LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

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bitcoin
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LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#1 Post by bitcoin »

"A fork of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom."


https://gitlab.com/librewolf-community/browser/windows


from AvoidTheHack:
Librewolf is an independent fork of Firefox that puts "user privacy, security, and user freedom first."

Librewolf is also the community run successfor to another defunct Firefox fork known as Librefox.

Librewolf is very similar to Ungoogled Chromium in the sense that Librewolf has removed Mozilla dependencies, services and telemetry from the browser.

For example, Librewolf does not come with Pocket integration like regular Mozilla Firefox. Librewolf also removes:

Google Location Services
Google as 1) the default search provider and 2) a search option
Mozilla telemetry, to include crash reporting and anonymous statistic collection

What's more is that one of the biggest draws to Librewolf is that it comes with a ton of already tweaked/configured settings that enhance user privacy and security. Some of these include:

Various privacy and security tweaks that overlap with various Firefox hardening guides - including the one published here on avoidthehack!.
This makes Librewolf more out-of-the-box privacy friendly for the average user.
uBlock Origin pre-installed
Extension firewall - extensions are limited in initiating their own connections
No "phoning home" or telemetry
Forced HTTPS on all websites (Read more about the importance of HTTPS)
Privacy friendly search engines (ex: DuckDuckGo, MetaGer, Qwant, and others)
Disables the saving of login information
Resists common fingerprinting techniques




doesn't appear to be portable for now as it left empty folders in AppData Local and Roaming on Win7 for me but there are requests for portable version in the issues section

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I am Baas
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#2 Post by I am Baas »

Standalone, buggy and not portable.

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Midas
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#3 Post by Midas »

Ahoy there, Baas. 8)

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I am Baas
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#4 Post by I am Baas »

Hi Midas, it's been a while... How have you been?

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webfork
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#5 Post by webfork »

bitcoin wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:17 am A fork of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom.
I don't think I'd throw this one into the category of fork, more like a tweak. It's an important distinction because all future versions of LibreWolf are going to be dependent on the current Firefox code base. Forks generally are independent, similar to how LibreOffice is a fork of OpenOffice and Miranda NG is a fork of Miranda IM. They have little to do with the originator projects beyond shared libraries.
bitcoin wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:17 am Librewolf is very similar to Ungoogled Chromium in the sense that Librewolf has removed Mozilla dependencies, services and telemetry from the browser.
Another one on the Firefox side is TorBrowser, a tweaked browser project based on Firefox.

---
I am Baas wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 8:52 pm Standalone, buggy and not portable.
Baas is here. :) Good to know, thanks.
Last edited by webfork on Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Fixing a weird half-statement

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Midas
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#6 Post by Midas »

I am Baas wrote:Hi Midas, it's been a while... How have you been?

So sorry for delaying: apart from the expected aging (the creaking, dang it!), all is swell on my side. 8)

And what about you?

webfork wrote: Another one on the Firefox side is TorBrowser, a tweaked browser project based on Firefox.

I think the more common designation here would be a 'mod' in geek speech. :)

bitcoin
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#7 Post by bitcoin »

webfork wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:24 am
bitcoin wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:17 am A fork of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom.
I don't think I'd throw this one into the category of fork, more like a tweak. It's an important distinction because

Since all future versions of LibreWolf are going to be dependent on the current Firefox code base, I'd probably class this as a tweak rather than a fork. Forks generally are independent similar to how LibreOffice is a fork of OpenOffice and Miranda NG is a fork of Miranda IM, but they have little to do with the originator projects beyond shared libraries.
bitcoin wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 10:17 am Librewolf is very similar to Ungoogled Chromium in the sense that Librewolf has removed Mozilla dependencies, services and telemetry from the browser.
Another one on the Firefox side is TorBrowser, a tweaked browser project based on Firefox.

---
what i like is that its another browser that i can run side by side with other Firefox variants and that i can install uBlock Origin and a few other add-ons if necessary

this way i can have different browsers for different uses - like a weather browser that has about 10 different tabs - i use UBO to block basic ads and elements i dont want to see on the page. So if i want to check the weather i can just quickly open and close a specific browser

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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#8 Post by bitcoin »

a more portable version is now available by replacing a few files from the main download:

https://github.com/ltGuillaume/LibreWolf-Portable
https://gitlab.com/librewolf-community/ ... -/releases

LibreWolf main program download now at v97.0.1 - ~74 MB
the small portablizing download is at v1.3 - 594 KB

LibreWolf Portable

LibreWolf Portable by ltGuillaume
LibreWolf by ohfp, stanzabird, fxbrit, maltejur, bgstack15 et al.

An attempt to make LibreWolf for Windows fully portable: allow changing paths and clean up traces on the system.

Getting started:

Download and extract the LibreWolf portable zip-file
Replace the existing LibreWolf-Portable.exe with the one downloaded from here
Put LibreWolf-WinUpdater.exe in the same folder and the program will check for updates upon start (max. once a day).

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Midas
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#9 Post by Midas »

LibreWolf v99.0.1 portable released (downloads are at https://gitlab.com/
librewolf-community/browser/windows/-/releases
; there seems to be no changelog other then the official Mozilla one).

LibreWolf FAQ are at https://librewolf.net/docs/faq/.

Anyone really tested LibreWolf for portability? I'm setting up a new system rn and can't really do it myself...

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Andrew Lee
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#10 Post by Andrew Lee »

It is portable, using the wrapper technique.

Settings are stored in the "Profiles" subfolder.

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Midas
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#11 Post by Midas »

I'm assuming you mean the procedure detailed by bitcoin on the post above my previous one, Andrew. Thanks. 8)

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Andrew Lee
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Re: LibreWolf browser - privacy and security based fork of Firefox

#12 Post by Andrew Lee »

I believe the portable ZIP downloaded from https://gitlab.com/librewolf-community/ ... -/releases already includes the portable launcher located at https://github.com/ltGuillaume/LibreWolf-Portable.
This is the portable launcher that's bundled with LibreWolf. It allows for changing paths (so you can put it on removable storage) and will clean up remnants on the system after closing the browser. The portable version and an installed instance of LibreWolf can be run simultaneously.


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