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Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

blog.diego.dev

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Re: Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

#51

Post by seba_dos1 »

nairboon wrote: post #39

Given the recent Firefox fiasco. What are the viable options for a free software browser? Can anyone point to the most promising alternatives (apart from the other corporate browser engines)?

Right now, there are none. The "fiasco" is still about the least bad option available.

Some could become viable in a few years, but I wouldn't count on it to "just happen". You'll still need to actively try to get your specific use cases well-supported for a while, and if not enough people do that these projects will never get there.

Re: Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

#53

Post by 63stack »

drdaeman wrote: post #15
therein wrote: post #5

Would be nice if librewolf and WaterFox changed their flow to make it clear that Mozilla's Sync Server is being used, and make it opt in with something like: To sync please select one of the options below: [x] Custom Sync Server: ___________ [ ] Mozilla Sync

Sync is nothing but an awfully overengineered blob storage (I have implemented an alternative Accounts+Sync server when 1.5 came out, https://gitlab.com/drdaeman/firesync/ - long abandoned and the code is awful proof-of-concept inly, but the point here is to prove that I have a slightly educated opinion on the matter). IMHO, It would be best (for technical users) if Firefox forks would rather replace Sync with someth…

Is there a specification somewhere for the sync server that you followed, or did you figure out the endpoints/logic by looking at mozilla's sync server?

I was thinking about taking a crack at this as well, but I can't find a spec, and I want to leave looking at the python/rust sync server source code as a last resort.

Re: Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

#55

Post by layer8 »

maxlin wrote: post #50

I've use Firefox as my tertiary browser option, for some specific uses like for example I have it always have an VPN plugin on. But I'm starting to feel anything in its vicinity should be avoided like hostile malware, regardless if an attempt to remove bad parts of it is made. A corporation can do a lot of bad stuff with their software and terms, and most have probably normalized that in their mind. But after now Fir…

Mozilla is changing the wording: https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/update-on-terms...

There is still cause for criticism, but if you think Mozilla is worse than Google (Chrome) or Microsoft (Edge), then that’s hard to take seriously.

Re: Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

#57

Post by layer8 »

gsliepen wrote: post #37

Congrats on getting this self-hosted. However, the solution looks more complicated than necessary. You shouldn't have to set up a database server and Docker just to sync a little bit of data. Ideally, there would be a sync server implementation that uses SQLite and can just run stand-alone.

Certainly, but at least it’s available at all for self-hosting, which isn’t the case for many browsers.

Re: Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

#58

Post by layer8 »

henriquemaia wrote: post #48
nairboon wrote: post #39

Given the recent Firefox fiasco. What are the viable options for a free software browser? Can anyone point to the most promising alternatives (apart from the other corporate browser engines)?

Ladybird browser: https://ladybird.org/

“Promising” maybe, but it’s pre-alpha and as such won’t be an actual alternative for some time to come.

Re: Self-Hosting a Firefox Sync Server

#59

Post by layer8 »

nairboon wrote: post #39

Given the recent Firefox fiasco. What are the viable options for a free software browser? Can anyone point to the most promising alternatives (apart from the other corporate browser engines)?

In terms of open source there are really only Chromium- and Firefox-derived browsers. With Chromium browsers, you’re still subject to Google’s whims in the long term, such as removal of V3 extension support. (I.e. a conceivable fork with V3 compatibility will inevitably become too difficult to keep up to date with the mainline.) If Mozilla dies, Firefox and derivatives will in all likelihood wither away as well. IMO there is no alternative to supporting Mozilla, and also keeping them accountable and criticizing them where criticism is due. They are still roughly the good guys, even if sometimes misguided.

Regarding the “fiasco”, there was an update that you may have missed which is at least a partial fix: https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/update-on-terms...

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