5 ms·

I have been using FIrefox as my main browser on Mac for a couple of months now (again) and it really does feel like they've done a lot of performance enhancing

I have been using FIrefox as my main browser on Mac for a couple of months now (again) and it really does feel like they've done a lot of performance enhancing under the hood. It's really the only browser left that let's you do deep customization. With the right settings (not that many) you can basically strip it of all bloat. And of course it will be the last (big) browser with full Ubo support when Google introduces Manifest 3 (Ubo was also the reason I switched from Safari to Firefox).

eshack94 4y ago
Hey, would you mind posting some tips (or an article/link) describing how you stripped the bloat from your Firefox config? I'm in the same situation as a lot of others here, where I'm thinking about permanently migrating back to Firefox after Chrome takes their Manifest v3 + WebRequest API changes live, and I'd love to know how I can improve the performance of Firefox & ensure my configuration is as good as it can be.
- cptskippy 4y ago
  No the OP, but for me the only bloat is Pocket. I also disable DoH but that isn't really bloat.
  - eshack94 4y ago
    Thanks for the info!
  - elnr 4y ago
    Out of curiosity, why are people so concerned about Pocket? I personally use it to quickly bookmark things in a cross-platform "i'll look at this later" box (although not a fan of how it tries to show me pages in-app). Recommendations for alternatives would be equally accepted.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - mort96 4y ago
      My main problem with Pocket is that when Mozilla acquired them in 2017, Mozilla promised to open source the Pocket back-end. That was a big fat lie, and they've never even owned up to it.
      - yoasif_ 4y ago
        It has been "owned up" to: https://github.com/Pocket/extension-save-to-pocket/issues/75#issuecomment-655311178 https://github.com/Pocket/extension-save-to-pocket/issues/75...
    - cptskippy 4y ago
      I just don't need it. Firefox Sync allows you to sync bookmarks and pull open tabs from other systems.
    - gnicholas 4y ago
      I don't have a problem with Pocket qua Pocket. I didn't even have an issue with the "recommended stories" that rolled out years ago. But when I just tried FF I was appalled by the spammy "stories" all over the recommended stories section. I'm sorry, but credit card advertisements are not stories. For the first time ever, I turned off the Pocket section, which means that instead of generating some revenue from having clicked on stories in the past, I will now generate no revenue because I won't see this section at all.
- wafriedemann 4y ago
  I use these settings to clear all visual clutter. Basically looks like Librewolf then. For privacy related settings I check Arkenfox user.js and add the ones I find useful and don't cause breakage manually (but going thoroughly through settings already does most of it). Remove FF sync: identity.fxaccounts.enabled Remove recommendations in Extensions: extensions.htmlaboutaddons.recommendations.enabled Remove recommendations Side panel in Extensions: extensions.getAddons.showPane (add +set to false) Remove VPN Promo and More from Mozilla in Settings: browser.vpn_promo.enabled browser.preferences.moreFromMozilla Remove Pocket: extensions.pocket.enabled Remove Focus promo in private tabs: browser.promo.focus.enabled Remove persistent topsites (facebook, amazon, etc.): browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.default.sites (clear) Bonus: Pinch to zoom only: mousewheel.with_control.action (1) Full screen video like Safari: full-screen-api.macos-native-full-screen Calculator in tab bar: browser.urlbar.suggest.calculator
  - eshack94 4y ago
    Thank you very much. This is quite useful and I appreciate the time and information.
  - cxr 4y ago
    In a more perfect world, all of your "Remove *" items would be implemented as extensions that come pre-installed, and this process would be as simple as opening the Add-ons Manager on a new install, doing a Select All, then hitting Delete.
- romseb 4y ago
  If you start fresh, https://ffprofile.com https://ffprofile.com makes it easy to create a profile file without the bloat.
- webmobdev 4y ago
  Tor Browser (without Tor) is Firefox with most of the crap removed.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
astrange 4y ago
My experience is that poor performance esp. memory use is often caused by bugs, and you can't predict the presence of bugs based on whether or not you think a feature is "bloat". Though you can simplify the UI I suppose. Turning off random browser features only works if you accept that you'll break random websites and won't know why without debugging each one.
- wafriedemann 4y ago
  Always helpful to know how to go into troubleshoot mode.
soheil 4y ago
I agree with most of what you said, except that you can't remap CMD+P and a few other keys used by FF itself whereas on Chrome you can. I made a patch to my FF to make this possible.

eshack94 4y ago

Hey, would you mind posting some tips (or an article/link) describing how you stripped the bloat from your Firefox config? I'm in the same situation as a lot of others here, where I'm thinking about permanently migrating back to Firefox after Chrome takes their Manifest v3 + WebRequest API changes live, and I'd love to know how I can improve the performance of Firefox & ensure my configuration is as good as it can be.

cptskippy 4y ago
No the OP, but for me the only bloat is Pocket. I also disable DoH but that isn't really bloat.
- eshack94 4y ago
  Thanks for the info!
- elnr 4y ago
  Out of curiosity, why are people so concerned about Pocket? I personally use it to quickly bookmark things in a cross-platform "i'll look at this later" box (although not a fan of how it tries to show me pages in-app). Recommendations for alternatives would be equally accepted.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - mort96 4y ago
    My main problem with Pocket is that when Mozilla acquired them in 2017, Mozilla promised to open source the Pocket back-end. That was a big fat lie, and they've never even owned up to it.
    - yoasif_ 4y ago
      It has been "owned up" to: https://github.com/Pocket/extension-save-to-pocket/issues/75#issuecomment-655311178 https://github.com/Pocket/extension-save-to-pocket/issues/75...
  - cptskippy 4y ago
    I just don't need it. Firefox Sync allows you to sync bookmarks and pull open tabs from other systems.
  - gnicholas 4y ago
    I don't have a problem with Pocket qua Pocket. I didn't even have an issue with the "recommended stories" that rolled out years ago. But when I just tried FF I was appalled by the spammy "stories" all over the recommended stories section. I'm sorry, but credit card advertisements are not stories. For the first time ever, I turned off the Pocket section, which means that instead of generating some revenue from having clicked on stories in the past, I will now generate no revenue because I won't see this section at all.
wafriedemann 4y ago
I use these settings to clear all visual clutter. Basically looks like Librewolf then. For privacy related settings I check Arkenfox user.js and add the ones I find useful and don't cause breakage manually (but going thoroughly through settings already does most of it). Remove FF sync: identity.fxaccounts.enabled Remove recommendations in Extensions: extensions.htmlaboutaddons.recommendations.enabled Remove recommendations Side panel in Extensions: extensions.getAddons.showPane (add +set to false) Remove VPN Promo and More from Mozilla in Settings: browser.vpn_promo.enabled browser.preferences.moreFromMozilla Remove Pocket: extensions.pocket.enabled Remove Focus promo in private tabs: browser.promo.focus.enabled Remove persistent topsites (facebook, amazon, etc.): browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.default.sites (clear) Bonus: Pinch to zoom only: mousewheel.with_control.action (1) Full screen video like Safari: full-screen-api.macos-native-full-screen Calculator in tab bar: browser.urlbar.suggest.calculator
- eshack94 4y ago
  Thank you very much. This is quite useful and I appreciate the time and information.
- cxr 4y ago
  In a more perfect world, all of your "Remove *" items would be implemented as extensions that come pre-installed, and this process would be as simple as opening the Add-ons Manager on a new install, doing a Select All, then hitting Delete.
romseb 4y ago
If you start fresh, https://ffprofile.com https://ffprofile.com makes it easy to create a profile file without the bloat.
webmobdev 4y ago
Tor Browser (without Tor) is Firefox with most of the crap removed.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

astrange 4y ago

My experience is that poor performance esp. memory use is often caused by bugs, and you can't predict the presence of bugs based on whether or not you think a feature is "bloat". Though you can simplify the UI I suppose. Turning off random browser features only works if you accept that you'll break random websites and won't know why without debugging each one.

wafriedemann 4y ago
Always helpful to know how to go into troubleshoot mode.

soheil 4y ago

I agree with most of what you said, except that you can't remap CMD+P and a few other keys used by FF itself whereas on Chrome you can. I made a patch to my FF to make this possible.