Remove fpn from exceptions in Abrowser settings, again
Just upgraded to Abrowser 132 on Trisquel 10. Checked the settings afterwards, found fpn(dot)firefox(dot)com and addons(dot)mozilla(dot)org in the exceptions of "Warn you when websites try to install add-ons". (see attached screenshot) This is quite disappointing, because I had posted on this forum on 06/26/2022 about this showing up in the settings. No, I do not subscribe to the firefox fpn. I know how to remove it from the settings, but can someone please make sure it doesn't 'show up' again?!
Also, not sure whether it was there before, but when going to "Internet" from the Trisquel icon in the left bottom corner, Firefox is listed below Abrowser. I always use Abrowser, can't remember whether Firefox was there before, or 'showed up' as well. (I know it's not there in Trisquel Mini 11 Abrowser 131.0.3
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I am a translator!
No, I do not subscribe to the firefox fpn. I know how to remove it from the settings, but can someone please make sure it doesn't 'show up' again?!
I don't have this and I never removed it manually. Could it be that you have some add-on or other software that is adding those exceptions?
I think that since you installed Firefox at some point in the past, you are now running with a Firefox profile and with Firefox preferences. I checked a Firefox installation in a virtual machine, and it had the same sorts of URL's listed in that "Warn you when websites try to install add-ons" exceptions box.
If you want to get over to default Abrowser preferences (which you should as they are more private and secure), you might have to uninstall Firefox and delete the ~/.mozilla profile folder. Or maybe you could just create a new Abrowser default profile from about:profiles. I'm not certain - maybe someone with experience with this kind of thing can give better instructions.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, @andyprough I don't think I installed firefox on Trisquel. Windows 10 with firefox is in dual boot on that machine, but haven't used it in a long time. I have uBlockOrigin and noScript.
Because these two things had 'showed up' as exceptions in the past, over two years ago, I had filed a bug report at the time, encouraged to do so by Ark74. Since then, I usually check after every Trisquel update what is going on in this particular exception setting, and it has been empty in previous updates. So I don't know why 'all of a sudden' it's there again.
Yes, there is an account icon in the top row right side. Clicking on it shows three things:
Sign in to sync Access your web anywhere
Monitor Get data breach alerts
Relay Mask your real email and phone
As far as I know/remember I have not set up an account. The latter two are referred to in Abrowser 'privacy and security' settings. They're both unchecked now.
I'm going to uninstall firefox on Trisquel 10. Like I said, I don't know/can't remember when/how it got there.
Sorry have to go right now. Back later.
Well, I can tell you that you are almost definitely running Abrowser with a Firefox profile, because that's exactly the behavior of Firefox I just witnessed in a virtual machine.
Like I said, you are probably going to need to not only get rid of Firefox, but also start with a new default profile somehow for Abrowser. Otherwise you are basically just running Abrowser as Firefox.
Okay, thank you @andyprough ! Finally opened this Firefox browser, looks like it was not set up (see attached screenshot), is version 83.
To uninstall it, just follow a guide from an ubuntu forum? Ran type firefox, it's in usr/bin meaning it was installed with apt (what I read on the ubuntu forum), saw the file there. Had looked for Firefox in the applications that are available with Trisquel (Add/Remove Applications), but didn't see it there, it's also not listed with installed applications there.
Because I've been using Abrowser on that hp laptop for a few years now, I don't remember when/how I got Firefox v. 83. I switched from using Windows 10 with hardened Firefox to Trisquel with Abrowser specifically because I was fed up with Windows pushing updates on people and found Firefox getting too annoying regarding privacy and tracking. - I mainly use Trisquel Mini 11 on hp Compaq mini CQ10-400 (wifi works), no Firefox on that.
Can Firefox be uninstalled without internet connection (wifi doesn't work on that laptop, need to use ethernet cable)? I guess I could uninstall Abrowser as well and then reinstall it with Add/Remove applications? Can use ethernet cable to reinstall. Do I need to remove any other files besides firefox in usr/bin (it has a little square with a downward arrow at the top right corner)?
Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions!!
Can Firefox be uninstalled without internet connection (wifi doesn't work on that laptop, need to use ethernet cable)?
Yes.
I guess I could uninstall Abrowser as well and then reinstall it with Add/Remove applications?
Yes.
Can use ethernet cable to reinstall.
Yes.
Do I need to remove any other files besides firefox in usr/bin (it has a little square with a downward arrow at the top right corner)?
All the files relating to your profile (your passwords, your bookmarks, your history, the add-ons you installed, the search engines you added, etc.) are in a sub-directory of ~/.mozilla/firefox (or ~/.mozilla/abrowser for abrowser), i.e., in a sub-folder of the folder "firefox" (or "abrowser"), which is in the hidden folder ".mozilla" (hidden because its name start with a dot; try Ctrl+H in your file manager to see the hidden files) in your home folder ("~").
As far as I understand, you have an issue with your profile and not with the installation of the Web browser itself. If so, reinstalling and keeping your profile (you probably do not want to lose your passwords, your bookmarks, etc.) will change nothing. You can create a new profile and copy files from your old profile: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile
Thank you for this answer, Magic Banana! My main issue that these two website addresses showed up in Abrowser's exception settings, again. I originally wrote about this over two years ago here:
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/remove-fpn-exceptions-abrowser-settings-bootable-usb
If one doesn't click on "Exceptions" one does not see it to remove it. andyprough thinks it may have to do with a firefox profile, so I'll try to proceed as you both suggest. [Am just frustrated because have done several Trisquel updates over the past two years on that laptop, and as far as I remember those two websites were not listed as exceptions then.]
this talk of firefox reminds me that cloudflare is the default DNS provider... for firefox.
So utterly stupid of mozilla to do that.
Although I wonder what you mean by fpn
EDIT: when you thumb this down, it makes it seem like you think mozilla firefox having cloudflare as the default DNS provider sound like it was a good idea.
Spoiler:
It was not a good idea for mozilla to do that!
;)
Before removing Firefox, opened it one more time to check if there were any bookmarks. Because it was not connected to wifi couldn't connect to server, noticed that the address was https:// start(dot)ubuntu-mate(dot)org there were no bookmarks
also deleted ~/.mozilla/firefox, /etc/firefox, /usr/lib/firefox, usr/lib/firefox-addons in one of the files was also a file 'telemetry pings' which had several entries. One of the Abrowser files also has a 'telemetry ping' folder with one entry, but can't find where it was. The profile entries of Firefox and Abrowser were not the same (different numbers and letters).
Will see whether having uninstalled Firefox will prevent those exceptions showing up in Abrowser settings with future updates. Made copy of Abrowser bookmarks to desktop, in case I'll uninstall it as well. Will look into setting up new Abrowser profile tomorrow first, before maybe also uninstalling Abrowser.
Have trouble doing CTRL + H to see the hidden files, not sure which part of the file manager to have open. Managed to do it once.
Thanks if anybody shares any further thoughts/suggestions!
To actually test abrowser default latest settings you can just rename .mozilla to .mozilla_ open abrowser and check for something suspicious, after testing you can delete the created .mozilla folder and rename .mozilla_ back to .mozilla and that will restore your old profile.
Most of time manually set settings are not changed (even on update), so using a new/clean profile is required to actually test the default behavior, if you have a several year profile, then you might be repeating old behaviors not present in the current one.
If you have subscribed the development mailing list, you might have seen that an v133 early release is available for testing, it would be great if you could give it a try and confirm that you see no previously fixed issues back in, but please always use a clean profile to report back as that is the behavior we can measure and make sure works right.
Regards.
@Ark74 Thanks for the invite to test Abrowser v133, I'll think about it. (Mainly use hp Compaq Mini CQ10-400 because wifi works on it.)
If I uninstall Abrowser on the hp laptop with "Add/Remove Applications", do I need to remove any other files, like I did when removing Firefox (which seems to have been ubuntu-mate), or will that take care of everything including the Abrowser profile?
Or, am I better off leaving Abrowser as is and only delete the current profile and then create a new profile? Copied the bookmarks, there's no history or saved passwords. Saw something named firefox.sh in a Abrowser file, can't remember which, what's that for?
To be honest, don't really like to connect to Mozilla websites anymore, my trust in Mozilla has taken a hit. Certainly don't want a Mozilla account.
Does creating a new Abrowser profile involve Firefox or Mozilla? Can one use Abrowser without a profile? As far as I understand a profile is created for each installation, so I guess one could just delete the whole profile folder, except for the bookmarks?
Or, is there another libre good and safe browser I could try which does not make/require a profile?
Sorry for the many questions. Thanks for your patience and sharing your thoughts! (Am not good with tech :-/ )
Profile is not the same thing as an Mozilla Account.
A profile is needed as you do need a user to login into your OS to actually use the computer, an account on Mozilla services is like opening a Netflix account, it's not related to the OS.
So yes, you DO need a profile to actually use the browser. No, Abrowser doesn't need / is linked to any Mozilla service, the fact that you see the option to use some Mozilla services (if you want to) is at any given point a requirement, please ignore them at your own will.
Abrowser will try always to go the extra mile to protect your privacy, but at the same time, it might not be so far from the original Firefox offer. Next year, if all goes as it should Trisquel should add back IceCat to the repos, with all the extra customization GNUzilla do to the Firefox ESR branch, but as I've mentioned before, we are not there yet.
Regards.
Thank you for this answer, @Ark74 ! Please know that I appreciate all the work you and the Trisquel team do! Saw that there was a stable release of GNU IceCat 10 June 2024. Look forward to hopefully giving it a try some time next year then! (Yeah!)
GNU Icecat sound great!