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Applying security settings to all user-accounts of one PC including add-ons

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  • Last reply by ByteRider

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Hi all,

For quite a while I'm working together with others on a voluntary base (nobody gets money) as members of a computer-club, a charitable NGO and NPO (in German: gemeinnütziger Verein) for seniors in order to bring them closer to the use of digital devices and media. It's not only teaching, but administrating the hard- and software as well.

I can remember that it was possible in former versions of Firefox to include at least a script into "defaults->prefs". I think it was user.js (not sure) in the installation folder to define common preferences to be fixed, like proxi settings. It always worked well, preventing non-privileged users from making any unwanted changes. As a I found out there must have been a very similar way to include add-ons (like uBlock Origin).

Unfortunately all content I found was older than about 10 years. When trying setting up Firefox as it is now, my test system didn't care about anything I've tried.

I'm talking about > 50 Windows-PC having in average 3 user profiles each (for teaching more than 400 members). We are amateurs regarding PC administration, except some network ex-professionals. "Baking" installation media including our needs, as I already found on Mozilla's pages, seems to be beyond our abilities as well as distributing a fitting profile (we don't have a MS-server), not speaking about Group Policies.

Is there any usable guideline for people like us? Today, each FF-installation looks different and I would like to unify this as easy as possible.

Hi all, For quite a while I'm working together with others on a voluntary base (nobody gets money) as members of a computer-club, a charitable NGO and NPO (in German: gemeinnütziger Verein) for seniors in order to bring them closer to the use of digital devices and media. It's not only teaching, but administrating the hard- and software as well. I can remember that it was possible in former versions of Firefox to include at least a script into "defaults->prefs". I think it was user.js (not sure) in the installation folder to define common preferences to be fixed, like proxi settings. It always worked well, preventing non-privileged users from making any unwanted changes. As a I found out there must have been a very similar way to include add-ons (like uBlock Origin). Unfortunately all content I found was older than about 10 years. When trying setting up Firefox as it is now, my test system didn't care about anything I've tried. I'm talking about > 50 Windows-PC having in average 3 user profiles each (for teaching more than 400 members). We are amateurs regarding PC administration, except some network ex-professionals. "Baking" installation media including our needs, as I already found on Mozilla's pages, seems to be beyond our abilities as well as distributing a fitting profile (we don't have a MS-server), not speaking about Group Policies. Is there any usable guideline for people like us? Today, each FF-installation looks different and I would like to unify this as easy as possible.

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I would look at our enterprise policy:

https://mozilla.github.io/policy-templates/

It should allow you to do what you need.

It's just a JSON file you can put on the machines, so it should be easy to do.

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Thanks Mike,

I tumbled over this page before, but didn't find scripting examples that really looked like templates. Therefore I didn't bookmark it. "Easy" is always relative. It seems to be quite a lot of reading and trial and error in front of me. I'm going to try it... As I wrote, we are amateurs - including myself. I'm uncertain whether I should mark it as "solved". Helpful? Of course.

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The issue with a user.js file is that it can set starting values (overriding previous session preference changes) but it cannot lock values against changes or push extension installations. So Enterprise Policy definitely will be more useful.

Do you have a list of what you need to set? That would make it easier to discuss specific policy details.

uBlock Origin is included in the example ExtensionSettings policy, but also a few others (each separated by commas): https://mozilla.github.io/policy-templates/#extensionsettings

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I'm more than happy to help you and help create the files you need.

If you can tell me exactly what you need to do, I can help you.

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What I could do is giving you the listing of a pretty new profile containing the preferred settings as listed in the prefs.js. Unfortunately it looks quite comprehensive. A shorter version below.

Some examples, that Mozilla possibly doesn't like too much in some cases:

  • We don't want any sponsor content now the news on FF's starting page.
  • The preferred search should be done either via Startpage or Ecosia.
  • No 3rd-party cookies, tracking, known or assumed fingerprinters, but allowing FF to avoid problems with known pages
  • Telling web sites not to sell personal data (even if this doesn't help)
  • No saved Passwords (probably possible when protected with an Admin-PW?)
  • No saved payment methods
  • No history saving (delete when leaving)
  • No feedback nor telemetry (data acquisition by FF/Mozilla
  • Blocking dangerous content / web sites

Addons: "uBlock Origin" and "I still don't care about cookies" (Guus)

That's it. Having the right template, I could probably help myself.

Actually, you've offered your hand and I took your arm... Sorry

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That's what I'm here for. I'm out for the next week, but I'll get you something when I get back.

This is all pretty straightforward

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Hello Mike,

I'm still hoping for your help. Thanks in advance.

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