Customizing Firefox Installation Package

1. Customizing the Package Source a. Default Preference can be modified in two ways: all.js (affecting new and existing installation) and user.js (affecting new installation only). The file location may be different depending on the version and or customi!ation process itself. "e will use all.#s in version $.%.%.1& as an example later. http: www.mo!illa.org catalog end'user customi!ing briefprefs.html b. Download the setup file from (o!illa (http: www.mo!illa.com en' )* firefox )and extract the file by using +'!ip (http: www.+'!ip.org ) or other more versatile utilities such as )niversal ,xtractor (http: legroom.net software uniextract). The extracted files loo- li-e the following.

c. .ind out what the settings are and what they loo- li-e. i. )se /about:config0 to chec- what settings are available.

ii. 1hec- http: -b.mo!illa!ine.org 2bout:config for the configuration details. d. 1reate a (o!illa.cfg file. (This is for a simple solution. 2 client customi!ation -it is available for large scale 1ustomi!ation. https: addons.mo!illa.org en')* firefox addon $334 ) i. 1reate a (o!illa.txt file with contexts li-e following. 5e sure use /loc-Pref0 for settings users are supposed not to change. http: -b.mo!illa!ine.org 6oc-ing7preferences
// lockPref("browser.startup.homepage","http://www.umn.e du/");

ii. (8ptional) Encode Mo !lla.t"t f!le to Mo !lla.cfg b# us!ng /byte'shifting0 with an offset of 14. The encoding is not a security measure9 rather something to prevent easy modification of the file. (:f security is most important9 2ctive Directory group policy is a better approach). The program is available at
http://home.comcast.net/ $%Edabb!nk/dabb!nk/&#te'h!fter.htm

iii. (o!illa.cfg file should be put in the same directory as firefox.exe in the non'locali!ed folder. e. (odify all.js file in folder greprefs ( (http: developer.mo!illa.org ,n 2utomatic7(o!illa71onfigurator:6oced7config7settings) . 2dd the following line at the end of it:
pref("general.conf!g.f!lename", "mo !lla.cfg");

8r add two lines for the clear text configuration:

pref("general.conf!g.obscure()alue", *); pref("general.conf!g.f!lename", "mo !lla.cfg");

$. Firefox Add-ons a. Deploying add'ons may be a good idea if the users need the same features. :n practice this involves planning and user training.

b. 5y default9 regular users can install add'ons (xpinstall.enabled has a /true0 value). c. *ome add'ons will change users; browsing experiences. .or example9 <o*cript (http: noscript.net ) is a =ava*cript =ava .lash bloc-er9 and very useful for security aware users. "hen browsing a site with scripts9 the scripts have to be turned on either temporarily or permanently for that particular site to wor-. :f the scripts have been turned on globally9 the add' ons will be useless. d. There are many add'ons available from (o!illa website (https: addons.mo!illa.org en')* firefox)9 and some on other individual web site. .or example9 (c2fee *ite2dvisor (http: www.siteadvisor.com ) is only available from the creator;s site. e. The add'ons may or may not update fre>uently. f. :n general9 the add'ons can be added to the browser9 #ust li-e other browser customi!ations. The main difference is that the add'ons are installed by default in user;s profile9 not in the program itself. The how'tos can be found at 5inary Turf;s blog site (http: www.binaryturf.com enterprise'build'of'firefox'for'deployment ). :n a nutshell9 the process has three steps. i. 1reate a special profile by running /firefox ?p0. ii. :nstall the needed add'ons. iii. 1opy the add'ons files from the special profile to .irefox program directory. 4. Enterprise Deplo ment (o!illa website has some document about institutional deployment (https: wi-i.mo!illa.org .irefox:$.%7:nstitutional7Deployment). 5inary Turf;s blog site (http: www.binaryturf.com enterprise'build'of'firefox'for'deployment ) even has step'by'step instructions. There are a few options. a. !epackaging the installer. :t is useful to customi!e the install options and configure the settings. There are some documents available on the (o!illa website (e.g.9 @epac-aging .irefox http: developer.mo!illa.org en @epac-aging7.irefox).(ost common is to repac-age the installer as a (*: pac-age. 2 pac-aging tool may be re>uired. b. "sing redistri#ution or others$ package. The main issue with this option is the uncontrollable lead time. The minor issue will be getting what are offered. The big player is .ront(otion (http: frontmotion.com ). :t not only offers both policy enabled (http: frontmotion.com .(.irefox1, index.htm) and non'policy enabled (http: frontmotion.com .irefox index.htm) (*: pac-ages9 it also offer customer pac-aging service (http: frontmotion.com .irefoxPac-ager index.htm). c. "sing the original installer download from (o!illa website (http: www.mo!illa.com en')* firefox). *ometime this may be the best option. The original installer handles the old version clean up flawlessly.

&. Customized or Standard %nstallation a. *ince .irefox is very flexible9 and different units may have different re>uirements9 a shared package pro#a#l should not #e customized at first place. 2lso the customi!ation on the installation will be slow to response to changes if not possible at all. b. :f customi!ation is necessary9 it probably should be -ept in minimal with consensus from involved units. c. Different units may use different avenue to customi!e .irefox after the installation. 3. "&'-SPD Firefox Packages a. The )(<'*PD .irefox installation pac-age uses the original installer. b. The )(<'*PD adds an additional small program to customi!e a very small set of browser settings. This process does not create a new pac-age or repac-age9 and gives each unit flexibility to customi!e their own settings if they li-e. :t only ma-es modification in the file system after the original .irefox is installed. i. 2ppend a few lines of code in all.js file (see 1 e). ii. 1opy &ozilla.cfg to .irefox program folder (see 1 d) if the file does not exist. iii. Delete des-top shortcuts. A. %ndi(idual "nit$s Customization There are at least three options. a. Create a customized package. #. "se "&'-SPD package$s customization program to install) and create their o*n &ozilla.cfg file to control the customized settings. i. 1reate a (o!illa.cfg file to have all the needed customi!ation ii. Deploy (o!illa.cfg to .irefox program directory. There are many ways to accomplish this9 for example9 a *11( pac-age9 computer startup scripts9 Broup Policy Preferences9 etc. The (o!illa.cfg will not be replaced during the upgrade process. c. "se group polic . 2t this time9 .ront(otion (http: frontmotion.com .(.irefox1, index.htm) has a special version of .irefox which can be used with the 2D( template to control settings in 2ctive Directory. 2lso in development there is an 2D( template which does not re>uire special version of the browser (http: sourceforge.net pro#ects firefoxadm).