Tweak Firefox on SSD [Solved]

[danielson]

--Easy Linux Tips Project: SSD: how to optimize your Solid State Drive for Linux Mint and Ubuntu [and MX!]:
--https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... d.html#ID2

Limiting the disk write actions of Firefox
9. You can limit the disk write actions of Firefox, by putting the Firefox network cache into the RAM and by disabling sessionstore. Like this:

Putting the Firefox network cache into the RAM
9.1. By moving the Firefox network cache from your hard disk to the RAM, you diminish the amount of disk writes. This'll probably make your Firefox noticeably faster as well. The price you pay is small: it'll only "cost" you 512 MB of your RAM.

Note: Don't do this when your computer has only 2 GB of RAM or less! Because with very little RAM, even 512 MB can't be missed.

Proceed like this:

a. Type in the URL bar of Firefox:
about:config
Press Enter.

b. Now you're being presented with a warning. Ignore it and click on the button "I accept the risk!".

c. Copy/paste the following into the filter bar (search bar):
browser.cache.disk.enable

Toggle its value to false by double-clicking it: this will disable "cache to disk" entirely.

d. Now you're going to make sure that "cache to RAM" is enabled (it is by default, but it may have been changed earlier). Copy/paste the following into the filter bar (search bar):
browser.cache.memory.enable

This should already be set to true; if not, toggle it to true by double-clicking it.

e. Then you're going to determine how much memory can be used as RAM cache. Copy/paste this into the filter bar (search bar):
browser.cache.memory.capacity
That entry should exist already (if not, create it now).

The current integer value will probably be -1, which automates the maximum size of the RAM cache dependent on the available amount of RAM. So far so good, but this automation usually creates a cache that's far too small....

So set it to 524288 (KB, which equals a maximum of 512 MB). That's usually enough for all amounts of RAM. But if you have RAM to spare, I recommend 1048576, which equals a maximum of 1 GB.

f. Close Firefox and launch it again. You're done! Check it like this:

Type in the URL bar:
about:cache
Press Enter.

By the way: you'll then also see a mention of an "appcache" which might still be present on the disk, but there's absolutely no need to move that (much less frequently used) cache to the RAM as well.

Note: This is a user preference. Repeat this hack in each user account.

Disabling sessionstore
9.2. Firefox has a session restore feature, which remembers what pages were opened if Firefox experiences an unexpected shutdown (read: crashes). This feature is neat, but causes many disk writes. Too many for an SSD. Disable it like this:

a. Type in the URL bar of Firefox:

about:config

Press Enter.

b. Now you're being presented with a warning. Ignore it and click on the button "I accept the risk!".

c. Type the following keyword into the filter bar: sessionstore

d. Double-click on the item called browser.sessionstore.interval. The default interval is 15000, which means 15 seconds. Add three zeros to the existing value, so that it becomes: 15000000 and click the OK button.

e. Close Firefox and launch it again. Now you've practically disabled the session restore feature.

Note (1): Leave the other cache and sessionstore settings as they are: usually, the less invasive a hack is, the better. Because this reduces the risk of unexpected unwanted side effects.

Note (2): This is a user preference. Repeat this hack in each user account.

* * * * *

Another one i like is:
Ability to switch tabs using the mouse wheel:
toolkit.tabbox.switchByScrolling = true

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Waiting to hear your Firefox tweaks!

[CharlesV]

Interesting! I have to try this one out.

My favorite firefox tweak I have been carrying with me for years. The look.. lets face it.. firefox is a little on the drab side...and a few "upgrades' ago many of the cool tweaking you could bolt on was left behind.

But, NoiaButtons through use of the userChrome css *still* works! and provides a REALLY good look for firefox (imo). I little css magic and firefox can easily look like this.

The attached zip file contains the NoiaButtons chrome folder (make sure you dont overwrite your current one if you have any mods. ) This basically from here, with a couple of tweaks ( May more are in this file you can mod and make it all look far different too.) I have made many little tweaks over the years, and tried to back "my" tweaks out, so these *should be* pretty much the designers.

Code: Select all

https://github.com/aris-t2/noiabuttons