Work-around: WebSDR sites won't save memories stored on my computer
Edit: Rewritten from scratch on Wednesday, June 16, 2021:
I am running the new Firefox 89.0 on Linux. Under the Edit menu, the Preferences option is now called Settings.
Please open Settings and search for site data. This displays the pertinent settings for Cookies and Site Data, and for History.
A Web SDR site is a website that gives each of its visitors the ability to tune a Software Defined Radio chip to a different frequency, independent of other users' listening preferences. The audio is streamed back to the user.
It requests that the user supply a user name, often a ham radio operator's callsign. This is used to display on the radio dial where each user is listening. If a name is missing, the user's IP address is used.
A cookie is stored with the user name, and if that cookie survives to the next visit to the site, the name does not have to be re-entered.
The web SDR can allow users to save custom memory presets, and cookies are said to be used to save memory presets "on your computer," and not on the server.
I had set cookie preferences for each site to always allow cookies, and my username was indeed carried over from one browser session to another. But my presets were never saved.
I finally discovered that it was not a cookie, but offline site data storage on my computer that retains these presets.
Under the History section in Preferences of earlier versions of Firefox, I told Firefox to use custom settings, and then I had set first- and third-party cookies to be allowed for the session. I told Firefox to Clear history when it closes, and in the "Settings ..." dialog, I unchecked everything but cache and offline site data. Only cache and offline site data were deleted.
The History section in Settings in FF 89.0 is still set for Firefox to use custom settings, but cookie options are not listed. I still tell Firefox to Clear history when it closes, and the "Settings ..." dialog is the same.
In the Cookies and Site Data section in Settings, I tell Firefox to Delete cookies and site data when it is closed. In the "Exceptions ..." dialog, I enter the address of the website and hit "Always" for everything entered, to save the site's cookies and data from the bulldozer.
It occurred to me that there are two duplicate means to clear cookies and site data.
I went to History and opened the "Settings ... " dialog again and cleared the checkbox for offline site data.
NOW my stored memories on the Web SDR sites are still here! In Firefox 89, do not use History's Clear history when Firefox closes to delete cookies or site data, for that will blow away the cookies that were saved in the Cookies and Site Data's Exceptions!
The browser was overhauled, and History's handling of cookies and site data became obsolete.
I do have a question here: If I am on a site, I can click on the lock in the address bar to retrieve a series of screens that lead me to the Security tab, and to its left, the Permissions tab. By selecting the Permissions tab, I can set the site's permissions for cookies and for persistent storage of site data.
If I set to allow cookies and allow site data in Permissions, does that enter the site address into the Settings' Cookies and Site Data's Exceptions dialog? Or must I still copy the address of the site and go to Settings and enter that in Exceptions also?
Ilungisiwe ngu Linux_Mint_Firefox
All Replies (2)
Please note that I have rewritten the original post. This follow-up was written before I learned of the whereabouts of the question tools that let me edit the OP. This follow-up is left with that in mind.
OK, I'm back: No, allowing the site to have persistent storage did nothing to save my memory preset. I must not delete offsite data when Firefox closes, in order to save this memory preset for future use.
Do we have a bug in the new Firefox where the system has been redesigned, but something was left over from the old that is duplicated in the new?
Go to settings (old Preferences) and search for site data. Brings up Cookies and Site data and History only!
Under Cookies and site data: [] Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. [Manage Exceptions] Default is to allow cookies for the session and site data is Always ask. I enter a website and always allow.
Under History: [] Clear history when Firefox closes. [Settings...] Inside Settings is a box for site data. Check this box and site data is simply gone. There's a box for cookies too, but it's not checked.
The [] check boxes above are both checked. In History's Settings, I only check cache (and until now, site data).
Under History, in Settings: [] Cookies and [] Site data are perhaps redundant from the old versions of Firefox and should not be used?
With my defaults to always ask for Persistent storage" and to set session cookies, I should have none unless I place exceptions in "Exceptions," right?
Thanks in advance.
Ilungisiwe ngu Linux_Mint_Firefox
When DOM storage -- also known as offline storage, also within the umbrella of site data -- became a thing, cookie permissions were expanded to control which sites were allowed to store data in DOM storage (and for how long) because sites could use DOM storage for the same kind of long-term tracking as cookies.
So while cookies and DOM storage are separate mechanisms, they became (partially) linked through a single site permission.
It is a bit confusing that these two types of storage are combined in some instances in the UI and separated in other instances. I think you have a good understanding of the situation.
The fact that "Clear history when Firefox closes" does not observe exceptions set for "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" appears to have been unintentional and is on a long list of bugs to get fixed during a general cleanup of features related to clearing data at shutdown: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1681701 (before commenting, see: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html )