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When running multiple profiles simultaneously, how to have Firefox updates in only one profile?

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  • Last reply by Charles

Charles
Charles
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I'm a developer and always have multiple Firefox profiles running simultaneously from the same program/install directory. This generally works very well.

The one issue I've struggled with is that since the removal of the "never check for updates" preference, the update behaviour of Firefox causes problems with multiple profiles. I have it set to prompt for updates, and I install them immediately from my "main" profile, but the "newer release is available" window keeps popping up in the other running profiles.

This is mostly just annoying. However, if I accidentally accept the update in one of the other profiles, it then tries to update overtop of the already-updated Firefox and errors out. I've had to reinstall from a full download because of this several times, which is a bigger problem.

I've looked for ways to disable the check-for-updates behaviour in my secondary profiles, but this doesn't seem possible. The only way to disable updates/checks for updates as I understand it is the enterprise policy method; however, this disables updates for all profiles using the same program/install directory. Obviously I like to keep up to date, so this is no good.

I don't want to have to have a seprate program/install dir for each profile -- then I would just have to update them all separately anyway.

Is there a way to have Firefox check for updates automatically, but only in my one main profile?

Thanks,

Charles

I'm a developer and always have multiple Firefox profiles running simultaneously from the same program/install directory. This generally works very well. The one issue I've struggled with is that since the removal of the "never check for updates" preference, the update behaviour of Firefox causes problems with multiple profiles. I have it set to prompt for updates, and I install them immediately from my "main" profile, but the "newer release is available" window keeps popping up in the other running profiles. This is mostly just annoying. However, if I accidentally accept the update in one of the other profiles, it then tries to update overtop of the already-updated Firefox and errors out. I've had to reinstall from a full download because of this several times, which is a bigger problem. I've looked for ways to disable the check-for-updates behaviour in my secondary profiles, but this doesn't seem possible. The only way to disable updates/checks for updates as I understand it is the enterprise policy method; however, this disables updates for all profiles using the same program/install directory. Obviously I like to keep up to date, so this is no good. I don't want to have to have a seprate program/install dir for each profile -- then I would just have to update them all separately anyway. Is there a way to have Firefox check for updates automatically, but only in my one main profile? Thanks, Charles

All Replies (2)

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
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Firefox updates get installed in the Program Files folder, so when one Profile receives a Firefox program update all the other Profiles using that Firefox program installation are "updated", too. So, as soon as each Profile (after the update is installed) is launched the user "see's" the update in each of those other Profiles. And if a Profile was already running when the update was installed, the update would "show" itself in the Profile after the next launch of that Profile.

The confusing situation now is that before Firefox 67 when "the enterprise policy method" came about the user preference for "never check for updates" was in the Profile - (IOW, each individual Profile needed that pref set); just one Profile where the user didn't have that pref set would trigger the update installation to the Program files folder.

Now "the enterprise policy method" is global, the individual Profiles have no influence.

Short of multiple different Firefox installations I can't think of a "solution", in fact there have been times that I have had multiple installations of the same version of Firefox installed just to get around my forgetting to disable automatic updates in one new Profile and having a batch of Profiles that I didn't want to be updated. Keep in mind that the bulk of Firefox data on the drive is in the Profile; the Firefox program files are a small percentage of what Firefox needs or uses to work. If your concern is hard drive space.

Charles
Charles Question owner
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> And if a Profile was already running when the update was installed, the > update would "show" itself in the Profile after the next launch of that > Profile.

Yes, once you restart the Firefox instances running with one of the "secondary" profiles, the "new version is available" notification stops. The problem is in the interim, after installing the update (in the main profile) and before restarting the secondary Firefox instances. I can't just restart those on a whim; I have important state in them and may need to wait several days before I can do so.

In these days, there is the constant danger that I will accidentally accept an update in one of the secondary instances, which hoses the Firefox installation and requires a manual reinstall.

Charles