Firefox won't delete "site data" RESOLVED

[WHVW]

Hi All:

Well, that's about it.

Yes, I have checked the "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" box. Yet still, after being closed and re-opened, although the cookies are gone, some site data always remains. LM 19.3, LM 20, doesn't matter, something always remains.
Is there a fix?

Thanks.

[xenopeek]

Which site? Anything that might be related to Firefox startup?

[Pjotr]

In the settings of Firefox, also check: Delete history when Firefox closes (the exact wording may differ)

[mikeflan]

although the cookies are gone, some site data always remains.

What is your test to prove some site data remains?
Do you click on this:

And then click Remove All - Save Changes?

Doesn't that delete all of it?

[Flemur]

Code: Select all

rm -r ~/.cache/mozilla

[WHVW]

xenopeek:
I wondered about that, so I tried to opening FF with nothing "left over". Yet, there was still some site data left over. Perhaps it is from FF's "preferences" page itself. Is there a way to read that "site data"? That would answer the question definitively.

Pjotr:
I don't want to delete the history (although I wish there was a way to separate it from FF, so I could read it without it being accessible to FF itself). Are you saying that site data and history are one, or at least share files?

Pjotr:
Would not

Code: Select all

rm -r ~/.cache/mozilla

delete everything? Profile, bookmarks etc.?

Thank you

[Flemur]

[Would not

Code: Select all

rm -r ~/.cache/mozilla

delete everything? Profile, bookmarks etc.?

Nope. All that important stuff is under ~/.mozilla

[WHVW]

mikeflan

Yes, that screen is what I use. Deletes cookies, but not always site data.

[SMG]

Here is Mozilla: Manage local site storage settings which describes how to clear all the settings including the Firefox cache.

Maybe there is a setting in that list you have not cleared. If that does not help, please give us an idea of what "site data" is not being cleared.

[WHVW]

SMG:

Yes, I am familiar with that Mozilla page. One option I would happily go for (if it existed, which, unless I've missed it, it does not) is block all sites from storing data, as differentiated from cookies which FF will delete.
As a matter of fact, blocking all sites from storing "site data" would be my preferred solution.
I will try Pjotr's

Code: Select all

rm -r ~/.cache/mozilla

I know that will work.
As far as what site data it is, there is a strange directory ~/.cache/mozilla/firefox/a2qapgbf.default-release/cache2/doomed that cycles through varying numbers of files- quite an animated display if your using the GUI. However, when explored at the command line, these files can be seen with cat. I can see the names of sites at the top of the files, but I don't know how to view them (other than looking at sequences of numbers and letters). I think that deleting "doomed" would be a more surgical approach to eliminating site data, I'll experiment.
But if there is a way to prevent all sites from storing "site data" that would be best.

Thanks

[t42]

As far as what site data it is, there is a strange directory ~/.cache/mozilla/firefox/a2qapgbf.default-release/cache2/doomed

It seems that you are seeking a forensic grade solution...
Clicking Remove All Websites followed by Save Changes (see mikeflan's screenshot above) effectively removes all site data.
Also you can always start Firefox in Private mode if you don't care about latest browsing history.
About doomed of cache2, it is used by the disk cache for session and should be cleared after restart.
You can improve cache-related privacy by changing Firefox's content caching settings. Open about:config page and set to false
browser.cache.disk.enable
browser.cache.offline.enable
and to zero
browser.cache.disk.capacity

[SMG]

One option I would happily go for (if it existed, which, unless I've missed it, it does not) is block all sites from storing data, as differentiated from cookies which FF will delete.
As a matter of fact, blocking all sites from storing "site data" would be my preferred solution.

On the FF Settings > Privacy & Security page the first section is Enhanced Tracking Protection. Are you using Standard, Strict, or Custom? Expand the boxes to see your options.

I do not see where there is an option to not any data be stored, but maybe you would prefer Strict or Custom modes rather than Standard.

t42's suggestion of always being in Private Browsing mode also seems like it would help you achieve your goal.

[WHVW]

t42, SMG :

I really like those "about:config" solutions. If I may hazard a guess, I would suspect that
browser.cache.disk.capacity (being set to 0)
will do exactly what I want: no site data stored on disk; at worst I would suspect, that it would either: a. give up or switch to volatile memory, which by its very nature would not survive very long after power down.
Thank you all very much