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[https://www.mozilla.org/firefox Firefox] is a graphical web browser developed by Mozilla.
<languages/>
{{infobox application
  |name=Mozilla Firefox
  |image=Firefox logo, 2019.svg
  |type=Web Browser
  |developer=Mozilla Foundation & Community
  |firstRelease=November 9, 2004
  |latestRelease=Firefox 140.0 (June 24, 2025)
  |status=Active
  |license=[https://www.mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/ Mozilla Public License 2.0]
  |os=Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows, *BSD)
  |website=[https://www.mozilla.org/firefox mozilla.org/firefox]
  |github=mozilla/firefox
  |bugTracker=[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/ Bugzilla]
  |documentation=[https://support.mozilla.org/ Official Support]
}}
<translate>
<!--T:1-->
<strong>Firefox</strong><ref>Mozilla Foundation, "Firefox", Official Website, Accessed June 2025. https://www.mozilla.org/firefox</ref> is a free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. It is known for its focus on privacy, security, and user freedom, offering a customizable experience through a rich ecosystem of add-ons and themes.


== Installation ==
== Installation == <!--T:2-->


Set <code>programs.firefox.enable</code> to true in your system or [[Home Manager]] configuration.
==== Shell ==== <!--T:56-->
Keep in mind that the NixOS and Home Manager modules have different options, so choose accordingly.
</translate>


== Other Firefox Editions ==
{{code|lang=bash|line=no|1=$ nix-shell -p firefox}}


Nixpkgs also offers other variants of Firefox aside from the ones stated above; these may suit your needs more than vanilla Firefox.
<translate>
To choose a variant, set <code>programs.firefox.package</code> accordingly.
<!--T:57-->
The command above makes <code>firefox</code> available in your current shell without modifying any configuration files.


'''Note:''' The packages for the variants listed below are installed ''instead'' of the normal <code>firefox</code> package and each other, which means that you'll have to choose one among these options.
==== System setup ==== <!--T:58-->
</translate>


=== Wayland ===
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=# Example for /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
environment.systemPackages = [
  pkgs.firefox
];


Users running a Wayland compositor (such as [[Sway]]) may want to use a Wayland-compatible build of Firefox (<code>firefox-wayland</code>).  This can help with a number of issues such as phantom scrolling.
# User-specific installation (in ~/.config/nixpkgs/home.nix)
home.packages = [
  pkgs.firefox
];}}
<translate>
<!--T:59-->
After rebuilding with <code>nixos-rebuild switch</code>, Firefox will be installed system-wide.


==== Screen Sharing ====
== Configuration == <!--T:60-->


When using Firefox with Wayland, screen sharing options might be limited and require additional configuration (exact capabilities vary with different compositors).
==== Basic ==== <!--T:61-->
</translate>


* Use <code>firefox-wayland</code>
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
* Enable [https://pipewire.org/ PipeWire]:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
programs.firefox = {
services.pipewire.enable = true;
  enable = true;
</syntaxhighlight>
 
* Enable [https://github.com/flatpak/xdg-desktop-portal/blob/master/README.md xdg desktop integration]:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
  languagePacks = [ "en-US" "de" "fr" ];
xdg = {
 
   portal = {
   preferences = {
     enable = true;
     "browser.startup.homepage"      = "https://example.com";
     extraPortals = with pkgs; [
     "privacy.resistFingerprinting"  = true;
      xdg-desktop-portal-wlr
  };
      xdg-desktop-portal-gtk
 
     ];
  policies = {
     DisableTelemetry = true;
   };
   };
};
};
</syntaxhighlight>
}}
* Set environment variables to hint Firefox to use Wayland features. E.g.:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
 
# Classical NixOS setup
<translate>
environment.sessionVariables = {
<!--T:3-->
   MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND = 1;
The snippet above enables Firefox for all users (or the current Home Manager profile, if placed in <code>home.nix</code>).
   # only needed for Sway
 
   XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP = "sway";  
==== Advanced ==== <!--T:23-->
 
<!--T:24-->
Home Manager allows for deep customization of Firefox, including extensions, search engines, bookmarks, and themes. The example below shows a configuration for adding custom search engines with aliases.
</translate>
 
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
programs.firefox = {
  enable = true;
 
  languagePacks = [ "en-US" ];
 
  policies = {
    # Updates & Background Services
    AppAutoUpdate                = false;
    BackgroundAppUpdate          = false;
 
    # Feature Disabling
    DisableBuiltinPDFViewer      = true;
    DisableFirefoxStudies        = true;
    DisableFirefoxAccounts        = true;
    DisableFirefoxScreenshots    = true;
    DisableForgetButton          = true;
    DisableMasterPasswordCreation = true;
    DisableProfileImport          = true;
    DisableProfileRefresh        = true;
    DisableSetDesktopBackground  = true;
    DisablePocket                = true;
    DisableTelemetry              = true;
    DisableFormHistory            = true;
    DisablePasswordReveal        = true;
 
    # Access Restrictions
    BlockAboutConfig              = false;
    BlockAboutProfiles            = true;
    BlockAboutSupport            = true;
 
    # UI and Behavior
    DisplayMenuBar                = "never";
    DontCheckDefaultBrowser      = true;
    HardwareAcceleration          = false;
    OfferToSaveLogins            = false;
    DefaultDownloadDirectory      = "${home}/Downloads";
 
    # Extensions
    ExtensionSettings = let
      moz = short: "https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/${short}/latest.xpi";
    in {
      "*".installation_mode = "blocked";
 
      "uBlock0@raymondhill.net" = {
        install_url      = moz "ublock-origin";
        installation_mode = "force_installed";
        updates_disabled  = true;
      };
 
      "{f3b4b962-34b4-4935-9eee-45b0bce58279}" = {
        install_url      = moz "animated-purple-moon-lake";
        installation_mode = "force_installed";
        updates_disabled  = true;
      };
 
      "{73a6fe31-595d-460b-a920-fcc0f8843232}" = {
        install_url      = moz "noscript";
        installation_mode = "force_installed";
        updates_disabled  = true;
      };
    };
 
    # Extension configuration
    "3rdparty".Extensions = {
      "uBlock0@raymondhill.net".adminSettings = {
        userSettings = rec {
          uiTheme            = "dark";
          uiAccentCustom    = true;
          uiAccentCustom0    = "#8300ff";
          cloudStorageEnabled = mkForce false;
 
          importedLists = [
            "https:#filters.adtidy.org/extension/ublock/filters/3.txt"
            "https:#github.com/DandelionSprout/adfilt/raw/master/LegitimateURLShortener.txt"
          ];
 
          externalLists = lib.concatStringsSep "\n" importedLists;
        };
 
        selectedFilterLists = [
          "CZE-0"
          "adguard-generic"
          "adguard-annoyance"
          "adguard-social"
          "adguard-spyware-url"
          "easylist"
          "easyprivacy"
          "https:#github.com/DandelionSprout/adfilt/raw/master/LegitimateURLShortener.txt"
          "plowe-0"
          "ublock-abuse"
          "ublock-badware"
          "ublock-filters"
          "ublock-privacy"
          "ublock-quick-fixes"
          "ublock-unbreak"
          "urlhaus-1"
        ];
      };
    };
  };
 
   profiles.default.search = {
    force          = true;
    default        = "DuckDuckGo";
    privateDefault  = "DuckDuckGo";
 
    engines = {
      "Nix Packages" = {
        urls = [
          {
            template = "https://search.nixos.org/packages";
            params = [
              { name = "channel"; value = "unstable"; }
              { name = "query";   value = "{searchTerms}"; }
            ];
          }
        ];
        icon          = "${pkgs.nixos-icons}/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/nix-snowflake.svg";
        definedAliases = [ "@np" ];
      };
 
      "Nix Options" = {
        urls = [
          {
            template = "https://search.nixos.org/options";
            params = [
              { name = "channel"; value = "unstable"; }
              { name = "query";   value = "{searchTerms}"; }
            ];
          }
        ];
        icon          = "${pkgs.nixos-icons}/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/nix-snowflake.svg";
        definedAliases = [ "@no" ];
      };
 
      "NixOS Wiki" = {
        urls = [
          {
            template = "https://wiki.nixos.org/w/index.php";
            params = [
              { name = "search"; value = "{searchTerms}"; }
            ];
          }
        ];
        icon          = "${pkgs.nixos-icons}/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/nix-snowflake.svg";
        definedAliases = [ "@nw" ];
      };
    };
  };
};
};
}}
<translate>
<!--T:25-->
[https://nix-community.github.io/home-manager/options.xhtml#opt-programs.firefox.enable More options are available on Home Manager's site.]
== Firefox Variants == <!--T:4-->
<!--T:5-->
There are several Firefox variants available. To choose one, set the <code>programs.firefox.package</code> option accordingly.
</translate>
{{Note|<translate><!--T:6--> The packages for the variants listed below are installed ''instead'' of the normal <code>firefox</code> package.</translate>}}
<translate>
=== Variant: Official Binaries === <!--T:7-->
<!--T:8-->
Mozilla provides official pre-built Firefox binaries via the <code>firefox-bin</code> package, which are downloaded directly from Mozilla's servers.
=== Variant: Extended Support Release (ESR) === <!--T:9-->
<!--T:10-->
<code>firefox-esr</code> is a variant that receives security updates for a longer period with a slower feature implementation cadence. It also allows for more extensive policy-based configuration.
=== Variant: Nightly === <!--T:11-->
<!--T:12-->
Nightly builds are daily builds from the central Mozilla repository.
==== Method 1: Using nix-community/flake-firefox-nightly ==== <!--T:13-->
<!--T:14-->
This method is reproducible but may lag behind the upstream version. First, add the input to your flake:
</translate>


# Home Manager setup
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
home.sessionVariables = {
inputs = {
   MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND = 1;
   firefox.url = "github:nix-community/flake-firefox-nightly";
   # only needed for Sway
   firefox.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
  XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP = "sway";  
};
};
</syntaxhighlight>
}}
* Ensure that the environment variables are correctly set for the user systemd units, e.g.:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
# Sway users might achieve this by adding the following to their Sway config file
# This ensures all user units started after the command (not those already running) set the variables
exec systemctl --user import-environment
</syntaxhighlight>


===Firefox ESR===
<translate>
<code>firefox-esr</code> is the '''E'''xtended '''S'''upport '''R'''elease of Firefox provided by Mozilla, which receives only security updates and a more relaxed cadence of feature implementation.
<!--T:16-->
Then, add the package to your system:
</translate>


===Mozilla Distributed Binaries===
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
Mozilla themselves provide official pre-built Firefox binaries. It is possible to install these packages through Nix by using the <code>-bin</code> suffix with the package (such as <code>firefox-bin</code>). This will download the binary from Mozilla's servers.
# In configuration.nix, assuming use of specialArgs
environment.systemPackages = [
  inputs.firefox.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.firefox-nightly-bin
];
}}


===Firefox nightly===
<translate>
Nightly builds are daily builds of Firefox from the Mozilla-central repository.
==== Method 2: Using mozilla/nixpkgs-mozilla ==== <!--T:18-->


To use them
<!--T:19-->
<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
This method is not necessarily reproducible without a flake-like system but will always be the latest version.
nixpkgs.overlays =
</translate>
   let
 
    # Change this to a rev sha to pin
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
    moz-rev = "master";
nixpkgs.overlays = [
    moz-url = builtins.fetchTarball { url = "https://github.com/mozilla/nixpkgs-mozilla/archive/${moz-rev}.tar.gz";};
   (import (builtins.fetchTarball "https://github.com/mozilla/nixpkgs-mozilla/archive/master.tar.gz"))
    nightlyOverlay = (import "${moz-url}/firefox-overlay.nix");
];
  in [
    nightlyOverlay
  ];
programs.firefox.package = pkgs.latest.firefox-nightly-bin;
programs.firefox.package = pkgs.latest.firefox-nightly-bin;
</syntaxhighlight>
}}


== FAQ ==
<translate>
<!--T:22-->
Using this method requires the <code>--impure</code> flag for Nix commands, for example:
</translate>


=== How do I use ALSA with Firefox instead of PulseAudio? ===
{{code|lang=bash|line=no|1=$ nixos-rebuild switch --impure}}


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<translate>
programs.firefox.package = (pkgs.wrapFirefox.override { libpulseaudio = pkgs.libpressureaudio; }) pkgs.firefox-unwrapped { };
== Tips and Tricks == <!--T:28-->
</syntaxhighlight>


=== I want Firefox, what is Nightly? ===
==== Force XWayland (X11) instead of Wayland ==== <!--T:62-->


[https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/trademarks/faq/ Mozilla's trademarks] on Firefox disallows distributing unofficial builds using the Firefox trademark. This is why the Nix-built Firefox is named Nightly.
<!--T:63-->
Firefox defaults to native Wayland when running under a Wayland compositor. To force it to use XWayland (X11) instead:
</translate>


The official builds are available by [[FAQ#How_can_I_install_a_proprietary_or_unfree_package.3F|enabling unfree]] and installing <code>firefox-bin</code>.
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=environment.sessionVariables.MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND = "0";}}


== Tips ==
<translate>
<!--T:30a-->
This is useful when troubleshooting Wayland-specific issues or when certain features work better under X11.


=== Enabling [https://community.kde.org/Plasma/Browser_Integration#How_to_install Plasma Browser Integration]  ===
==== Touchpad Gestures and Smooth Scrolling ==== <!--T:34-->
1. Add the following line to your configuration.nix (note that [[KDE#Installation|enabling Plasma]] automatically does this):


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<!--T:35-->
nixpkgs.config.firefox.enablePlasmaBrowserIntegration = true;
Enable <code>xinput2</code> to improve touchscreen support and enable additional touchpad gestures and smooth scrolling.
</syntaxhighlight>
</translate>


If you're wondering where this part is coming from see [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/#sec-customising-packages NixOS Manual:Customising Packages]
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
environment.sessionVariables.MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 = "1";
}}


2. Install [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/plasma-integration/ KDE's Firefox extension].
<translate>
==== KDE Plasma Integration ==== <!--T:29-->


=== Use KDE file picker ===
<!--T:30-->
1. Add the native messaging host package to your configuration:
</translate>


You must instruct Firefox to use the file picker offered by the XDG Desktop Portal framework. This setting can be found in Firefox's ''about:config'' as ''widget.use-xdg-desktop-portal.file-picker''. The value 1 means "always". To set it using NixOS, add to ''configuration.nix''
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=programs.firefox.nativeMessagingHosts.packages = [ pkgs.kdePackages.plasma-browser-integration ];}}


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
<translate>
  # Make Firefox use the KDE file picker.
<!--T:31-->
  # Preferences source: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/firefox#KDE_integration
2. Install the corresponding [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/plasma-integration/ browser add-on].
  programs.firefox = {
    enable = true;
    preferences = {
    "widget.use-xdg-desktop-portal.file-picker" = 1;
    };
  };
</syntaxhighlight>


=== Use xinput2 ===
==== Use KDE file picker ==== <!--T:32-->


You can make Firefox use xinput2 by setting the <code>MOZ_USE_XINPUT2</code> environment variable. This improves touchscreen support and enables additional touchpad gestures. It also enables smooth scrolling as opposed to the stepped scrolling that Firefox has by default. To do this, put the following in your config:  
<!--T:33-->
To use the KDE file picker instead of the GTK one, set the following preference:
</translate>


<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
environment.sessionVariables = {
programs.firefox.preferences = {
   MOZ_USE_XINPUT2 = "1";
   "widget.use-xdg-desktop-portal.file-picker" = 1;
};
};
</syntaxhighlight>
}}


== Troubleshooting==
<translate>
== Troubleshooting == <!--T:36-->


=== If you can't start the browser because of a configuration error ===  
==== Native Messaging Hosts Fail to Load ==== <!--T:40-->


For example:  
<!--T:42-->
Native messaging hosts (used for extensions like Plasma Integration) do not work with the <code>-bin</code> variants of Firefox or with Firefox installed imperatively via <code>nix-env</code>. You must use a variant built from source via your NixOS or Home Manager configuration.


<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
==== ALSA audio instead of PulseAudio ==== <!--T:27-->
firefox
1554035168269 Marionette FATAL Error de análisis XML: entidad indefinida
Ubicación: chrome://browser/content/browser.xul
Línea 2526, columna 13:            <toolbarbutton id="tracking-protection-preferences-button"
JavaScript error: resource:///modules/aboutpages/AboutPrivateBrowsingHandler.jsm, line 28: TypeError: this.pageListener is undefined
</syntaxhighlight>


An easy way to get away from this is to start firefox with the <code>firefox -safe-mode</code> command. Then you can troubleshoot your actual problem or you can call your luck by calling the refresh option (a special button will appear when firefox starts in this mode). This will reset your configuration to a sane state and you will be usually able to start the browser again, but you will lose most of your customization.
<!--T:64-->
To force Firefox to use ALSA, you can override it with a wrapper:
</translate>


=== <code>nativeMessagingHosts</code> don't work ===
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=programs.firefox.package = pkgs.wrapFirefox pkgs.firefox-unwrapped { libpulseaudio = pkgs.libalsa; };}}
 
<translate>
==== Screen Sharing under Wayland ==== <!--T:43-->
 
<!--T:44-->
Screen sharing on Wayland requires enabling PipeWire and the appropriate XDG Desktop Portals.
</translate>
 
{{code|lang=nix|line=no|1=
services.pipewire.enable = true;
xdg.portal = {
  enable = true;
  # Add the portal for your compositor, e.g.:
  extraPortals = with pkgs; [
    xdg-desktop-portal-wlr # For Sway/wlroots
    # xdg-desktop-portal-gtk # For GNOME
    # xdg-desktop-portal-kde # For KDE
  ];
};
}}


such as <code>enablePlasmaBrowserIntegration</code>, <code>enableGnomeExtensions</code>, and <code>enableBrowserpass</code>.
<translate>
== See also == <!--T:65-->


They do not work with the <code>firefox-bin</code> derivation<ref>https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/47340#issuecomment-476368401</ref> or with <code>firefox</code> installed via <code>nix-env</code>
<!--T:66-->
* [[Home Manager]] – Declarative per-user configuration
* [https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=unstable&query=programs.firefox NixOS options for Firefox]
* [https://discourse.nixos.org/tag/firefox Firefox topics on NixOS Discourse]


<hr />
== References == <!--T:67-->
<references />
</translate>


[[Category:Configuration]]
[[Category:Applications]]
[[Category:Applications]]
[[Category:Web Browser]]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Firefox"