Firefox

Disable search in address bar

These settings disable search engine queries in the search bar.

See also

• I want to disable search in the address bar and browser.urlbar.unifiedcomplete is not an option anymore | Firefox Support Forum | Mozilla Support [1]

1. open Firefox

2. open about:config in the address bar

3. Set these values to false

   keyword.enabled                     false
   browser.fixup.alternate.enabled     false
   

Profiles

You can handle multiple Firefox profiles in separate sandboxes with this script

See also

• A collection of scripts I have written and/or adapted that I currently use on my systems as automated tasks [2]

• GitHub - netblue30/firejail: Linux namespaces and seccomp-bpf sandbox [3]

1. install the dependencies

   apt-get install firejail/bullseye-backports yad python3-yaml firefox-esr
   

   Note

   You need to enable the backports before installing firejail. The upstream repository recommends this version for Debian.

2. install fpyutils. See reference

3. create the jobs directories. See reference

   mkdir -p /home/jobs/scripts/by-user/myuser
   chown -R myuser:myuser /home/jobs/scripts/by-user/myuser
   chmod 700 -R /home/jobs/scripts/by-user/myuser
   usermod -aG jobs myuser
   

4. create the script

   /home/jobs/scripts/myuser/firefox_profile_runner.py

   #!/usr/bin/env python3
   #
   # firefox_profile_runner.py
   #
   # Copyright (C) 2021-2022 Franco Masotti (franco \D\o\T masotti {-A-T-} tutanota \D\o\T com)
   #
   # This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
   # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
   # the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
   # (at your option) any later version.
   #
   # This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
   # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
   # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
   # GNU General Public License for more details.
   #
   # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
   # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
   #
   #
   r"""A menu to run different Firefox profiles in sandboxes."""
   
   import copy
   import os
   import shlex
   import shutil
   import sys
   
   import fpyutils
   import yaml
   from yad import YAD
   
   
   def ask_profile_question(profile_names: list, type: str, yad) -> str:
       prf: str
       profiles: list = copy.deepcopy(profile_names)
       profiles.sort()
       data: list = profiles
       text: str = 'Select a profile'
       window_title: str = 'Firefox profile selection'
       width: int = 640
       height: int = 480
       profile: str = None
   
       if type == 'entry':
           profile = yad.Entry(
               label=text,
               title=window_title,
               width=width,
               height=height,
               fixed=True,
               center=True,
               quoted=True,
               no_markup=True,
               use_completion='true',
               data=data,
           )
       elif type == 'list':
           data = [[x] for x in data]
           profile = yad.List(
               text=text,
               title=window_title,
               width=width,
               height=height,
               fixed=True,
               center=True,
               colnames=[('profile', 'TEXT')],
               quoted=True,
               no_markup=True,
               data=data,
           )
   
       if profile is None:
           sys.exit(0)
       else:
           if type == 'entry':
               prf = profile
           else:
               prf = profile[0]
   
       return prf
   
   
   def build_command(profile: dict, firefox_executable: str,
                     firejail_executable: str) -> str:
       command = ''
   
       firefox_command = firefox_executable + ' -P ' + shlex.quote(
           profile['firefox']['profile_name'])
       for o in profile['firefox']['options']:
           firefox_command += ' ' + shlex.quote(o)
   
       if profile['firejail']['enabled']:
   
           firejail_command = firejail_executable
   
           for o in profile['firejail']['options']:
               firejail_command += ' ' + shlex.quote(o)
   
           command = firejail_command + ' ' + firefox_command
   
       else:
           command += firefox_command
   
       return command
   
   
   def show_configuration_error(error: str, yad):
       message = 'Check configuration or arguments'
       yad.execute(args=[
           '--title="Configuration error"', '--width=640', '--height=480',
           '--text="' + message + '\n\n' + repr(error) +
           '"', '--button="Ok:0"', '--no-markup'
       ])
   
   
   def show_profile_message(profile: str, sandbox_enabled: bool, load: bool, yad):
       sandbox_status = 'disabled'
       if sandbox_enabled:
           sandbox_status = 'enabled'
   
       if load:
           message = 'Loading profile **' + profile + '** with sandbox **' + sandbox_status + '**. Please wait...'
           title = 'Loading Firefox profile'
       else:
           message = 'Quit profile **' + profile + '** with sandbox **' + sandbox_status + '**.'
           title = 'Exited from Firefox profile'
   
       yad.execute(args=[
           '--title="' + title + '"', '--width=640', '--height=480', '--text="' +
           message + '"', '--timeout=5', '--timeout-indicator=bottom',
           '--button="Ok:0"', '--no-markup'
       ])
   
   
   def binaries_exist(binaries: dict) -> bool:
       binaries_present = False
       if (shutil.which(binaries['firefox']) is not None
               and shutil.which(binaries['firejail']) is not None):
           binaries_present = True
   
       return binaries_present
   
   
   def check_configuration_structure(configuration: dict) -> bool:
       ok = True
       if ('binaries' in configuration and 'firefox' in configuration['binaries']
               and 'firejail' in configuration['binaries']
               and isinstance(configuration['binaries']['firefox'], str)
               and isinstance(configuration['binaries']['firejail'], str)):
           ok = True
       else:
           ok = False
       if (ok and 'message' in configuration
               and 'start' in configuration['message']
               and 'end' in configuration['message']
               and 'errors' in configuration['message']
               and isinstance(configuration['message']['start'], bool)
               and isinstance(configuration['message']['end'], bool)
               and isinstance(configuration['message']['errors'], bool)):
           ok = True
       else:
           ok = False
       if (ok and 'profile_list_type' in configuration
               and isinstance(configuration['profile_list_type'], str)
               and configuration['profile_list_type'] in ['entry', 'list']):
           ok = True
       else:
           ok = False
       if (ok and 'profiles' in configuration
               and isinstance(configuration['profiles'], dict)):
   
           # At least one profile must be present.
           if len(configuration['profiles']) <= 0:
               ok = False
           else:
               profiles = configuration['profiles']
               profiles_keys = list(profiles.keys())
   
               i = 0
               while ok and i < len(profiles_keys):
                   prf = profiles[profiles_keys[i]]
   
                   if not isinstance(prf, dict):
                       ok = ok & False
   
                   if (ok and 'firefox' in prf and 'firejail' in prf
                           and 'profile_name' in prf['firefox']
                           and isinstance(prf['firefox']['profile_name'], str)
                           and 'options' in prf['firefox']
                           and isinstance(prf['firefox']['options'], list)
                           and 'enabled' in prf['firejail']
                           and isinstance(prf['firejail']['enabled'], bool)
                           and 'options' in prf['firejail']
                           and isinstance(prf['firejail']['options'], list)):
                       ok = ok & True
   
                       j = 0
                       options = prf['firefox']['options']
                       while ok and j < len(options):
                           if isinstance(options[j], str):
                               ok = ok & True
                           else:
                               ok = ok & False
                           j += 1
   
                       j = 0
                       options = prf['firejail']['options']
                       while ok and j < len(options):
                           if isinstance(options[j], str):
                               ok = ok & True
                           else:
                               ok = ok & False
                           j += 1
                   else:
                       ok = ok & False
   
                   i += 1
       else:
           ok = False
   
       return ok
   
   
   if __name__ == '__main__':
   
       def main():
           yad = YAD()
   
           try:
               configuration_file = shlex.quote(sys.argv[1])
               try:
                   config = yaml.load(open(configuration_file),
                                      Loader=yaml.SafeLoader)
               except yaml.parser.ParserError as e:
                   show_configuration_error(str(e), yad)
                   sys.exit(1)
   
               if not check_configuration_structure(config):
                   raise ValueError
               if not binaries_exist(config['binaries']):
                   raise FileNotFoundError
           except (IndexError, FileNotFoundError, ValueError) as e:
               if config['message']['errors']:
                   show_configuration_error(str(e), yad)
               sys.exit(1)
   
           profile = ask_profile_question(list(config['profiles'].keys()),
                                          config['profile_list_type'], yad)
           command = build_command(config['profiles'][profile],
                                   config['binaries']['firefox'],
                                   config['binaries']['firejail'])
   
           pid = os.fork()
           if pid > 0:
               if config['message']['start']:
                   show_profile_message(
                       profile,
                       config['profiles'][profile]['firejail']['enabled'], True,
                       yad)
           else:
               r = fpyutils.shell.execute_command_live_output(command)
               if config['message']['errors'] and r != 0:
                   show_configuration_error('error: returned ' + str(r), yad)
               elif config['message']['end']:
                   show_profile_message(
                       profile,
                       config['profiles'][profile]['firejail']['enabled'], False,
                       yad)
           try:
               pid, status = os.waitpid(pid, 0)
           except ChildProcessError as e:
               print(e)
               sys.exit(1)
   
       main()
   

5. import the configuration file

   /home/jobs/scripts/myuser/firefox_profile_runner.yaml

   #
   # firefox_profile_runner.yaml
   #
   # Copyright (C) 2021-2022 Franco Masotti (franco \D\o\T masotti {-A-T-} tutanota \D\o\T com)
   #
   # This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
   # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
   # the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
   # (at your option) any later version.
   #
   # This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
   # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
   # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
   # GNU General Public License for more details.
   #
   # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
   # along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
   
   binaries:
       firefox: '/usr/bin/firefox-esr'
       firejail: '/usr/bin/firejail'
   
   # Show starting, quitting and error messages for each profile.
   message:
       start: true
       end: true
       errors: true
   
   # Possible values: 'entry', 'list'
   profile_list_type: 'list'
   
   profiles:
       personal:
           firefox:
               profile_name: 'personal'
               options: []
           firejail:
               enabled: true
               options:
               - '--apparmor'
   
               # IMPORTANT: this directory must exist prior running the scipt.
               - '--private=/home/myuser/firefox-firejail/personal'
   
               - '--private-cache'
               - '--private-dev'
               - '--private-tmp'
               - '--disable-mnt'
       internal:
           firefox:
               profile_name: 'internal'
               options: []
           firejail:
               enabled: true
               options:
               - '--apparmor'
               - '--private-cache'
               - '--private-dev'
               - '--private-tmp'
               - '--disable-mnt'
       isolated:
           firefox:
               profile_name: 'isolated'
               options: []
           firejail:
               enabled: true
               options:
               - '--whitelist=~/my_network_files'
               - '--nosound'
               - '--net=none'
       work:
           firefox:
               profile_name: 'work'
               options: []
           firejail:
               enabled: true
               options:
               - '--apparmor'
               - '--private=/home/myuser/firefox-firejail/work'
               - '--private-cache'
               - '--private-dev'
               - '--private-tmp'
               - '--disable-mnt'
       shopping:
           firefox:
               profile_name: 'shopping'
               options: []
           firejail:
               enabled: true
               options:
               - '--apparmor'
               - '--nosound'
               - '--dns=8.8.8.8'
               - '--private=/home/myuser/firefox-firejail/shopping'
               - '--private-cache'
               - '--private-dev'
               - '--private-tmp'
               - '--disable-mnt'
       cryptocurrencies:
           firefox:
               profile_name: 'cryptocurrencies'
               options: []
           firejail:
               enabled: true
               options:
               - '--apparmor'
               - '--nosound'
               - '--dns=8.8.8.8'
               - '--private=/home/myuser/firefox-firejail/cryptocurrencies'
               - '--private-cache'
               - '--private-dev'
               - '--private-tmp'
               - '--disable-mnt'
   

6. if your configuration uses private home directories through the --private= option you must create them before running the script

7. go back to your regular desktop user

   exit
   

8. install python-yad

   pip3 install --user yad
   

9. run the script

   pushd /home/jobs/scripts/by-user/myuser && ./firefox_profile_runner.py ./firefox_profile_runner.yaml && popd
   

   Note

   You can create, for example, a launcher on your desktop or a key combination to launch the script. This is what I use in my specrtwm configuration

   program[firefox]     = bash -c "pushd /home/jobs/scripts/by-user/myuser && ./firefox_profile_runner.py ./firefox_profile_runner.yaml 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null &" 1/dev/null 2>/dev/null'
   bind[firefox]        = MOD+i
   

Block all domains except one

If you use Firefox profiles for different purposes you might need to block some domains. I use this for example for my Gitea Firefox profile: when Gitea renders a markdown file, and there are images hosted on external websites, you can block them like this:

1. open Firefox

2. install the uBlock Origin extension

3. go into uBlock Origin’s settings and open the My Filters section

4. add this content

   https://*.*
   http://*.*
   @@||my.domain.org
   

   where my.domain.org is the whitelisted domain

Disable all images

Set permissions.default.images = 2 in about:config

Footnotes

[1]

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1213978 unknown license

[2]

https://software.franco.net.eu.org/frnmst/automated-tasks GNU GPLv3+, copyright (c) 2019-2022, Franco Masotti

[3]

netblue30/firejail GNU GPL v2.0, Copyright (C) 2014-2022, Firejail Authors