Ubuntu
firefox package

  1. Bug #934887
  2. Comment #40

Comment 40 for bug 934887

Revision history for this message
In , Reşat SABIQ (sabiq) wrote :

(In reply to comment #34)
> > (comment #33) Admins can easily check %FIREFOX_HOME%/application.ini
> Not on machines which are maintained by the users themselves (laptops, etc.),
> that's the stated use case where a direct access isn't readily available.

Sounds like this use-case requires the business to write a little (startup) script that gathers %FIREFOX_HOME%/application.ini-based info, along with anything else necessary, and makes an HTTP(S) request to the company's website, where logging (or DB-based persistence) would do the same thing that UA checks are doing now. Or have a program silently download and install the apps required (i've had experience w/ uninstallations done in this annoying fashion). A bit extra effort, but nothing not doable.

Possibly, the user could be disallowed to do any installations except via intranet-based app installation requisitions w/ apps pushed onto the machine. Otherwise, if the employee tries to interfere with such admin software, then apparently the employee's manager should be notified (again, possibly automatically) to straighten the fellow up.

Besides, this is a special case, that shouldn't impede the interests of most users.

P.S. If mozilla gets itself into the business of trying to save some enterprises from writing some fairly simple (startup) scripts and tries to simplify HR matters for such enterprises, then THAT should be a separate enhancement bug to be dealt w/ separately from getting rid of minor version and Gecko build date. That enhancement bug could then ask for it to be configurable for this use-case. But again, that would cause fingerprintability mostly against organizations w/ this use-case, so they would then probably prefer to write shell scripts, extensions, other software etc. themselves to avoid that.
P.P.S. With regards to new-subset vs. pre-existing superset bugs, i do agree that subsets at least in appearance have proven to be easier to resolve. However, IMHO there's some room for improvement in making dependencies clear, or at the very least posting notifications in pre-existing (superset) bugs (to avoid cutting folks off)...