this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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Should I use the default firefox on Qubes OS (lemmy.ca)
submitted 2 days ago by spinning_disk_engineer@lemmy.ca to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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I'm installing Qubes OS for the first time, and I was wondering if there is any disadvantage to installing librewolf (or something similar) as my primary browser instead of default firefox?

If I do want to do this, is there a recommended method beyond "install it as normal in the template"? I notice that when creating a new qube, there is a menu for additional applications; how exactly does that work?

For practical reasons I might also want to install some kind of chromium based browser (probably helium), but I wouldn't expect to use it much.

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[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

disadvantage to installing librewolf (or something similar) as my primary browser instead of default firefox?

LibreWolf comes with more anti-features disabled. If you use LibreWolf's default settings, you'll discover which websites are built by assholes. Many answers will not surprise you, but a few might.

LibreWolf can be configured either site-by-site or globally, to allow whatever anti-features you are comfortable with. The disadvantage jin LibreWolf is needing to change those settings. I guess the advantage is knowing and having ou a choice in his much you are tracked.

What I particularly like about LibreWolf is it ships without stupid crap like Google search or Pocket. Since I always remove both, LibreWolf saves me some time, overall.

Edit: When picking the "everything will probably work" setting in LibreWolf, I find that everything works. The exceptions I encounter are rare.

As a programmer, I investigate those rare exceptions. My judgement is that the website owners are total assholes who felt they needed to collect every single tracking mechanism known to mankind into one site, while also just being bad at building a website.

I'm sensitive to assholery, so maybe I don't spend as much time as average on sites written by assholes. So my "rare" might not match everyone's experience.