How to prevent Mint from changing my Firefox homepage after an update?

[Malik]

Hello,

Despite changing the homapage to about:home in about:config configuration site, it seems Mint reverts back to it's own webpage after possibly an update. Been happening too often that it starts to become annoying. Mint already removed Google searching by default and needed to add manually every time I install Mint (the only DIstro that I have come across to do this in Firefox). But I wish Mint stop changing my homepage in Firefox.

(P.S. Don't get me wrong. Mint is my one of my favourite distros, because IT...JUST...WORKS. Everytime. And the community is friendly and knowledgable.)

[Moonstone Man]

... it seems Mint reverts back to it's own webpage after possibly an update ...

Those of us who don't like that Linux Mint messes with the browser usually uninstall the LM FF and install a non-messed-with FF.

viewtopic.php?p=1730329#p1730329

See the last post in the thread.

For an alternative to standard FF, see this: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=344198

[missmoondog]

haven't ever had firefox change my home page on any of my 4 mint machines. 3 of them are 19.3 and 1 is 20.1.

i have home page set to about:blank within firefox's settings.

[Termy]

I've never seen this happen on any Linux system either, but you could try removing the 'xul-ext-ubufox' package, which should remove all or most of the usual Ubuntu (Linux Mint, to my knowledge, don't make any changes to Firefox) modifications. You can uninstall that package with:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get remove xul-ext-ubufox

If you want it back again, you can install it with:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install xul-ext-ubufox

You'll probably need to restart Firefox for the changes to take effect.

[zcot]

I've seen it happen before, and I had 163 tabs open and was doing stuff while I let the updates run. Maybe don't update firefox when firefox is running instead.

[linux-rox]

Despite changing the homapage to about:home in about:config configuration site ...

Why are you doing it this way? Try setting it the regular way, in Preferences > Home.

FWIW, I've never had Mint reset the home page after an update.

[Malik]

Whoa! Thanks for so many different suggestions and comments! That's why I like the community in Mint Forums.

Problem is the Home in Preferences has always been set to Firefox Home. When I check it under about:config, it says about the default Mint homepage. Happens every now and then, and I suspect it's after a FF update after the apt dist-upgrade that I do.

The reason I've been doing the about:config route is because in the past FF needed so many tinkering in Linux like 'single-click select all URL bar', 'remove title bar' and so on.... and from there I've developed the habit to change the homepage from there.

I have noticed Mint changing the homepage to it's own in a couple of different laptops that I have installed it on. Surprised to see many don't have this problem.

The change probably happens after an update. So, after using a suggestion, I'll wait for an update and see if the thing happens again.

I'll update this thread again once Mint updates the Firefox.

Thank you all again!

[AZgl1800]

Whoa! Thanks for so many different suggestions and comments! That's why I like the community in Mint Forums.

Problem is the Home in Preferences has always been set to Firefox Home. When I check it under about:config, it says about the default Mint homepage. Happens every now and then, and I suspect it's after a FF update after the apt dist-upgrade that I do.

Nope, not at all.
I always set it to the URL that I prefer, and it has never changed in 10s of years.
no update has ever messed with the home/URL

In fact, I set the New Tabs page to 4 rows, 8 columns wide, and I keep those thru updates.

I back them up by use File/Save page as/Net Tabs 2021-x-y
That ensures that I can over-write any trash that might get sucked in and modify one of my favorites.

FF tabs.png (54.51 KiB) Viewed 505 times

If, for any reason, the Net Tabs page gets clobbered, I use File/Open file/New tab.xx.yy and all is good with the world again.

[Malik]

Hi, sorry for the delay, but I needed to wait and see if anything changed the homepage back to Mint startup page. In fact, it did revert back to Mint start up page after an update, I think.

I guess I have to remove Firefox that comes preinstalled with the install ISO and re-install again separately.

[t42]

I guess I have to remove Firefox that comes preinstalled with the install ISO and re-install again separately.

Just create a new Firefox profile and edit Menu launcher properties to
firefox --no-remote -p whatever_new_profile_directory_name in ~/.mozilla/firefox
Re-export what you need in a new profile or try to substitute directory content.
You can ignore --no-remote option if not planning to launch two different Firefox profiles simultaneously.
You can create a special desktop launcher instead instead of menu editing.

[Malik]

Alright. I'll do that too. Thank you.