Librewolf 138 "programs.firefox.policies" is still broken

frozen.frog23 · May 13, 2025, 5:47pm

hellooooooooooo everyone!!

so um, i reeeeeeeally dont wanna be that person but…

github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs

librewolf: Incorrect profile directory

opened 10:01PM - 06 May 25 UTC

closed 09:33PM - 08 May 25 UTC

Noodlez1232

0.kind: bug

### Nixpkgs version - Unstable (25.05) ### Describe the bug On the latest upd…ate of librewolf (`138.0.1-2`), the profile directory (generally `~/.librewolf`) is now in `~/.mozilla/librewolf`. When checking upstream, this is not the case, and same when running the flatpak leaving me to believe it's an error in the package. ### Steps to reproduce 1. Update Librewolf to its latest in `nixos-unstable` (`138.0.1-2`) 2. Observe the profile being completely reset, and stored in `~/.mozilla/librewolf` ### Expected behaviour profiles are stored in `~/.librewolf` ### Screenshots _No response_ ### Relevant log output ```console ``` ### Additional context _No response_ ### System metadata nix run nixpkgs#nix-info -- -m - system: `"x86_64-linux"` - host os: `Linux 6.14.5, NixOS, 25.05 (Warbler), 25.05.20250505.3730d8a` - multi-user?: `yes` - sandbox: `yes` - version: `nix-env (Nix) 2.28.3` - nixpkgs: `/nix/store/9rc9abg9f664bjfhzfp4cb8mrwh7b5y4-source` ### Notify maintainers @squalus @DominicWrege @fpletz --- **Note for maintainers:** Please tag this issue in your pull request description. (i.e. `Resolves #ISSUE`.) ### I assert that this issue is relevant for Nixpkgs - [x] I assert that this is a bug and not a support request. - [x] I assert that this is not a [duplicate of an existing issue](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%220.kind%3A+bug%22+-label%3A%226.topic%3A+darwin%22+-label%3A%226.topic%3A+nixos%22). - [x] I assert that I have read the [NixOS Code of Conduct](https://github.com/NixOS/.github/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) and agree to abide by it. ### Is this issue important to you? Add a :+1: [reaction] to [issues you find important]. [reaction]: https://github.blog/2016-03-10-add-reactions-to-pull-requests-issues-and-comments/ [issues you find important]: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+sort%3Areactions-%2B1-desc

this? this is NOT fixed. i am still over here with a completely wiped and broken browser… a week ago something terrible happened and people lost their data, and those who installed librewolf afterwards couldnt apply their declarative settings! well… im both.

also that, over there, yeah… sorry, im just really really impatient, i know, i “should be waiting for the may release” or “just use the stable version”… but i CANT. i need this, like, right now… like i had this crazy declarative config that i wrote, only for it to be broken (compiling, but not functional) the next day, you know? it makes me sad…

anyway, as i said in the aforementioned discourse thread, it does, indeed, create a /etc/firefox/policies/policies.json but… it does nothing. at all. and i dont know what to do in this situation. so umm… help?

also, im not sure if programs.firefox.policies supports programs.firefox.policies.Preferences anymore and you should do programs.firefox.preferences instead… this is VEEEEERY confusing…

for example, there people ARE using programs.firefox.policies.Preferences, but… what’s the difference anymore…? mind boggling…

so um, any news on this, please please please??

P.S. unstable-small, 25.05

anon23399578 · May 13, 2025, 6:10pm

There’s no difference, programs.firefox.preferences gets added to programs.firefox.policies.Preferences anyway:

github.com

NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/d89fc19e405cb2d55ce7cc114356846a0ee5e956/nixos/modules/programs/firefox.nix#L339-L346


      
          programs.firefox.policies = {
            DisableAppUpdate = true;
            Preferences = (
              builtins.mapAttrs (_: value: {
                Value = value;
                Status = cfg.preferencesStatus;
              }) cfg.preferences
            );

frozen.frog23 · May 13, 2025, 6:33pm

okay okay, okay… BUTTHISDOESNT… sorry, but this doesnt explain… why it no workey? or no workie… ahem, neither policies, nor preferences apply to librewolf?

aloop · May 13, 2025, 11:31pm

As explained above, programs.firefox.preferences is just a slightly more convenient way to set programs.firefox.policies.Preferences settings. The end result is the same.

I suspect that librewolf just doesn’t check /etc/firefox/policies/policies.json which is where the nixos module for firefox (programs.firefox) outputs (a symlink to) the policies file. It may look somewhere like /etc/librewolf/ instead.

I’m pretty sure all of your issues stem from using librewolf instead of firefox with this module.

Even if you got this to work with librewolf, be aware that only a certain subset of settings can be set this way (policy-templates | Policy Templates for Firefox)

I don’t think the nixpkgs issue you linked is relevant to the issue here either, as that seems to be about the profile path in a users home directory, which the nixos module doesn’t touch.

khaen · May 14, 2025, 12:55pm

just so you know… I’m on the exact same situation lol

and now all my cookie exceptions don’t work anymore but at least I’m not alone as I thought I was

also, @aloop

I’m pretty sure all of your issues stem from using librewolf instead of firefox with this module.

I mean… yes? but it’s not like setting up policies for librewolf with this module didn’t work before. something just broke

I don’t think the nixpkgs issue you linked is relevant to the issue here either, as that seems to be about the profile path in a users home directory, which the nixos module doesn’t touch.

I’m not a nix expert or anything, but the one thing I can say about this is that the policies did work before the bad PR mentioned on the issue got merged.

the only thing that has been fixed is the extension declaration.

truh · May 14, 2025, 1:30pm

If that’s the case, one might be able to set

environment.etc."firefox/policies/policies.json".target = "librewolf/policies/policies.json";

frozen.frog23 · May 14, 2025, 2:28pm

phew… thats nice to hear!!

nope, that also does not work…

frozen.frog23 · May 14, 2025, 2:38pm

that… doesnt even compile:

error: The option `environment.etc."firefox/policies/policies.json".source' was accessed but has no value defined. Try setting the option.

no idea what’s it trying to tell me - but it literally IS an option??

anon23399578 · May 14, 2025, 2:54pm

Are you using programs.firefox.policies? The environment.etc option depends on it.

github.com

NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/5d0a347d20f8e2ba689a9efabf32087171f6f8fb/nixos/modules/programs/firefox.nix#L334


      
                old.nativeMessagingHosts or [ ] ++ cfg.nativeMessagingHosts.packages
              );
              cfg = (old.cfg or { }) // cfg.wrapperConfig;
            }))
          ];
          
          environment.etc =
            let
              policiesJSON = policyFormat.generate "firefox-policies.json" { inherit (cfg) policies; };
            in
            lib.mkIf (cfg.policies != { }) {
              "firefox/policies/policies.json".source = "${policiesJSON}";
            };
          
          # Preferences are converted into a policy
          programs.firefox.policies = {
            DisableAppUpdate = true;
            Preferences = (
              builtins.mapAttrs (_: value: {
                Value = value;
                Status = cfg.preferencesStatus;

frozen.frog23 · May 14, 2025, 3:21pm

sry i was just updating and reinstalling librewolf… TO NO AVAIL! nothing changed!

ehh? why? why are you asking that lol? YES!! yes, i am… i think its literally… in the title?!

frozen.frog23 · May 14, 2025, 3:24pm

WAIT A MINUTE. it just compiled!!! the environment.etc."firefox/policies/policies.json".target = "librewolf/policies/policies.json"; thing worked!!!

what? how? why???

okay guys, it worked. all i did is delete $HOME/.librewolf folder (you probably should back it up), then uninstall librewolf with programs.firefox.enable = false; (which has package = pkgs.librewolf;) - DO NOT keep the symlink uncommented (which is how i got that previous option error), so comment it out, THEN, when everything has been deleted, uncomment the aforementioned symlink, then install librewolf back again with a true…

unless i am only seeing the extensions, let me see what is missing… nevermind, that is actually everything!!!

well. thank you all very much. no idea what to do with this problem, though, i mean it still exists, right? some kind of orphaned symlink?

aloop · May 14, 2025, 8:11pm

I wasn’t aware that it was working before. My point was that I wouldn’t expect that it should work, considering the path that it outputs policies.json to.

Glad you got it to work

frozen.frog23 · May 16, 2025, 1:21pm

alright. here’s a list of preferences from my config that dont work:

apz.*
beacon.*
cookiebanners.*
devicesensors.*
experiments.*
findbar.*
identify.*
image.*
security.*
services.*
sidebar.*
webgl.*

that is quite a lot of important preferences, guys… i dunno what to say. other than WHY NOT? why wouldnt they work (yes, i know about this)? but what can one do about it? programs.firefox.autoConfig? but whats the point of all these policies (preferences) then, if you couldve just done all of that via autoConfig files and not worry about the restrictions…? i guess this method requires more setup, well, i hope it’s worth it…

truh · May 21, 2025, 7:55am

Are you sure they are supposed to work with Librewolf? Most of what these Firefox forks do is change policies.