Hi Erik

for the second question see if the next helps : empty the string browser.apps.URL and then when click the Tools>Apps you have nothing (nothing works)

thank you

Other then updates, Firefox should not install anything unless you tell it to. (Plugins are the exception to this.)

Has anything been instilled without your knowledge?

FredMcD said

Other then updates, Firefox should not install anything unless you tell it to. (Plugins are the exception to this.) Has anything been instilled without your knowledge?

Fred,

This is for a deployment in a school district. I can do what @ideato suggested, but that'll only block one avenue. Since we have to filter everything the students and staff see anyway, it's easier to ask the network admin to block marketplace.mozilla.org. I'm still concerned, though, that third party sites might exist that would allow people to install apps without needing to go to the Marketplace site.

Thanks!

Erik

You will want to block addons.mozilla.org as well.

Unfortunately, that is not quite true. An add-on can be downloaded as a file, and installed by dragging the 'file' into Firefox.

XPI (addon) installations can be disabled by setting xpinstall.enabled to false. Other preferences limit the scope of what folders would allow addons to those under the control of the district, but that's getting off topic.

So far most, maybe all, apps are disabled in OS X (the district is Mac-only at the student and teacher level) because their code isn't signed with an Apple Developer's key. I'd like to prevent them from getting that far by disabling the app installation process, using a preference similar to setting the xpinstall.enabled preference to false.

You might also want to take a look at mozilla.cfg. If you know what you're doing, you can get around it, but it would take a lot of work, and most people wouldn't know how to do that.

user293 said

You might also want to take a look at mozilla.cfg. If you know what you're doing, you can get around it, but it would take a lot of work, and most people wouldn't know how to do that.

I'm using CCK2 to lock down preferences, but thanks for that heads up. Really, I think this may boil down to me wanting to lock down a function that doesn't have a corresponding option for locking it down, in which case all I can really do is obfuscate, misdirect and, when all else fails, tell the students no, you're really really not supposed to do that. Part of my concern comes from the possibility that by cluttering up the Applications folder they'll lose (perhaps intentionally) something they need for schoolwork or hide something they aren't supposed to have in the first place. The other worry is that one (or all) of these apps may eventually pass the Apple Gatekeeper and be allowed to run. Since we don't want them playing games when they're supposed to be working, looking for ways around the filter, or generally doing what they aren't supposed to be during school hours, we put controls in place to limit what can be installed.

you're right that there probably isn't a preference for the purpose you're looking for - https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=790149

philipp said

you're right that there probably isn't a preference for the purpose you're looking for - https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=790149

Not the answer I was hoping for, but maybe in some later release... Aw well.

ejep520 said

Part of my concern comes from the possibility that by cluttering up the Applications folder they'll lose (perhaps intentionally) something they need for schoolwork or hide something they aren't supposed to have in the first place.

On OS X, you have to be an admin to add files to the applications folder.

One thing you can think about is for each user to have their own user account without administrative rights. Then, each one would have their own Firefox profile.

Their are some third party programs that can check for games and other employer unwanted programs.

No answers just a few comments

• You already use CCK2 no doubt you have already looked through Kaply's blogs & the revamped support site.
  • I did notice http://cck2.freshdesk.com/support/discussions/topics/4000318741 but no response as yet
• I know you are asking specifically about Apps but you may also be interested to know addons will soon need to be signed by Mozilla
  • Note bug etiquette
  • Bug 1047239 - (signed-addons) Add-on signing revamp
  • https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/
    • https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/05/27/update-signing-new-developer-agreement/
• I suspect it is relatively easy to install apps; even custom made private ones, and although their privileges within Firefox may be limited that is not your major concern.
  You would be better discussing this somewhere where decision makers and developers will see it. I am not sure where it would be on topic and noticed. The question may well have been asked and answered. Look at
  • forums
    • #addons-user-experience
    • #dev-marketplace
    • #governance

If you find an answer or somewhere to discuss this feel free to post back with a suitable link. To me this seems a potential child safety issue.

Apps are not installed in the Firefox profile folder, but are installed as an application in your Mac user account. On Linux I see them as a hidden folder in my home directory with the name of the website: .http;www.xxxx.com

You can set this pref to an empty string to clear the whitelist.

• dom.mozApps.signed_apps_installable_from

See:

• http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla-release/source/dom/apps/Webapps.jsm

3862     // Only allow signed apps to be installed from a whitelist of
3863     // domains, and require all packages installed from any of the
3864     // domains on the whitelist to be signed. This is a stopgap until
3865     // we have a real story for handling multiple app stores signing