browser setting being changed by update of Mozilla Firefox

[wpshooter]

Is there a way to prevent Mozilla Firefox browser settings from being changed every time an update to the
browser is installed ? For instance, on each and every update the play DRM-controlled content parameter
is set back to the default, i.e. disabled. Also, on occasions the settings which controls where saved bookmarks
are saved is set back to the default instead of where it was previously set by the user. Really annoying.

Thanks.

[billyswong]

Your situation has never happened to me, both now and when I were still running LM20.3 Mate. Where did you get the Firefox update?

[wpshooter]

Your situation has never happened to me, both now and when I were still running LM20.3 Mate. Where did you get the Firefox update?

As per offered by Linux Mint 20.3 update manager.

Thanks.

[billyswong]

Next thing to try: If you open a new user account in Linux Mint, does such issue still occur to Firefox in there?

[wpshooter]

Next thing to try: If you open a new user account in Linux Mint, does such issue still occur to Firefox in there?

Please explain how that could possibly lead to a solution. It's not as if the one and only user of this computer (ME) is changing from one version of Firefox to another.

Thanks.

[billyswong]

In general, a software application stores itself and its config and caches into 3 locations / categories. One for the binary execution code, one for the system-wide config and caches, one for the user-local config and caches. This general structure is the same in any modern multi-user operating systems.

When one tests a software in a new user account, one is guaranteed to be unaffected by existing user-local config in the main user account. So this is a method to narrow down and isolate the problem scope.

p.s. I am not 100% sure your Firefox is the standard one provided by Linux Mint yet. But since you update it through Linux Mint update manager, I take an assumption you didn't add any PPA with Firefox contained, nor by any chance you are running the flatpak edition unknowingly. With such knowledge / assumption, I estimate the chance of binary corruption leading to your current issue is extremely low. So what's next is determining if the problem stems from a system-wide config corruption, or an user-local config corruption.

[wpshooter]

In general, a software application stores itself and its config and caches into 3 locations / categories. One for the binary execution code, one for the system-wide config and caches, one for the user-local config and caches. This general structure is the same in any modern multi-user operating systems.

When one tests a software in a new user account, one is guaranteed to be unaffected by existing user-local config in the main user account. So this is a method to narrow down and isolate the problem scope.

p.s. I am not 100% sure your Firefox is the standard one provided by Linux Mint yet. But since you update it through Linux Mint update manager, I take an assumption you didn't add any PPA with Firefox contained, nor by any chance you are running the flatpak edition unknowingly. With such knowledge / assumption, I estimate the chance of binary corruption leading to your current issue is extremely low. So what's next is determining if the problem stems from a system-wide config corruption, or an user-local config corruption.

My assumption is that the developers of Firefox (and/or the version that is being fed down from Linux Mint servers) is not taking account settings that have perhaps been changed from the defaults by the user (customized to their liking) and they are just wholesale setting every setting back to the defaults when a new version update is being offered. Bummer.

[billyswong]

As I've said, your issue doesn't happen to me. So really, try open a new user account, change setting there. See the result when Firefox is updated the next time.

Meanwhile, in case there's really some system-wide Firefox setting corrupted in your computer, (after closing Firefox and backing up ~/.mozilla) we may also try:

Code: Select all

sudo apt purge firefox
sudo apt install firefox

If the setting of where to get Firefox package is not modified from default Linux Mint, the version apt install will fetch should be 107.0+linuxmint1+una. If you don't see exact wording in terminal output, then it could be the possible culprit and we shall take a look at that.

Do both of my suggestion, then we can narrow down if not solve the issue by the next time Firefox update appears.

[diabolicbg]

My assumption is that the developers of Firefox (and/or the version that is being fed down from Linux Mint servers) is not taking account settings that have perhaps been changed from the defaults by the user (customized to their liking) and they are just wholesale setting every setting back to the defaults when a new version update is being offered. Bummer.

You shot right in the top ten! Same thing happened on Windows that don when I upgraded the FF 107 automatic. After restarting the browser I had to set everything up again. It had happened before with version 105 and 103 if I'm not mistaken. But not the first time at all.
Thank goodness it hasn't happened to me in LM.

[wpshooter]

My assumption is that the developers of Firefox (and/or the version that is being fed down from Linux Mint servers) is not taking account settings that have perhaps been changed from the defaults by the user (customized to their liking) and they are just wholesale setting every setting back to the defaults when a new version update is being offered. Bummer.

You shot right in the top ten! Same thing happened on Windows that don when I upgraded the FF 107 automatic. After restarting the browser I had to set everything up again. It had happened before with version 105 and 103 if I'm not mistaken. But not the first time at all.
Thank goodness it hasn't happened to me in LM.

A 107.0.1 update became available today and it did NOT change the/my DRM setting.

Perhaps someone is listening !!!

[diabolicbg]

A 107.0.1 update became available today and it did NOT change the/my DRM setting.

Perhaps someone is listening !!!

Or maybe they only do it on "node" releases...