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Firefox
#19228 11/17/11 05:17 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
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Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
Hi:

Safari is my default browser. Lately, Firefox has made itself the default browser. It pops up when I boot up my Mac each morning. I haven't changed anything. It is not checked in the Log-in page. When I checked Firefox prefs, it said Firefox is not my default browser. When I check Safari prefs, it says Safari IS my default browser.

Is there something I can check in the Library or somewhere to get rid of a plist or something?

I use Firefox occasionally when I have problems with Safari, so I don't want to trash Firefox.

Thanks.

Rita



MacBook Pro - M2, Ventura 13.6
Safari Tech Prev 17.0
Safari 16.6
Firefox 116.0.2
iPhone 7 Version 15.8




Re: Firefox
plantsower #19237 11/17/11 09:25 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 7
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Since nobody else has answered, I'll take a stab at this. I see two Safari plists in ~/Library/Preferences. One is named com.apple.Safari.plist and the other is com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist. Move one of them to the desktop and then log out/in. If the problem is solved, reset the appropriate preferences and trash the plist. If not, put it back and try the other one.*

If the above suggestions are unsuccessful, you can play with the contents of ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox in a similar manner.

*Actually, here's something else that you could try first: Play with com.apple.loginitems.plist and com.apple.loginwindow.plist. Both are located in ~/Library/Preferences.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Firefox
plantsower #19242 11/18/11 02:23 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
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Joined: Sep 2009
Originally Posted By: plantsower
It is not checked in the Log-in page.

So, it's not "checked" --- but it is there then?

Because the checkmark only toggles whether the app will be visible or hidden. If it's checkmarked, it will be hidden. If it's not checkmarked, it will be visible. (as in your situation now)

But so long as it even exists in that list, it will be launched.

So select it and click the the minus sign in the [+|-] widget at the bottom, to remove it from the Login Items list.


Too bad, i just cooked up a wicked cool terminal command, but we probably don't need it...

grep -i Firefox {,/System,~}/Library/{Launch{Agents,Daemons}/,\
Preferences/com.apple.login,StartupItems/}* /etc/mach_init*/* 2>/dev/null

cool

Last edited by Hal Itosis; 11/18/11 02:27 AM.
Re: Firefox
Hal Itosis #19244 11/18/11 02:51 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
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Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
Hi:

It's there in the logins because I wanted it on the Dock when I needed it. It's been unchecked in the logins for a long time. It's just now loading up when I boot up. I had Safari checked because I wanted it to launch. I thought that's how it was done. At least it's been working until now. Guess I'll remove Firefox from the Login page since it's misbehaving.

Thanks for the info.

Rita

Originally Posted By: Hal Itosis
Originally Posted By: plantsower
It is not checked in the Log-in page.

So, it's not "checked" --- but it is there then?

Because the checkmark only toggles whether the app will be visible or hidden. If it's checkmarked, it will be hidden. If it's not checkmarked, it will be visible. (as in your situation now)

But so long as it even exists in that list, it will be launched.

So select it and click the the minus sign in the [+|-] widget at the bottom, to remove it from the Login Items list.


Too bad, i just cooked up a wicked cool terminal command, but we probably don't need it...

grep -i Firefox {,/System,~}/Library/{Launch{Agents,Daemons}/,\
Preferences/com.apple.login,StartupItems/}* /etc/mach_init*/* 2>/dev/null

cool


MacBook Pro - M2, Ventura 13.6
Safari Tech Prev 17.0
Safari 16.6
Firefox 116.0.2
iPhone 7 Version 15.8




Re: Firefox
jchuzi #19245 11/18/11 02:53 AM
Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
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Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
Hi Jon:

Thanks for your help. I think I'll just remove it from the Login page as suggested by Hal Itosis. I never actually log out. I have a weird fear of not being able to log back in and forgetting the log in info.

Thanks again.

Rita

Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Since nobody else has answered, I'll take a stab at this. I see two Safari plists in ~/Library/Preferences. One is named com.apple.Safari.plist and the other is com.apple.Safari.RSS.plist. Move one of them to the desktop and then log out/in. If the problem is solved, reset the appropriate preferences and trash the plist. If not, put it back and try the other one.*

If the above suggestions are unsuccessful, you can play with the contents of ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox in a similar manner.

*Actually, here's something else that you could try first: Play with com.apple.loginitems.plist and com.apple.loginwindow.plist. Both are located in ~/Library/Preferences.


MacBook Pro - M2, Ventura 13.6
Safari Tech Prev 17.0
Safari 16.6
Firefox 116.0.2
iPhone 7 Version 15.8




Re: Firefox
plantsower #19259 11/18/11 03:47 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 8
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 8
Originally Posted By: plantsower
Hi:

It's there in the logins because I wanted it on the Dock when I needed it.


You can keep it in the Dock for when you want to use it by dragging the icon from the application's location (in the Applications folder?) to the Dock, dropping it in the Dock wherever you would like it to be positioned. This does not remove it from its original location.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Firefox
Ira L #19266 11/18/11 11:57 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
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Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
Thanks, Ira. That actually sounds ideal.



Originally Posted By: Ira L
Originally Posted By: plantsower
Hi:

It's there in the logins because I wanted it on the Dock when I needed it.


You can keep it in the Dock for when you want to use it by dragging the icon from the application's location (in the Applications folder?) to the Dock, dropping it in the Dock wherever you would like it to be positioned. This does not remove it from its original location.


MacBook Pro - M2, Ventura 13.6
Safari Tech Prev 17.0
Safari 16.6
Firefox 116.0.2
iPhone 7 Version 15.8




Re: Firefox
plantsower #19503 12/05/11 10:59 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Offline

Joined: Aug 2009
there's an app called DefaultApps that gives you one central place to change all the common defaults, browser, email, ftp, etc.

strange that apple insists on placing the default setter individually INSIDE the app that it defaults TO, instead of sticking it in system prefs, where it arguably belongs.


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: Firefox
Virtual1 #19504 12/05/11 11:05 PM
Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
OP Offline

Joined: Sep 2009
Likes: 3
Thanks. I might look into that sometime. I appreciate it.

Rita



Originally Posted By: Virtual1
there's an app called DefaultApps that gives you one central place to change all the common defaults, browser, email, ftp, etc.

strange that apple insists on placing the default setter individually INSIDE the app that it defaults TO, instead of sticking it in system prefs, where it arguably belongs.


MacBook Pro - M2, Ventura 13.6
Safari Tech Prev 17.0
Safari 16.6
Firefox 116.0.2
iPhone 7 Version 15.8




Re: Firefox
plantsower #19556 12/09/11 03:46 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Offline

Joined: Aug 2009
The most common complaint I see about placing the switch inside the default app is that if you do the first obvious thing to a new user - delete the offending app (safari, mail, etc) then realized that you get an error when double clicking something, you've already deleted the app that would let you fix the problem.


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: Firefox
Virtual1 #19570 12/10/11 04:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
Offline

Joined: Aug 2009
And the rebuttal, of course, is that there isn't any one single place to choose the default. ANY application that can be the default MAY (and usually does) include a setting to make it the default. A polite application, like most of Apple's, will allow you to set the default to some other app.

For example, Mail and Eudora would both let you set your default mail program, but Eudora would only let you set it to Eudora. Mail lets you choose from among all currently installed apps that support the mailto: protocol.

Similarly, almost any web browser offers a setting to become the default web browser, but Safari (and perhaps a few others) will offer to abdicate in favor of any currently installed app what will respond to http: URLs.


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