Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#1

Post by gslin » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 7:48 PM UTC

Each Firefox download has a unique identifier
ghacks.net

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#2

Post by whatshisface » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:21 PM UTC

Package manager installations wouldn't have this problem because everybody gets the same copy of the same binary and associated files, rights?

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#3

Post by pxeger1 » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:22 PM UTC

Is the current Mozilla CEO a plant by Google with the goal of driving Mozilla into the ground as much as possible? I don't understand how they can keep fucking up their business so badly.

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#4

Post by pxeger1 » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:23 PM UTC

whatshisface wrote: post #2

Package manager installations wouldn't have this problem because everybody gets the same copy of the same binary and associated files, rights?

Package manager installations are normally built from source by the distribution maintainers, not downloaded as binaries from the Mozilla website. So they wouldn't have any "download identifier", unique or not, in them.

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#5

Post by Arnavion » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:23 PM UTC

whatshisface wrote: post #2

Package manager installations wouldn't have this problem because everybody gets the same copy of the same binary and associated files, rights?

Yes. Just like with the Audacity kerfuffle some time ago, it's not a problem for distro packages, only when you get your binaries from upstream.

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#6

Post by politelemon » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:27 PM UTC

whatshisface wrote: post #2

Package manager installations wouldn't have this problem because everybody gets the same copy of the same binary and associated files, rights?

Correct and it's just one of many reasons why checksums and signatures are so important in package managers. There's an automatic enforcement of privacy and integrity.

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#7

Post by dmead » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:27 PM UTC

Why?

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#8

Post by gjsman-1000 » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:29 PM UTC

I hate WebKit and Blink's domination as much as anyone, but rather than put up a strong fight, Firefox is begging to lose.

And unfortunately, I can't help but admit that Firefox deserves to lose (not just from this, but from other terrible decisions added up), even if the consequences of a web monoculture are terrible.

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#9

Post by peakaboo » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:31 PM UTC

pxeger1 wrote: post #3

Is the current Mozilla CEO a plant by Google with the goal of driving Mozilla into the ground as much as possible? I don't understand how they can keep fucking up their business so badly.

A download identifier really isn't that bad. Maybe they need to actually show some numbers of their downloads to justify budgets and other things.

It's not like they are having tracking JavaScript on 80% of the worlds Web sites like someone else I know, starting with Googl...

Re: Each Firefox download has a unique identifier

#10

Post by kbelder » Thu, Mar 17, 2022, 8:31 PM UTC

  Firefox users who prefer to download the browser without the unique identifier may do so in the following two ways:

  Download the Firefox installer from Mozilla's HTTPS repository (formerly the FTP repository).
  Download Firefox from third-party download sites that host the installer, e.g., from Softonic.

It's nuts and another indication Mozilla doesn't understand the reason they exist, but it's not that hard to get around... if you're one of the 0.1% that hears about this.