Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

How do I preconfigure proxy settings and home page during setup? I need to do this for an offline automated install.

  • 2 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

I run application for clients that automatically installs windows and applications. I currently install Firefox silently and it installs properly, but without any settings configured. I would like to preconfigure settings for my customer so that techs and users don't have to waste time configuring those settings manually.

In particular, I need to set the home page to the organization home page, and I need to setup up the network configuration to point to an automatic proxy configuration URL. I would also like to pre-populate bookmarks with specific URL's for my customer.

I run application for clients that automatically installs windows and applications. I currently install Firefox silently and it installs properly, but without any settings configured. I would like to preconfigure settings for my customer so that techs and users don't have to waste time configuring those settings manually. In particular, I need to set the home page to the organization home page, and I need to setup up the network configuration to point to an automatic proxy configuration URL. I would also like to pre-populate bookmarks with specific URL's for my customer.

All Replies (2)

more options

You probably can set the home page and proxy preferences in a test installation, exit Firefox, then push out the prefs.js file containing the modified preferences as a post-installation step. Bookmarks are stored in places.sqlite, which you also could copy to the systems post-installation. Probably the trickiest part in that approach is figuring out the random name of the profile folder...

Would be easier if you could bundle that all in in advance. The Mozilla wiki lists resources that might be useful:

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Deployment:Deploying_Firefox#Firefox_Customization_.28CCK_and_Repackaging_Tools.29

more options

You can use a mozilla.cfg file in the Firefox program folder to lock prefs or specify new (default) values.

Place a file local-settings.js in the defaults\pref folder where you also find the file channel-prefs.js to specify using mozilla.cfg.

pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");
pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); // use this to disable the byte-shift

See:

You can use these functions in mozilla.cfg:

defaultPref();  // set new default value
pref();         // set pref, but allow changes in current session
lockPref();     // lock pref, disallow changes