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• Extension-Friendly Launcher - Portable Firefox Launcher v0.0.3 is now included by default. It will alter the paths to any extensions you install to work relatively. Just be sure to download the XPI to your PC and then open it with a FILE - OPEN, followed by a browser close/restart before switching PCs. I still have the .bat launcher included for those who like it.
• EXEs and DLLs Compressed - All EXEs and DLLs were recompressed using UPX. This gets our installed size down to one that works on 16Mb drives. Additionally, it will speed up use of Firefox when you're running over USB 1.1. The options used were: --best --compress-icons=0 --nrv2d --crp-ms=999999 -k
• JARs re-compressed - The JAR files in the chrome have been recompressed at the maximum level, getting our package down to 7.8Mb. (For the curious, JAR files are just ZIP files with a different extension)
• Default Profile - A default profile exists within the firefox directory.
• No Default Browser Check - Firefox won't check to see if it is the default browser on startup.
• Download Prompt - Firefox will ask where to save downloads.
• Download History Cleared - Download history is cleared on exit.
• Browser History Disabled - The history has been disabled to decrease disk size and the number of writes to the disk, increasing disk life.
• Form Info Saving Disabled - Information from forms is not saved.
• No Disk Cache - The browser disk cache has been disabled to decrease disk size and the number of writes to the disk, increasing disk life.
• No permanent cookies - Cookies are only saved for the current session. None are written to the disk.

http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/portable_firefox/

Great stuff!!

The Best Reason Ever: Portable Thunderbird! I've been using this for the best part of a month, and it's just great having all the settings, bookmarks, and extensions both at work and at home.

Pretty easily - See "Portable Firefox 0.9.3 & 1.0PR (USB Drive-Friendly)" at http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/portable_firefox/ , for example.

here you go

Well, if you have a thumbdrive you could always throw a copy of Portable Firefox on there. Of course, this assumes that you have access to the USB ports and the security policy at said institutions allows for it.

I've already got copies of the windows binarys for portable firefox, portable thunderbird and filezilla on my USB memory stick; this sounds like just the ticket for cross-platform goodness. I'd certainly be willing to paypal the creators of this when a final version is released.

I've already got copies of the windows binarys for portable firefox, portable thunderbird and filezilla on my USB memory stick; this sounds like just the ticket for cross-platform goodness. I'd certainly be willing to paypal the creators of this when a final version is released.

When I switched from IE, I found the keyboard mapping were more familiar with Firefox. I could still use things like Alt+D to get to the location bar, or shift-click to open a new window. I have since reprogrammed myself with proper (Ctrl+L, Ctrl+Click for new tab) Firefox mappings, but it helped out when I was making the transition.

Seems like the Moz Suite devs are like IBM - "Let's make the interface different so we don't have to be like icky Microsoft." *cough* Lotus Notes *cough* I haven't used the Moz Suite since Firefox was in 0.6 though.

Well, being different is a pain in the ass for end users who are used to a certain way. You can make a better product and still make it comfortable for the end user, and that's what Firefox did.

Also, having e-mail, chat, news, and teh kitchen sink built into your browser is hella lame. I'm glad you can separate them on Debian, but us Windows users do it by clicking the Firefox link - pre-separated. Can you do this with the Moz suite?

Then you should use Portable Firefox on a flash drive at school. Jack in the thumb drive. Run PortableFirefox. You get to bring your own bookmarks and cookies with you, and leave nothing like log files behind. And 32MB drives are available for about $10.00 (check the clearance bins at places like Micro Center or wherever.)

How many times do I have to tell the computer that Firefox is my default browser?

Once, if Firefox is registered as the default browser correctly. My machine gets it right, why doesn't yours?

There is a well-known issue with Firefox incorrectly setting itself as the default browser. I don't know when it was fixed, but my suspicion based on the number of recent reports is that it still affects 1.0PR (or perhaps it gets carried over when updating from 0.9).

Under Windows by default the profiles are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\.FOO\extensions\ (where FOO is 3 random characters). Just set the entire FireFox profile directory to be archived/read-only, and extensions, cache, bookmarks, history, etc will all be unmodifiable.

Preferential contains documentation of most of the Mozilla and FF preferences, but it's almost a year out of date. And you'd of course want to block about:config, which I have no idea how to do.

You might also want to check out this FF build, which is designed for use on a USB drive. It includes an extension that allows you to install XPIs on the drive, but that could be removed. It nixes cookies, bookmarks etc in much the same way.

I recommend using portable firefox as its designed for USB memory devices.

-Firefox, as suggested by several others (now in a convenient pre-tweaked for portability format)
-Trillian, which runs off a thumbdrive easily, though you do have to edit trillian.ini every time the drive letter changes).

Overall the gadget is great, has been very useful. Oddly I think the ballpoint pen has gotten a fair amount of the use, but it's great having some portable storage. I was on vacation last week and it was perfect for use at Internet cafes.

I tried to get Firefox installed on it however it's not fully working yet, but I'm sure that's my fault.

The only woe I have with firefox is that a recient Windows XP update has screwed up launching webpages from the run dialogue, firefox still works but windows pops up with an error annoying but not that bad. I believe Windows XP would be infinitly better if I could actualy get rid of IE for good, but until such a time I'll just ignore it and hope it goes away.

This is a known bug with the way Firefox 0.9.x registers itself as the default browser to handle http, https, ftp and gopher.

I have a fix for bug 246078 available on my site in the form of a downloadable .REG file that works with all versions of Windows. The Bugzilla bug is linked to from there as well (since you can't link from Slashdot).

Better yet, go to this page:

http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/firefox_bug_24607 8.asp

Yup, the Portable FireFox package has it all set to go, including disabled browser history and cache to minimize impact to your USB key.

But I currently do this now (atleast partially) with firefox on a thumbdrive.

http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/firefox_bug_24607 8.reg

For anyone who's interested, Firefox 0.9 now supports the ability to run from a USB key without any major changes AND be able to take your entire profile with you. I've repackaged the Firefox 0.9 Release Candidate as a ZIP that will create an 8.1Mb install of Firefox on your USB key, complete with a built-in profile. Full details of the changes (if you're curious, or so you can try it yourself) as well as a ZIP are available here:

http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/portable_firefox/

Any commentary or questions on this new feature can be addresses in this thread on mozillaZine.

Theres on here.

I disabled mine long ago and haven't looked back.

It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Terrorists hit airlines.... this is the first time that an airline has been used to destroy a target- it literally is out of the Clancy Novel in which an airliner crashed into a joint seat of congress (THIS IS A BOOK!).

As for everyone screaming for peace- shut up. The US has had a pathetic lax policy on terrorism. I feel we should move to a new "If you claim responsibility, you are dead. If you are planning it, you are dead. If you mastermind or participate, you are dead." policy- Eventually they'll run out of terrorists.

picture links
http://johnhaller.com/jh/terrorist/

Thank god for /. - it was the only news source we had at work until the CNN and ABC servers got back up.

I can see where the towers of the trade center used to be from my bedroom on 14th St. I saw just after the second plane hit and just after the 1st tower fell. I watched the 2nd tower fall. One of my friends is still missing. I'm trying to keep myself busy. You can see pictures on my site.

I'd estimate the death toll at betwen 20 and 50 thousand here. I believe approximately 40 thousand people work in the entire world trade complex and the attacks seem to be timed for just when everyone got work. I used to work in Tower 2, 15th Floor.

I'll try and get a webcam up, too.