change the home page in Mozilla;
how to select a folder for downloading files;
various manipulations with tabs.

When starting Firefox

It is possible to customize the display of the home page in three options at your discretion:

Selecting a home page generated by search engine developers (if desired, you can either add the necessary sites or delete unused ones at any time).
Show blank page.
Show windows and tabs that were open when the browser was closed (useful feature when working unfinished with many tabs).

Homepage

As for the “Home Page” settings, everything is also very simple. There are also three options for displaying the home page:

By selecting this item while the page is open, a link will appear in the “Home Page” column, for example to “www.yandex.ru”. You can insert any other necessary link into this window.
At this point, you can configure your home page by selecting the required link from the history of visiting Internet sites.
If you are not satisfied, you can restore the default home page display settings.

Customize Firefox with customization options and add-ons

Importing settings from other browsers Learn how to import and export your information between Firefox and another browser
Video, audio, and interaction settings Change how Firefox handles video, animation, music, and other interactive content
Display and Appearance Learn how to change the toolbar, font sizes, and browser colors
Manage add-ons Improve the functionality and appearance of Firefox with add-ons
Preferences Window The Options or Preferences panels provide access to Firefox settings. This article describes what types of settings are available in each panel.
Does Firefox show my location to websites? Understand what information Firefox sends to websites about your location and learn how to use and manage your browser's location features.
Search the web from the address bar When you type search queries in the address bar, Firefox opens a results page in the default search engine. Find out how to set it up.
Permission requests for Firefox extensions Learn more about each permission request you may encounter while installing extensions in Firefox.
An extension changed my New Tab or home page View and disable extensions that changed your home page in your New Tab or New Window.
Customize how Firefox handles different file types Learn how to change how Firefox handles different file types. This article describes the options in the Applications panel in Firefox versions 55 and below.
How to set your home page Load your favorite pages with one click. We'll show you how to set your home page or restore the default page.
How to make Firefox your default browser To have web links open automatically in Firefox, set it as the default browser on your computer. This article explains how to do this.
Settings for web content, pop-ups, fonts and languages This article explains everything about the pop-ups, font and language settings available in Firefox.
Launch, Home Page, Tabs, and Boot Options This article describes the options available in the Main Pages pane of Settings in Firefox versions 55 and below.
Advanced Panel - Accessibility, Web Surfing, Network, Updates, and Other Advanced Firefox Settings This article describes the options available in the Advanced Pages Settings panel in Firefox version 55 and below.
How to share telemetry data with Mozilla to help improve Firefox Telemetry sends us performance and usage data to help determine how Firefox is performing and how it can be improved. Find out more.
Changing what Firefox does when you click or download a file This article describes how Firefox handles downloads of different file types and how you can change its behavior.
How can I restore my last opened tabs? This article describes different options for opening tabs and windows that you had open the last time you used Firefox.
Use the Firefox Sidebar to Access Bookmarks, History, and Social Features The Firefox Sidebar gives you easy access to your bookmarks, history, and synced tabs with the click of a button.
Firefox connection options Your organization or Internet service provider may suggest or require you to use a proxy server to connect to the Internet. Find out more.
Assigning short names to search engines Learn how to search faster using short names.
How to use collections on addons.mozilla.org How to create, edit, share and delete a collection on addons.mozilla.org.
Backing up and restoring data in Firefox profiles Firefox stores your personal data and settings in the profile folder. Learn how to back up and restore this important information.
Pop-up blocker settings, exceptions, and troubleshooting Learn what pop-up windows are and what Firefox settings you use to control pop-up windows.
Change the program used to open email links Learn how to change the email program that opens when you click an email link in Firefox or use the Email Link and Email Image features.
Viewing PDFs in Firefox Learn how to open PDFs in a Firefox window and solve problems such as blank pages opening instead, or downloading instead of opening.
How to check spelling in Firefox? As you type, Firefox automatically checks your spelling. The available options allow you to add dictionaries and remove accidentally added words.
Restore Previous Session - Set Firefox to show your most recent tabs and windows Firefox can automatically restore windows and tabs that were open the last time you used it. Find out how to set options to control this.
Blocking and unblocking websites with parental controls This article explains how to block websites or filter website content that may be inappropriate or inappropriate for children in Firefox.
How to change your default browser in Windows 10 Learn how to make Firefox your default browser in Windows 10.
Firefox Settings Editor Learn about the about:config page in Firefox, and how to use the Settings Editor to view, change, and reset advanced settings.
Tabs Settings and Options This article explains the Firefox settings available for managing tabs in older versions of Firefox.
How to disable the built-in PDF viewer and use another program Firefox has a built-in PDF viewer. Here's how to disable it and use another PDF program, such as Adobe Reader.
Firefox Add-ons Shortcut Manager Manage your add-on shortcuts using the Settings Manager menu in about:addons.
Firefox News Feed Viewer Replacements Native support for Live Bookmarks will be completed in December 2018 when the 64-bit version is released. Find out more about it and find alternatives.
How to allow Firefox to load multiple tabs in the background The menu item that allows Firefox to load multiple tabs at once has been removed in version 47 and later. Learn how to change this setting in about:config.
Multi-Account Containers is a Firefox WebExtension that allows you to separate your work and personal browsing.
Access Hidden Tabs in Firefox Firefox lets you know if there are tabs hidden in the background so you can easily access them.
Firefox browser performance settings Firefox automatically uses the settings that work best with your computer. You can always change these settings.
Tips for assessing the security of an extension This article provides some tips for assessing the security of third-party extensions.
Extension Recommendations This article describes why and how extension recommendations are made, including information on how to turn off recommendations.
Hiding and showing Tiles in New Tab Learn about various settings for the New Tab page in Firefox, including opening a blank page and removing suggested tiles.
Frequently Asked Questions - Firefox add-on technology is being upgraded There are big changes to add-ons in Firefox 57+ (or Firefox Quantum). Review these frequently asked questions for more information.
Adobe Flash Protected Mode in Firefox If the Flash plugin is installed, this Adobe security feature is enabled by default for 32-bit versions of Firefox on Windows. Find out more.
Changes to Adobe Flash on Firefox for Mac How sandboxing affects Adobe Flash applets.
Firefox's "about:performance" page will show you which tabs or extensions are slowing down Firefox.