The 100 User Preferences Script, version 0.9

This script applies to browsers and mail programs or other programs using the Gecko® rendering engine from the Mozilla® open source project. Applications built upon the Mozilla/Gecko code-base range over the widely acknowledged core products – particularly Firefox® and Thunderbird™ – and a lot of other applications more or less well-known.

MOZILLA and FIREFOX are registered trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation. THUNDERBIRD is a trademark of the Mozilla Foundation.

Reconfigure your Gecko application by a user.js file

The configuration of Gecko applications is to a great extent ruled by pref settings in the prefs.js file. That file is handled internally by the program. The preferences therein are dependent on and will be over-ridden by user_pref settings in the user.js file. That file is not part of the program by default and must therefore be created by the admin or the end-user. Here is the place and now is the time to create this file ;-)

The user.js file itself is a simple ascii-text file and can be created and edited by use of any text editor. The User Preferences Script is used to fill the file with the necessary (re-)configuration commands: the at most 100 user preferencesi.e. preferences settings, which will give you as an admin or end-user power control over the browser and/or mail program.

What groups of user preferences to include

100 preferences to configure a program?! Is it really necessary? Definitely not. Begin optimising by making a general selection among the user preferences available with this script.

Take care to not accidentally reload this page while working with it, since a reload would cause the adjusted form values to be reset to the default values.

¬ Automatic: Selection of user preferences based on .
¬ Browser: Include the general user preferences and those specific for Firefox (suitable for Fx, but also for any browser based on it, e.g. Netscape Navigator 9).
¬ Mail: Include the general user preferences and those specific for e-mail clients like Thunderbird (suitable for TB, but also for any other e-mail client embedding Gecko®).
¬ Suite: Include the general user preferences and those specific for SeaMonkey (suitable for SM, but also for any application suite based on Mozilla®).
¬ Old: Include security related user preferences (suitable for dated programs like Mozilla 1.7, Netscape 7, SeaMonkey 1.0, Firefox 1.5 and Thunderbird 1.5).
¬ Other: Only include the general user preferences (suitable for all other browser applications embedding Gecko®).
¬ All: Include all groups of user preferences. Lets you trim each individual preference.

Which specific user preferences to include – Fine-tuning 1-100

So, depending on the radio button checked above, unnecessary preferences are disabled in the list of all the available user preferences below. There you may decide to include (check) or else exclude (uncheck) specific preferences. Do remember that you by the use of this script will only choose which user_pref("[pref name]", [value]); to be included in the user.js file! If a box is unchecked, the user_pref is not included and will have no effect on the preference whatsoever, i.e. the old pref in the prefs.js file will hold. Naturally only an included user_pref can alter a pref.

Generating the script code by pressing the left button below the 100 preferences without fine-tuning them, is believed to result in the best weighing of security/privacy and functionality for your program. The checked preferences are in principle enhancing security/privacy. By checking unchecked user preferences, you might reduce functionality or security, so be particular when fine-tuning.

APPLICATION INDEPENDENT — SECURITY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS

The preferences that are checked by default are important for security and privacy reasons. By checking more user preferences your program would be even more secure, but possibly lose some useful functionality. If you are using a somewhat older program, there might be precious security related preferences in the grey areas just below.


PREFERENCES FOR DATED PROGRAMS

A great source of inspiration for the reconfigurations of security related preferences was the recommendations by NSA, a security body giving advice about network environments. Cp. its Guide to Securing Netscape 7.

These preferences will be useful when applied to applications that are no longer being developed, e.g. Firefox 1.5, Seamonkey 1.0, Thunderbird 1.5.

LXR roots: The preferences refered to in this section are found on the branch 1.8.0 in the project’s source tree.

1-9 Disable SSL2 and weak SSL3/TLS encryptions

Secure the 1.8.0 branch (and earlier), where weaker encryptions were allowed. For more information, see bug 236933.

  1. user_pref("security.enable_ssl2", );
  2. user_pref("security.ssl3.rsa_fips_des_sha", );
  3. user_pref("security.ssl3.rsa_des_sha", );
  4. user_pref("security.ssl3.rsa_1024_rc4_56_sha", );
  5. user_pref("security.ssl3.rsa_1024_des_cbc_sha", );
  6. user_pref("security.ssl3.rsa_rc4_40_md5", );
  7. user_pref("security.ssl3.rsa_rc2_40_md5", );
  8. user_pref("security.ssl3.dhe_rsa_des_sha", );
  9. user_pref("security.ssl3.dhe_dss_des_sha", );

10 Client certificate selection

Ask every time for the selection of a security certificate to present to web sites that require one.

  1. user_pref("security.default_personal_cert", );

11 Prevent JavaSript from monkeying with window focus, etc

Do not allow web sites to raise or lower existing windows.

This preference is unchecked by default. Cp. comment #5 in bug 307407 for a reason this preference was not set to true on the old branch.

  1. user_pref("dom.disable_window_flip", );

PREFERENCES FOR SENIOR PROGRAMS

These preferences will be useful both when applied to dated applications as of above, and on mature applications soon to be replaced by newer versions, e.g. Firefox 2, Seamonkey 1.1, Thunderbird 2.

LXR roots: The preferences refered to in this section are found on the branch 1.8(.1) in the project’s source tree.

12 Validation

Use OCSP to validate only certificates that specify an OCSP service URL. Change the value to 2 only if you apply a particular signing certificate authority and URL to query for OCSP certificate validation.

  1. user_pref("security.OCSP.enabled", );

13 No Security Alert

Do not alert when loading a page that supports encryption. This is the new default setting.

  1. user_pref("security.warn_entering_secure", );

14-15 Storing personal information

Do not save form data, and use encryption when storing sensitive data. Note that wallet preferences are becoming obsolete in newer applications.

  1. user_pref("wallet.captureForms", );
  2. user_pref("wallet.crypto", );

16-17 Do not give scripts the control over popup windows

Popup windows (created by scripts) should not hide the location bar, or have a fixed size. See bug 337344 for caveats about the first setting.

  1. user_pref("dom.disable_window_open_feature.location", );
  2. user_pref("dom.disable_window_open_feature.resizable", );

18 Phishing protection by a third-party provider

Firefox 3 does away with this particular preference (which is off by default) to make a third-party provider being consulted to determine whether a site is phishy. If, however, you are using Firefox 2, you might want to activate the feature.

  1. user_pref("browser.safebrowsing.remoteLookups", );

PREFERENCES FOR ALL CURRENT APPLICATIONS

These preferences will have an effect on current applications, including but not limited to Firefox 3, Thunderbird 3, and Seamonkey 2. Most preferences will work on senior and dated programs as well.

LXR roots: The preferences refered to in this section are most often found in the all.js or security-prefs.js files in the project’s source tree.

19-22 Warning alert messages

Warn when browsing secure/normal pages. The dialogue will let you disable each warning until the next time you start the browser. The warnings when leaving a secure page, and submitting over an insecure connection are unchecked by default. For pros and cons about these warnings, see bug 341472.

  1. user_pref("security.warn_entering_weak", );
  2. user_pref("security.warn_leaving_secure", );
  3. user_pref("security.warn_viewing_mixed", );
  4. user_pref("security.warn_submit_insecure", );

23 Require validation

Require that the OCSP service is available, otherwise treat the certificate as not valid. This preference (not applying to 1.8.x branches) is unchecked by default.

See bug 110161 to learn about this preference and related settings.

  1. user_pref("security.OCSP.require", );

24-27 Passwords

Checking the first preference would disable the Password manager. If enabled though, do not automatically fill sign-in forms with known usernames and passwords; instead, act as though there are multiple usernames/password pairs remembered for the form (fill password after username has been manually typed).

Ask for master password (if enabled) every 30 minutes by default. You could change the interval by entering any number of minutes in user preference no 27. Change the value of user preference no 26 to 1 if the application should ask for the password every time it’s needed.

  1. user_pref("signon.rememberSignons", );
  2. user_pref("signon.autofillForms", );
  3. user_pref("security.ask_for_password", );
  4. user_pref("security.password_lifetime", );

28 Disable Java

The preference for disabling Java is unchecked by default.

  1. user_pref("security.enable_java", );

29 No prefetching of Next page

The user preference will disable all link prefetching.

  1. user_pref("network.prefetch-next", );

30-33 Cookies

As a suggestion, allow cookies based on permissions per site. These user preferences are unchecked by default. See bug 324397 for a reasoning about the best preference application default, now resolved as "Allow All Cookies", i.e. option value 0.

The option values available for user preference no 30 mean:

1 Allow cookies from originating server only
2 Disable all cookies
  1. user_pref("network.cookie.cookieBehavior", );

The application default for preference no 31 is "Accept cookies normally", i.e. option value 0, and the others mean:

1 Ask once for cookie per site — check user preference no 32 to avoid an excess of prompts
2 Accept for current session only
3 Accept for any number of days set in user preference no 33 (90 by default)
  1. user_pref("network.cookie.lifetimePolicy", );
  2. user_pref("network.cookie.alwaysAcceptSessionCookies", );
  3. user_pref("network.cookie.lifetime.days", );

34-35 Sending referer headers

Do not send referers. The referer preferences are unchecked by default. With the first preference, change the value to 1 if rather than denying referers altogether, link clicks (but not images) should result in the sending of the referer. See bugs 1582 and 141641 for caveats about disabling sending of referer headers.

Checking user preference no 35 would inhibit sending of HTTPS referers to other HTTPS sites.

  1. user_pref("network.http.sendRefererHeader", );
  2. user_pref("network.http.sendSecureXSiteReferrer", );

36-43 JavaScript and popup windows restrictions

Do not allow javascript in mail. Scripts should not be able to hide or change the status bar or the context menu. By checking the first preference javascript would be disabled altogether.

  1. user_pref("javascript.enabled", );
  2. user_pref("javascript.allow.mailnews", );
  3. user_pref("dom.disable_window_status_change", );
  4. user_pref("dom.event.contextmenu.enabled", );

Popup windows (created by scripts) should not be impossible to minimize.

  1. user_pref("dom.disable_window_open_feature.minimizable", );

Block popup windows not created as a result of a mouse click. The value 2 of user preference no 43 allows whitelisted sites to open popups. To disable popups for all sites, change the value to 3.

  1. user_pref("dom.disable_open_during_load", );
  2. user_pref("dom.disable_open_click_delay", );
  3. user_pref("privacy.popups.disable_from_plugins", );

44-46 Automatic updates

The application should automatically check to see if there is an updated version of itself, but should prompt before downloading major releases. Having one of the first two preferences checked would make automatic updates disabled.

  1. user_pref("app.update.enabled", );
  2. user_pref("app.update.auto", );
  3. user_pref("app.update.mode", );

The user preferences so far were security or privacy related, and when not seriously tending to reduce functionality, checked by default. The user preferences below more depends on a matter of taste, and normally they are not checked. Only if the application default has changed in newer versions, or if the preference has an obvious security/privacy benefit it is checked by default.

PROGRAM SPECIFIC — ANTI ANNOYANCES

The preferences changes in the framed area are there to smooth things a bit by getting rid of possible annoyances in popular browsers. They will have effect in the browser component in application suites like SeaMonkey, and in stand-alone browsers, e.g. Firefox and its derivatives.

The preferences will control behaviour of the browser component, but note that some functionality might be dependent on preferences refered to in a previous section.

PREFERENCES APPLYING TO BOTH FIREFOX® AND SEAMONKEY® (OR BROWSERS BASED ON THOSE)

LXR roots: The preferences refered to in this section are most often found in the browser-prefs.js and firefox.js files in the project’s source tree.

47-50 Filling in and Location Bar features

Do not fill in form data automatically (checked by default). On the other hand, apply automatic filling in of the address in the location bar.

  1. user_pref("browser.formfill.enable", );
  2. user_pref("browser.urlbar.autoFill", );

Do not select the text when clicking in the location bar (but select it by triple-click rather).

  1. user_pref("browser.urlbar.clickSelectsAll", );
  2. user_pref("browser.urlbar.clickAtEndSelects", );

51-52 Controlling the tabs

Do not hide the tab bar when only one tab is open.

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.autoHide", );

Prevent tabs opened by other applications from receiving focus.

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.loadDivertedInBackground", );

53 Inline spellchecking

Disable — option value 0 — automatic inline spellchecking for text entry controls such as textarea in HTML, or make it also available for single line controls — option value 2.

  1. user_pref("layout.spellcheckDefault", );

54 Use font scaling

Revert to old text size zoom behaviour (rather than zooming everything on the page). See bug 401322 for more information.

  1. user_pref("browser.zoom.full", );

DEAL WITH FIREFOX® PECULIARITIES

These preferences will have an effect in Firefox and browsers based on it like Netscape Navigator 9.

LXR roots: Firefox specific preferences are found in the firefox.js file in the project’s source tree.

55 Control the display of domain in the identity box for SSL connections

Firefox 3 includes extra UI to convey information about a site using SSL to encrypt communications. Option value 1 will show the effective top-level domain along with the second-level domain (e.g., mozilla.org) emphasized to the left of the URL in the Location Bar. Use option value 2 to show the full domain (e.g., bugzilla.mozilla.org). This user preference is checked by default.

  1. user_pref("browser.identity.ssl_domain_display", );

56 Always show the toolbars and tab strip in fullscreen mode

In fullscreen mode, toolbars and the tab strip may be hidden at the top of the screen and only shown on mouseover. This preference will keep them in sight, and is checked by default.

  1. user_pref("browser.fullscreen.autohide", );

57-61 Controlling the tabs

Return to Fx 1.5 defaults. Only show the tab’s close button at the end of the tabstrip (user preference no 57) and give focus to the adjacent tab on closing a tab (user preference no 58).

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.closeButtons", );
  2. user_pref("browser.tabs.selectOwnerOnClose", );

Prevent tabs opened with an item from the bookmarks list from receiving focus.

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.loadBookmarksInBackground", );

Have search bar results always open in a new tab.

  1. user_pref("browser.search.openintab", );

Append a group of tabs instead of replacing the existing tabs.

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.loadFolderAndReplace", );

62 Download directory

Choose every time where downloads get put.

  1. user_pref("browser.download.useDownloadDir", );

63 Page reloading

Disable automatic reload of web pages by the HTML META refresh tag.

  1. user_pref("accessibility.blockautorefresh", );

64 Export bookmarks as HTML at shutdown

Firefox 3 uses JSON as the format to store bookmark backups by default. By this preference you switch back to using bookmarks.html instead. Cp. bug 384370.

  1. user_pref("browser.bookmarks.autoExportHTML", );

65 Do not restore the session after a crash

This user preference is for disabling the session restore utility after a crash, and is checked by default. See the issues list for the relevance of this preference.

  1. user_pref("browser.sessionstore.resume_from_crash", );

DEAL WITH SEAMONKEY® PECULIARITIES

These preferences will have an effect in SeaMonkey and browsers based on it.

LXR roots: SeaMonkey specific preferences are found in the browser-prefs.js file in the project’s source tree.

66-69 Controlling the tabs

Append a group of tabs instead of replacing the existing tabs.

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.loadGroup", );

Open links from external programs, targeted links and unspecified window.open calls in tabs (instead of new windows).

  1. user_pref("browser.link.open_external", );
  2. user_pref("browser.link.open_newwindow", );
  3. user_pref("browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction", );

70-71 Location bar behaviour

Turn off location bar popups.

  1. user_pref("browser.urlbar.showPopup", );
  2. user_pref("browser.urlbar.showSearch", );

72 The sidebar

Do not automatically open the search sidebar when doing a search.

  1. user_pref("browser.search.opensidebarsearchpanel", );

73 Enhance JavaSript functionality

Allow JavaSript to move and resize existing windows. This user preference will give web sites the power to arrange your browser windows — for better or worse.

  1. user_pref("dom.disable_window_move_resize", );

74-75 Tooltip previews and menu icons

Disable the tooltip preview of a tab’s contents. Cp bug 315207.

  1. user_pref("browser.tabs.tooltippreview.enable", );

Load site icons/favicons when displaying bookmarks in menus, but only if they have already been cached. Changing the number to 2 would make the browser always load and show the icons in menus. (The default behaviour is to never show, i.e. option value 0.)

  1. user_pref("browser.chrome.load_toolbar_icons", );

MAIL & NEWSGROUPS

The preferences changes in this section are here to control mail management, addressbooks and newsgroups. Note that some functionality might be dependent on preferences refered to in a previous section.

These preferences will have effect in the mail and newsgroups component in application suites like SeaMonkey, and in stand-alone e-mail clients, e.g. Thunderbird and its derivatives. Corrections of old behaviour and security/privacy related preferences are checked by default.

LXR roots: E-mail specific preferences are found in the mailnews.js file in the project’s source tree.

76 Keeping threaded view

In an application from the 1.8 branch, any click on a column header other than the thread column will unthread the view. To keep threaded view on (like in TB3/SM2) this preference should be false (and it is checked by default).

  1. user_pref("mailnews.thread_pane_column_unthreads", );

77-80 Return receipts

Never send a return receipt if addressee is not in "To" or "CC", and ask me in other cases. By checking the first preference return receipts would become disabled altogether, nullifying the effect of the others (which are checked by default).

The option values available for these preferences mean:

0 Never send
1 Always send
2 Ask me
3 Deny the request (only report.other)
  1. user_pref("mail.mdn.report.enabled", );
  2. user_pref("mail.mdn.report.not_in_to_cc", );
  3. user_pref("mail.mdn.report.outside_domain", );
  4. user_pref("mail.mdn.report.other", );

81-82 Collecting addresses

Add e-mail addresses to the Collected addressbook (not to muddle the Personal addressbook). By also checking the first preference, address collecting (for outgoing messages) would be disabled altogether.

  1. user_pref("mail.collect_email_address_outgoing", );
  2. user_pref("mail.collect_addressbook", );

83-84 Format=flowed prefs and RFC 2646

Read messages using old style wrapping. By also checking preference no 84 composed messages would be prevented from being transmitted with format=flowed. See Format=Flowed Mini-FAQ about this feature.

  1. user_pref("mailnews.display.disable_format_flowed_support", );
  2. user_pref("mailnews.send_plaintext_flowed", );

85 Duplicat messages

Mark duplicat messages as read. See bug 9413 for information. The alternative values (numbers) mean:

1 Delete dupes
2 Move Dupes to trash
3 Mark Dupes as Read
  1. user_pref("mail.server.default.dup_action", );

86-87 Mail list appearance

Do not remember the last selected message or auto-scroll to a new message.

  1. user_pref("mailnews.remember_selected_message", );
  2. user_pref("mailnews.scroll_to_new_message", );

88-90 Regular compacting of folders

Compact folders when it will save over a certain amount of kilobytes, by default 100 kB. Do change the number to any threshhold.

  1. user_pref("mail.prompt_purge_threshhold", );
  2. user_pref("mail.purge_threshhold", );

In recent builds the client will show a confirmation alert when starting automatic compacting of folders. Check the preference if you do not want this alert and you also checked no 88 above.

  1. user_pref("mail.purge.ask", );

DEAL WITH THUNDERBIRD™ PECULIARITIES

The preferences in the framed area will have an effect in Thunderbird and e-mail clients based on it.

LXR roots: Thunderbird specific preferences are found in the all-thunderbird.js file in the project’s source tree.

91-92 Phishing detection for link clicks

You could turn parts of phishing detection, i.e. analyzing of url’s in mail messages for scams, off in Thunderbird by setting two preferences to false. The first will make the client refrain from checking the matching of visible links with ip addresses, and the second will make it refrain from checking the matching of visible links with host names.

  1. user_pref("mail.phishing.detection.ipaddresses", );
  2. user_pref("mail.phishing.detection.mismatched_hosts", );

93 No preview text

Disable preview text in mail alerts and folder tooltips.

  1. user_pref("mail.showPreviewText", );

MISCELLANEOUS

The remaining application independent preferences we need to deal with are diverse annoyances found here and there and they might or might not have an effect on your software. No preferences (except the last one) are checked by default.

94-95 Blinking and tipping off

The first preference disables tooltips and the second puts an end to blinking text.

  1. user_pref("browser.chrome.toolbar_tips", );
  2. user_pref("browser.blink_allowed", );

96-97 Internet keywords

Disable domain guessing and enable Internet keywords. See a mozilla.org® document for information about the implementation of this feature.

  1. user_pref("browser.fixup.alternate.enabled", );
  2. user_pref("keyword.enabled", );

98 Uncover the secret add-ons install button

Unhides the install button in the add-ons manager. See Uncover... for a blog entry about this feature.

  1. user_pref("extensions.hideInstallButton", );

99 Let Windows OS have memory if the application is minimized

Allow the application to release memory for the benefit of other programs. See bug 76831 for more information.

  1. user_pref("config.trim_on_minimize", );

100 Show the world

Add a note to the user agent string. Do observe that this user preference is always included.

  1. user_pref("general.useragent.extra.user_js", );

No. I'll reset everything and start all over:

Time to get the content to copy/paste

Generate the user.js file by pressing the appropriate button below the text area. By Generate user.js (custom) a code according to the choices made in the form is generated. By Generate user.js (default) a code is generated containing general (excluding program specific) default values, i.e. regardless of your customisations. That code is aiming towards enhanced security and privacy without you losing important functionality.



| | | | |

After generating the code, press the Select it button, copy the code and paste it into an empty file. Save the file as user.js to the same directory/folder as the prefs.js file. To locate prefs.js you would need to locate the profile folder on the disk. Guides for that purpose exist for Firefox users and Thunderbird users and there are also more general instructions.

Well, you’re done :-) Restart the browser or the e-mail program and prefs.js will incorporate the new or changed preferences from the user.js file, and the program adjusts itself accordingly.



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