Issue with disabling "intl.icu4x.segmenter.enabled" in about:config
I am trying to disable the text segmentation behavior in latest Firefox(v151), but I have encountered an issue where changing the preference in [about:config] does not seem to have any effect.
Details:
Target Preference: intl.icu4x.segmenter.enabled Current Setting: false
Problem: Even after setting this to false (and restarting the browser), the text segmentation behavior (such as word selection logic) remains unchanged and appears to still be using the ICU4X engine.
Reference: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1440483#answer-1638092
I would like to know:
1. Has this preference been deprecated or hardcoded to true in recent versions of Firefox?
2. Is there any other way to disable the ICU4X-based segmenter or revert to the previous segmentation logic?
3. If this is a known change, is there an alternative preference to adjust how word selection handles specific languages (e.g., Japanese)?
I am using the latest version of Firefox. Any insights or workarounds would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help!
選擇的解決方法
Hi,
that preference doesn't exists in the source code anymore. It hasn't been hardcoded.
Please read:
所有回覆 (4)
Hello,
Yes, in the current versions, this preference has been hard coded into Firefox. If you want, you can try bypassing it. First, open your Firefox profile folder, (you can find it in about:support then clicking open folder next to profile directory.) Next, create a file named user.js in the directory, then use this code :
(JavaScript)
user_pref("intl.icu4x.segmenter.enabled", false); user_pref("layout.word_select.eat_space_to_next_word", false);
⚠Make sure you know what this does. Only do it if you know what you are doing. After that, save the file and restart Firfox.
dessertdish said
Hello, Yes, in the current versions, this preference has been hard coded into Firefox. If you want, you can try bypassing it. First, ...
Hi dessertdish,
Thank you for the reply. I tried the steps you suggested in my environment, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to bypass the issue.
Here is what I did:
- Deleted the modified status of intl.icu4x.segmenter.enabled in about:config (reset to default).
- Created a user.js file and placed it in my profile directory (\Firefox\Profiles\***.default-release\user.js).
- Added the following lines to the user.js file:
- user_pref("intl.icu4x.segmenter.enabled", false);
- user_pref("layout.word_select.eat_space_to_next_word", false);
Then,
- Restarted Firefox and confirmed that `about:config` reflected the preferences loaded from `user.js`.
- Double-clicked text on a random website to test the word selection.
- I saw the behavior remained unchanged and still appeared to be using the ICU4X engine.
Whether I flip `intl.icu4x.segmenter.enabled` to `false` directly via `about:config` or enforce it via `user.js`, the result is the same. It seems this preference may have been completely deprecated or ignored in the underlying code of recent versions.
If anyone knows of another workaround or preference to disable ICU4X or tweak the word selection logic, please let me know.
Thanks again!
選擇的解決方法
Hi,
that preference doesn't exists in the source code anymore. It hasn't been hardcoded.
Please read:
TyDraniu said
Hi, that preference doesn't exists in the source code anymore. It hasn't been hardcoded.
Hi TyDraniu,
Thank you so much for gathering this valuable information and providing the Bugzilla links. Knowing that I am not the only one navigating these changes is a huge takeaway for me. I am certain that this thread, along with the links, will be helpful to other users who might be struggling with the same issue.
Also, thanks to dessertdish for trying to help with the user.js workaround. I will mark this thread as solved now. Thanks again to both of you for your time and insight!