What is the preference to set the auto-update policy (in mozilla.cfg or policies.json) ?
Hi,
I use a zillion of different profiles and for some settings, I have to use a "mozilla.cfg" file to not lose my mind (and my disk space, deleting the cache upon closing is mandatory). I use different profiles at the same time, and because auto-update has ALWAYS messed up the browsing sessions, I MUST set the auto-update to manual. Not disable it, I just want to install the update when I'm ready to close ALL my currently opened profiles/browsing sessions.
Now with the new auto-update policy, this gets a mess ...
In the preferences GUI, I tried changing the setting "Automatically update" to "Check for updates but let you choose to install them" and monitored about:config, to no avail. No setting gets changed. The most recently created profiles do not even have an "app.update.auto / .enabled" in about:config.
There's the "DisableAppUpdate" in the new policy stuff, but that's not what I want ("This policy turns off application updates").
So, how can I set the manual update setting GLOBALLY ?
Bonus question: the new policy way, compared to the mozilla.cfg way, seems to remove the possibility to pick between DEFAULTING and FORCING a preference (defaultPref / lockPref). Am I right ? If so, why ?
Modified by zithro
All Replies (8)
For changes to prefs you can not make via a policies.json file you will still have to use the autoconfig.cfg file to set the related preferences. With policies you can only disable updates.
There is only the app.update.auto pref available that you can set via autoconfig.cfg.
- pref("app.update.auto", false);
This pref should still be present on the about:config page.
Modified by cor-el
Thanks for your answer.
I know all of this already, I'm saying it does not work ! :)
Try it yourself, either with a .cfg file or manually in about:config, the GUI setting does not reflect it.
1. create a profile ("Automatically install update" should be selected by default) 2. change "app.update.auto" to false (optionally restart FF) 3. check the option in the GUI: still on "Auto install"
In the other way, manually checking "Check for updates but let you choose to install them" keeps the check between restarts, but "app.update.auto" is never changed.
Now, maybe the setting is honored internally by FF, but the fact that the GUI option reflects the opposite does not inspire trust ...
Is it simply a display bug ?
FIREFOX *IS* A BUG. MY ENTIRE FIREFOX ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY TRASHED TWICE THIS YEAR (and it's only February). Clearly Mozilla lacks ANY understanding of software quality control and pre-release testing.
Please, this is no place for rants, this is a support site (btw make backups).
Do not post if you have no solution to offer.
Works for me. If I change the update setting in about:preferences then "app.update.auto" changes accordingly. I need to reload about:preferences when I change "app.update.auto" on the about:config page if I have this page open in a tab, so apparently there aren't event listeners for related prefs.
Well, which version of FF are you using ? I just tested in a VM, which had v.63.0 (32bits), it worked exactly as you described. Then I launched the update to 65.0. The toggle did not work anymore. On another VM, with FF devEdition/aurora, the toggle was working on 51.0a2 and 56.0b3, but when reaching 66.0b4, the pref "app.update.auto" had been deleted. And under "Check for updates", there is this text: "This setting will apply to all Windows accounts and FF devEd profiles using this installation of FF devEd".
If the preference applies globally, there's no point of storing it in profiles ! So I guess that's why the devs removed "app.update.auto". I don't know why it's working on your FF though ! I just tested 3 different versions with the same behavior, on numerous new/blank/refreshed profiles ^^
The question is now : if not as a user/profile pref, where is this information stored ? It can't be in policies either (or the git readme is not up to date).
Modified by zithro
Bump anyone ?
Does other pref code in the autoconfig,cfg file work ?
Firefox versions shows error messages in the Browser Console, so are there any error messages in the Browser Console about the autoconfig file?
If you post/upload the full content of the .cfg file then I can check it.