This file explains how Firefox preferences can be manipulated at runtime using Elektras intercept open and a custom autoconfig script.

Basics

kdb configure-firefox -s will configure everything needed to get started.

Files

/usr/lib/firefox / /usr/lib/firefox-esr
- defaults/pref/autoconfig.js Loads elektra.cfg

 ```
 pref("general.config.filename", "elektra.cfg");
 pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0);
```

elektra.cfg Contains the autoconfig code

~/.mozilla/firefox/<profile>/prefs.js Contains the user preferences. The configure-firefox script will append the config for our autoconfig script:

``` user_pref("elektra.config.file", "/tmp/imnotreal.js"); user_pref("elektra.config.reload_trigger_port", 65432); ```

Every time the string reload is send to localhost:elektra.config.reload_trigger_port the autoconfig script will import the preferences from elektra.config.file

elektry.config.file contains the name of the dummy file for intercept open. open calls to this file will be intercepted and the content generated by intercept open

Setting preferences

Guided setup

Running kdb configure-firefox -a provides a guided setup for adding http_proxy and homepage preferences.

``` % kdb configure-firefox -a Add new preferences Config Setup:

1) Proxy 2) Homepage 0) Exit 1

Setting up HTTP Proxy 1) lock 2) default 3) user 0) Exit 1

Proxy Type 0) No Proxy 1) Manual Setup 2) PAC 4) Auto-detect 5) System Settings 1

Set string to 1 Host/IP: 127.0.0.1 Port: 8080 Setting lockPref HTTP Proxy to 127.0.0.1:8080 ```

Manual setup

This example shows how to manually setup a preferences. It's equivalent to the example shown above in the Guided setup ``` kdb setmeta user/prefs/lock/network/proxy/type type integer kdb set user/prefs/lock/network/proxy/type 1 kdb setmeta user/prefs/lock/network/proxy/http type string kdb set user/prefs/lock/network/proxy/http 127.0.0.1 kdb setmeta user/prefs/lock/network/proxy/http_port type integer kdb set user/prefs/lock/network/proxy/http_port 8080 ```

Test Setup

Running kdb configure-firefox -t will set up some test values.

``` % kdb export /preload

[open] \/tmp\/imnotreal.js = \/tmp\/imnotreal.js/generate = user/prefs \/tmp\/imnotreal.js/generate/plugin = mozprefs

% kdb export user/prefs

[lock/a/lock] 1 = lock1 2 = lock2 [pref/a/default] 1 = 1 2 = 2 [user/a/user] f = false t = true

% kdb export user/prefs mozprefs

lockPref("a.lock.1", "lock1"); lockPref("a.lock.2", "lock2"); pref("a.default.1", 1); pref("a.default.2", 2); user_pref("a.user.f", false); user_pref("a.user.t", true); ```

``` % kdb elektrify-open firefox-esr "about:config" ```

``` % kdb setmeta user/prefs/lock/a/lock/3 type boolean % kdb set user/prefs/lock/a/lock/3 true % kdb export user/prefs

[lock/a/lock] 1 = lock1 2 = lock2 3 = true [pref/a/default] 1 = 1 2 = 2 [user/a/user] f = false t = true ```

Limitations

Changing locked values doesn't work without restarting.