User.js: sticky: platform specific prefs & values

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

Use this issue to post info about Mac / Linux / Windows / Android specific preferences and differences

• Mac or Linux or Windows or Android only prefs
• Prefs where the default is different for a reason
  
  
  
  • eg general.autoScroll defaults to false in Linux because it would interfere with middle-mouse-click
  
  
• We will use [MAC], [LINUX], [WINDOWS], [ANDROID] etc tags for OS specific prefs

Please note: The comments here will be regularly cleaned out to keep this sticky usable

Diffs: https://earthlng.github.io/FFprefs-diffs/index.html

[grauenwolfe]

_INTRODUCTORY NOTE - INTENDED TO BE DELETED
Here is an initial list of Mac-specific differences, just a few of the more obvious ones to get the ball rolling. There are a number of differences in the Mac default settings but I don't know them offhand since I've never documented them and so will just have to wait until I come across them again. They will be noted and then added to this thread as they come up._

_Also, I welcome any input on the manner in which I've posted, i.e., hierarchy, formatting, overall clarity, etc._

---

Mac-specific / macOS / OS X

The following entries do not exist in Mac versions of Firefox installations.

DONE means they now have a [WINDOWS] tag - so says I, Thorin

• SECTION 0600 : BLOCK IMPLICIT OUTBOUND*
  
  
  
  • [x] DONE 0607: stop links launching Windows Store on Windows 8/8.1/10*
    
    
    
    
    
    • network.protocol-handler.external.ms-windows-store
    
    
    
  
  
• SECTION 0800: LOCATION BAR etc
  
  
  
  • [x] DONE 0870: disable Windows jumplist
    
    
    
    
    
    • browser.taskbar.lists.enabled
    
    
    
    • browser.taskbar.lists.frequent.enabled
    
    
    
    • browser.taskbar.lists.recent.enabled
    
    
    
    • browser.taskbar.lists.tasks.enabled
    
    
    
  
  
  • [x] DONE 0871: disable Windows taskbar preview
    
    
    
    
    
    • browser.taskbar.previews.enable
    
    
    
  
  
• SECTION 1800: PLUGINS*
  
  
  
  • [x] DONE 1805: disable scanning for plugins*
    
    
    
    
    
    • plugin.scan.plid.all
    
    
    
  
  
• SECTION 2000: MEDIA / CAMERA / MIKE*
  
  
  
  • [x] DONE (should be "MIC")
  
  
  • [x] DONE 2012: two more webgl preferences*
    
    
    
    
    
    • webgl.dxgl.enabled
    
    
    
  
  
• SECTION 2500: HARDWARE FINGERPRINTING*
  
  
  
  • [x] DONE 2508: disable hardware acceleration to reduce graphics fingerprinting*
    
    
    
    
    
    • gfx.direct2d.disabled
    
    
    
  
  

[atomGit]

linux mint 18.x - these were found in a minimal preconfigured prefs.js

user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.apt", "/usr/bin/apturl");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.apt+http", "/usr/bin/apturl");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.warn-external.apt", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.warn-external.apt+http", true);

also the default browser check is disabled in mint (and probably all of debian distros at a minimum i would imagine) - you guys already have this in your .js though...

user_pref("browser.shell.checkDefaultBrowser", false);

[Atavic]

Dapper Linux hardened-browser config.

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

There are now 10 [WINDOWS] tags, 1 [MAC], and zero [LINUX] or [ANDROID], done during cleaning up of descriptions and other commits. Now we just need to work our way thru earthlng's diff etc

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

I had a look at the "FF53.0 prefs - Windows vs Linux" last night and almost everything is covered - maybe a couple to look at. I also found out that 2503 dom.netinfo.enabled is only used on android - see here - but this may change, and I don't think its worth adding that info

[icpantsparti]

I notice dom.presentation.device.name on Android Firefox, it contains the exact device model number. On reset or blanking it repopulates, seems to hold if changed to something else. Wondering if it is a fingerprinting issue, cannot find any info. Grateful for any advice.

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

its used in mDNS (multicasting DNS)

DXR if string is empty, reset it (not sure when this code is called)

See 1382533 which covers this under privacy.resistFingerprinting. [EDIT: actually that patch only stops the exposure of your local IP addresses] However, that pref is not great for mobile, as web pages tend to get served as if you are on a desktop, as the UA spoof lies (for non-Windows OS) and every site thinks you are on Windows. In FF59+ the UA spoof will auto-use Android as a platform in its "spoof" if you're on Android (see 1404608 which is the original bug for the mobile/desktop thing, but was used to make the spoof changes)

also see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1185806 which was linked in the DXR above

I'm not entirely sure exactly what mDNS is, when it gets used, and how websites could grab this info.

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDNS

I'm guessing this would cover things like device discovery/connection for casting eg a youtube video to chromecast

The mDNS protocol is published as RFC 6762, uses IP multicast User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets, and is implemented by the Apple Bonjour, Spotify Connect, Philips Hue, Google Chromecast...

[Atavic]

dom.presentation.device.name is used to identify the connected device.

Similar to Apple Bonjour and NSD.

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

Yup.. says it right there in the pref name :) and outlined in the links

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1185806#c1

mDNS requires name uniqueness and can detect conflict from its protocol

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

As an aside... after this discussion, when I went to bed and was about to watch a movie using Plex, before I did, I went into FF, reset the pref etc - it did everything that @icpantsparti said. I was just checking it out, not doubting.

Then my Plex app couldn't find my bedroom chromecast (I have two, and LlamaHub was nowhere to be found, GoatHub was not on as I power them via USB - do not mock my naming convention xD). I just quickly rebooted my phone and all was well .. except THIS time, as Plex connected (I think it's when you do a refresh for devices in the Plex app), my device name was displayed on the TV center top - never seen that before. Likely not related, I mean how could it be.

/end of useless story :)

Edit: and now, after that one time at Llamacamp, it doesn't happen .. spookie

[crssi]

Chromecast has wifi problems or more correctly is a wifi problem.
AFAIK, the patch was just released.

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

as I power them via USB

doesn't affect me. when not in use, they are off - anyway I have bandwidth to spare (but yeah, who ever thought (tens of) hundreds of millions of devices downloading screen papers all the time was a good idea needs a bullet

[icpantsparti]

Thanks for your replies. 👍 :)

[Thorin-Oakenpants]

going to retire this sticky, it's served its initial purpose for fixing up labeling some existing prefs. New prefs we deal with as we get to them