New Firedragon major version

Announcements
,
1

Hello everyone!

We are finally there! After being frozen on version 119 and investing quite some time improving the app, Firedragon now has an entirely new base!

:warning: A fresh browser profile is mandatory starting with this release :warning:

garuda-update will carry out the needed actions automatically while updating. While certain settings like bookmarks are kept, other ones like localstorage can’t be migrated to the new profile.

You may remember the old Firedragon was based on Librewolf project, which is based on Firefox non-ESR.
The new Firedragon version is based on Floorp project which is based on Firefox ESR.
Why ESR? For added stability and less maintenance while still benefiting from Security updates.

Floorp is very customizable, as shown here. It is also very secure and fast (we expect 5% to 15% faster than the previous Firedragon) based on some benchmarks seen. Testers of our new Firedragon have felt faster processing overall, which makes the experience better.

Floorp has a great UI where most of the features are listed and easily accessible.

A few features we’ve included:

  • Rounded Page corners!
  • Faster webpages loading from:
    ** Custom Firedragon settings
    ** Inclusion of FastFox tweaks
  • Revamped Firedragon logos! (many thanks to @SGS)
  • Hidden Navigation buttons instead of being greyed out when they are inactive
  • Floorp’s customizable Sidebar (which can be disabled by the user)
  • Possibility to use Vertical TABs (Floorp’s feature disabled by default but can be easily turned on)
  • Spoofing Chrome on Windows (through Floorp’s User Agent switcher) when not using Fingerprinting
  • Inclusion of Smoothfox’s tweaks
  • Added some PBMode Security
  • Added the latest Fingerprinting (FPP ToDo: diffs FF111-FF112 · Issue #1661 · arkenfox/user.js · GitHub 4) as an option in firedragon.cfg (you can copy to your own firedragon.overrides.cfg and enable there)

Firedragon’s repositories are now located here:

Main settings

PKGBUILD

Make sure Firedragon is not part of your IgnorePkg in etc/pacman.conf

It looks like this on the first launch:

FD-Floorp1
FD-Floorp11678×1110 365 KB

The Launcher in the Plasma Panel Dock should look like this:

FD-01
FD-01929×134 77.2 KB

If it does not display, then:

rm ~/.cache/icon-cache.kcache
Log out
Log in

If there is a /usr/lib/firedragon/firedragon.cfg.pacnew, make sure to review it and rename it as firedragon.cfg to benefit from the new settings.

After installation, take the time to navigate through the new settings (Hamburger menu > Settings) as Floorp has added sections (left-hand side of the Settings page) and settings within most of those sections.

The AUR package is available and the new version is also now available in the Chaotic-AUR repo.

If you have issues, start with these steps.

26 Likes
2

Thanks for this! I’ve been eagerly awaiting it for a while.

As a note, I had to uninstall the old Firedragon to get the new one to show up in my repos. It also has to build the entire browser from source, which took over 30 minutes on my i5-13420H. For those who don’t wanna feel like they are running Gentoo, it might be worth waiting for the Chaotic-AUR version. I plan on doing this for my main system.

5 Likes
3

Yeah, took mine an hour then failed. One thing that was funny, one of the zillions of lines mentioned ‘Reticulating Spines’. I’ve not seen that since the SIMS of the 90’s.

4

If I have Floorp already installed, do I need to remove it before installing the new Firedragon? Or will the two not conflict?

5

They will not conflict. It’s an entirely different application that just happens to use the same base as Floorp.

6 Likes
6

Perfect, thanks! Soon as it hits the Chaotic-AUR I’ll give it a run! Excited about the switch, been loving Floorp for a while!

7

It became available just right now. We also implemented an automated migration to ease the process for everyone involved just this morning.

8 Likes
8

Thanks for the herculean efforts to bring us this new version.
Last night, I uninstalled Firedragon 119 then attempted to install the new Firedragon from AUR, it didn’t go well, lots of dependencies that couldn’t be resolved.
So I ran Garuda Update, attempted the AUR package again, and I was given the option to update Firedragon, which I did, and the new version installed.
I then deleted the Firedragon profile, and it works. Todday I’ll look for .pacnews and act accordingly. :heart:

1 Like
9

I’m using Floorp on my 2 laptop (with Garuda and Endeavour OS) so I am trying FireDragon helpinhg you to catch some issue present on Firedragon and not in Floorp .
At the moment i have 2 issue (it is normal because is a new app so …)

  • Sync with my firefox account is connected but not syncing , doesn’t have my bookmarks on Firedragon and I don’t have my Extensions ported on FD.
  • Firedragon doen’t not have Plugins preinstalled as for example OpenH264 video codec plugin that is mandatory to play video content
    Never used Firedragon before so I don’t have old Firedragon on the system., I installed it via Chaotic-aur.
    No issue on Floorp for Sync and OpenH264 video codec is present by default i think, for sure is installed on my system and not on FD.
    Hope this can help
10

Love it! I am using Tab Bar under Toolbar for new look.

1 Like
11

Don’t use the Mozilla servers, you need to use the Garuda URL on ALL your devices/browsers so they all sync via the same URL, which prevents sending data to Mozilla. That’s the whole point of privacy. :smile:

You can see this documented in firedragon.cfg

defaultPref("identity.fxaccounts.enabled", true);
// Required for syncing to work through Garuda server. This prevents sending your browsing history to Mozilla. ALL your other browsers using the Sync feature should have their URL changed for this one in order to sync between all your browsers. Get rid of the Mozilla URL watching you. :D
defaultPref("identity.sync.tokenserver.uri", "https://ffsync.garudalinux.org/token/1.0/sync/1.5");

It should have.

image
image711×511 32.3 KB

I have no issue playing any video I encounter, can you post a link to one that does not work?

3 Likes
12

Evening everybody. I finally got the new FireDragon installed and all appears to be good, however I seen to have an old firedragon .cfg file. I did over-write it with the .pacnew when offered but the URL Bar and Bookmarks were centred. I fixed this by editing the .cfg manually but when I try to sign in and sync it still takes me to the Mozilla site and I thought Garuda are doing there own Sync site?
How can I create a new firedragon config or can i download the correct one somewhere.
Thanks

13

What’s the output of

cat /usr/lib/firedragon/firedragon.cfg | grep firedragon.cfg.version
14

Login page stays the same. The sync server just affects the location where stuff gets send to.

15

Ver 8.2

╭─kevin@kevin in ~
╰─λ cat /usr/lib/firedragon/firedragon.cfg | grep firedragon.cfg.version
defaultPref("firedragon.cfg.version", "8.2");
16

Oh :grinning:

17

You’re way off indeed! Good news is it should be an easy fix, let’s take a look deeper what you got.

What’s the output of

ls /usr/lib/firedragon/
18

Now sync is working changing server (sorry but was not clear how to sync until you help here)
I have not issue with video I play (some html5 error but I think the reason is Resist Fingerprinting) but I have not any codec available as you can see on image
On florp same situation, no codec but I have 2 plugins that are not available on FD as you can see

FOR SYNC we need to go to
about:config page and search for a setting named “tokenServerURI”, and change the original Firefox server that is https://token.services.mozilla.com/1.0/sync/1.5
to point to Garuda server that is https://ffsync.garudalinux.org/token/1.0/sync/1.5 or probably we can do the opposite changing garuda setting to point to original FF server (but not tested)

Ah and the last thing is that seems scroling on wayland is faster than Floorp and I don’t know why, but with the same finger movement on touchpad it scroll more page than floorp
I use a setting to use precise scrolling (because I don’t know how people can use default scroll in wayland, for me is impossible) so i use this
on about:configturning offapz.gtk.kinetic_scroll.enabled`
but even so, scrolling seems faster and less precise on FD compared to Floorp

1 Like
19

This

╰─λ ls /usr/lib/firedragon/
drwxr-xr-x    - root  4 Feb 17:46  browser
drwxr-xr-x    - root  4 Feb 17:46  defaults
drwxr-xr-x    - root  4 Feb 17:46  distribution
drwxr-xr-x    - root  4 Feb 17:46  fonts
drwxr-xr-x    - root  4 Feb 17:46  gmp-clearkey
lrwxrwxrwx    - root  4 Feb 13:17  native-messaging-hosts -> /usr/lib/mozilla/native-messaging-hosts
.rw-r--r--  461 root  4 Feb 13:17  application.ini
.rw-r--r--   89 root  4 Feb 13:17  dependentlibs.list
.rwxr-xr-x 781k root  4 Feb 13:17  firedragon
lrwxrwxrwx    - root  4 Feb 13:17  firedragon-bin -> ../../../../../../../../usr/lib/firedragon/firedragon
.rw-r--r--  37k root  4 Feb 19:48  firedragon.cfg
.rwxr-xr-x  19k root  4 Feb 13:17  glxtest
.rwxr-xr-x 422k root  4 Feb 13:17  libipcclientcerts.so
.rwxr-xr-x  32k root  4 Feb 13:17  liblgpllibs.so
.rwxr-xr-x 3.8M root  4 Feb 13:17  libmozavcodec.so
.rwxr-xr-x 251k root  4 Feb 13:17  libmozavutil.so
.rwxr-xr-x 4.0k root  4 Feb 13:17  libmozgtk.so
.rwxr-xr-x 119k root  4 Feb 13:17  libmozsandbox.so
.rwxr-xr-x 1.2M root  4 Feb 13:17  libmozsqlite3.so
.rwxr-xr-x  10k root  4 Feb 13:17  libmozwayland.so
.rwxr-xr-x 161M root  4 Feb 13:17  libxul.so
.rw-r--r--  31M root  4 Feb 13:17  omni.ja
.rw-r--r--   49 root  4 Feb 13:17  platform.ini
.rwxr-xr-x 773k root  4 Feb 13:17  plugin-container
.rw-r--r--    0 root  4 Feb 13:17  removed-files
.rwxr-xr-x  12k root  4 Feb 13:17  vaapitest
20

I have finally took the plunge and setup Sync. Good thing, I got the opportunity to go back several years and deleted old sync info.
Now something else, when I click on Login for the forum, Firedragon says “Sorry an error occurred”, however the login dialog is displayed and I am able to login to the forum.
Minor, since nothing breaks.