What is this?
arkenfox user.js is a community-maintained Firefox configuration template that hardens privacy and security settings, aiming to reduce tracking and fingerprinting as much as possible while trying to keep the browser usable.
arkenfox user.js is a community-maintained Firefox configuration template that hardens privacy and security settings, aiming to reduce tracking and fingerprinting as much as possible while trying to keep the browser usable.Is this a Firefox extension or a plain config file?It is a plain text configuration file (user.js), not a browser add-on — it works by overriding Firefox's internal preferences directly, so nothing needs to be installed from the add-ons store.
It is a plain text configuration file (user.js), not a browser add-on — it works by overriding Firefox's internal preferences directly, so nothing needs to be installed from the add-ons store.How do I actually apply this to my browser?You download the user.js file from the repo and place it in your Firefox profile folder, then restart Firefox so the new preference overrides take effect.
You download the user.js file from the repo and place it in your Firefox profile folder, then restart Firefox so the new preference overrides take effect.Does this work with any Gecko-based browser, like Tor Browser?No — it is built specifically for desktop Firefox; using it as-is in other Gecko-based browsers, especially Tor Browser, can be counterproductive.
No — it is built specifically for desktop Firefox; using it as-is in other Gecko-based browsers, especially Tor Browser, can be counterproductive.Will applying these settings break websites?Yes, some loss of functionality and site breakage is an expected trade-off for the added privacy and anti-fingerprinting hardening.
Yes, some loss of functionality and site breakage is an expected trade-off for the added privacy and anti-fingerprinting hardening.Why shouldn't I combine this with Tor Browser for extra anonymity?Arkenfox's hardening is tuned for desktop Firefox's threat model, not Tor Browser's anonymity set, so mixing the two can make your browser fingerprint more unique rather than less — the project explicitly warns against it.
Arkenfox's hardening is tuned for desktop Firefox's threat model, not Tor Browser's anonymity set, so mixing the two can make your browser fingerprint more unique rather than less — the project explicitly warns against it.Is there an easier way to browse the settings than reading the raw file?Yes, a contributor built an interactive web page that lets you browse the current release's settings and explanations without digging through the user.js file line by line.
Yes, a contributor built an interactive web page that lets you browse the current release's settings and explanations without digging through the user.js file line by line.How do I know a copy of the file is legitimate?The project states that its GitHub repo and the linked interactive page are the only official sources, and warns not to trust other sites claiming to distribute arkenfox.
The project states that its GitHub repo and the linked interactive page are the only official sources, and warns not to trust other sites claiming to distribute arkenfox.What are similar projects?Betterfox, anti-mage, web-check, SU_IMD, opensnitch, OhMyKeymint, nikto, awesome-security
Betterfox, anti-mage, web-check, SU_IMD, opensnitch, OhMyKeymint, nikto, awesome-securityWhich topics is it in?anti-tracking, hardening, mozilla, fingerprint, web-security, firefox, dotfiles, network-security, configuration, privacy-tools, template, privacy-first
anti-tracking, hardening, mozilla, fingerprint, web-security, firefox, dotfiles, network-security, configuration, privacy-tools, template, privacy-first