User.js: [doc] rewrite installation procedure

[nodiscc]

Followup to https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js/issues/134, feedback is welcome.

---

How to use the user.js file

Download

Different download methods are available:

• Clone using git: git clone https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js
• Download and extract the ZIP file containing the latest version.
• Download the latest user.js directly

Installation

Install for a single profile

Copy user.js in your current user profile, or (recommended) to a fresh, newly created Firefox profile directory.

The file should be located at:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\*.profilename\user.js
• Linux: ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.profilename/user.js
• Mac: ???
• Android: /data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name and see
  issue #14
• Jolla + Alien Dalvik: /opt/alien/data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name

Do note that these settings alter your browser behaviour quite a bit, so it is recommended to either create a completely new [profile][15] for Firefox or backup your existing profile directory before putting the user.js file in place.

Install system-wide

Create local-settings.js in Firefox installation directory, with the following contents:

pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0);
pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");

This file should be located at:

• Win: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\default\pref\
• Linux: This file is not required
• Mac: ???

In user.js, Change user_pref( to one of:

• pref( (the value will be used as default value on Firefox profile creation, it can be changed in about:config)
• lockPref( (the value will be used as default value on Firefox profile creation, will be locked and can't be changed) in user.js or in Firefox's about:config or settings.

Copy user.js to the Firefox installation directory. The file should be located at:

• Win: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\mozilla.cfg
• Linux: /etc/firefox/firefox.js
• Mac: ???

Updating using git

For any of the above methods, you can keep your browser's user.js with the latest version available here: Clone the repository, and create a symoblic link from the appropriate location to the user.js file in the repository. Just run git pull in the repository when you want to update, then restart Firefox:

cd ~/.mozilla/firefox
git clone 'https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js.git'
cd XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name
ln -s ../user.js/user.js user.js

Verifying

Verify that the settings are effective from about:support (check the "Important Modified Preferences" and "user.js Preferences" sections).

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• [x] some installation paths are missing
• [x] References: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Firefox/Enterprise_deployment, ...
• [x] Add info regarding portable app

[pyllyukko]

I think the git instructions should also be included. Maybe in it's own h3 in the beginning with a title of "obtaining" or "downloading" etc. What do you think?

[nodiscc]

Updated with download methods and symlink trick + all content from https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js/blob/master/README.md#how-to-use-the-userjs-file.

[nodiscc]

https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js/pull/174

[pyllyukko]

Great. Thanks!

[pyllyukko]

I'm tempted to change the OS part to a table.

Something like this:

| OS | Path |
| --- | --- |
| Windows | %APPDATA%\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\*.profilename\user.js |
| Linux | ~/.mozilla/firefox/*.profilename/user.js |
| Mac | ??? |
| Android | /data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name and see issue #14 |
| Jolla + Alien Dalvik | /opt/alien/data/data/org.mozilla.firefox/files/mozilla/XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name |

Or all three of them perhaps.

What do you think?

[nodiscc]

Excellent idea (all three of them)

[pyllyukko]

I think we should also decide the "format" of the profile directory. Now there's *.profilename & XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name and to avoid confusion we should use only one of them.

Just to be consistent.

[pyllyukko]

Also: https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js/commit/a162fdfd5d1f7697428a95122d87ac2149460450#commitcomment-18805138

[nodiscc]

Let's go with *.your_profile_name? (shorter but explicit)
-> https://github.com/pyllyukko/user.js/commit/a162fdfd5d1f7697428a95122d87ac2149460450#commitcomment-18805445

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

Gee guys .. way to leave out all us portable app users :~

..\Data\Profile

[nodiscc]

@Roman-Nopantski is it Data\Profile\*.your_profile_name? Or just Data\Profile\ (meaning portable installation can only have one profile?)

[pyllyukko]

Let's go with *.your_profile_name? (shorter but explicit)

I think XXXXXXXX.your_profile_name is better and Mozilla seems to use it also (at least here).

[nodiscc]

Fine either way

[pyllyukko]

Gee guys .. way to leave out all us portable app users :~

Please provide more detail and we'll add it. Or make a PR?

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

That's all the info you need @nodiscc that's it, nothing else), it's a relative path
..\Data\profile .. that's all, nothing else. What more can I say?

If you unpack your portable FF to eg:
X:\Portable\Firefox\ then your profile would be X:\Portable\Firefox\ Data\profile
or
P:\WfTs83\epic\Pd86K\banana\ then your profile would be P:\WfTs83\epic\Pd86K\banana\ Data\profile

EDIT: In my haste, I wrote App instead of Data this time round, confusing everyone. Above paths have been edited to the correct Data dir

[nodiscc]

App\profile
Data\Profile

I understand the relative path bit. I meant, is user.js at

• Data\Profile\*.your_profile_name\user.js ?
• Data\Profile\user.js ?
• App\Profile\user.js ?
• App\Profile\user.js ?

The ..\ part is not needed here (we don't go up a directory)

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

once again .. it's \\Data\profile\ .. nothing else (I know we were not going up a dir, but I wanted to signify that it was relative - I should have used \\ ). Also I just noticed in my last post, I somehow switched from data to app.. because I was in a hurry and didn't pay attention, sorry for the confusion

eg.. to make it totally clear \\Data\profile\user.js