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Posted by cl3misch 1/16/2026

Just the Browser(justthebrowser.com)
560 points | 259 commentspage 2
gyosko 1/16/2026|
If you go through the manual steps on mac os, the file gets deleted when Firefox is updated.

Is there a way to persist the file even after updates?

emulio 1/16/2026||
That's a nice idea, but I'm hesitant to use automatic installation scripts like this, even if I review them carefully. I prefer manual steps – downloading the file, placing it in the correct directory. Also, I use custom profile directories for my web browsers, so this script wouldn't apply to my setup.
dylan604 1/16/2026||
do you carefully review those files you've downloaded and placed into said correct directory, or do you just double click an YOLO your way through the install? at least a bash script allows for you to read it vs a pre-compiled binary installer. either way, you are trusting code created by someone else.
emulio 1/16/2026||
Honestly, I'm reacting a bit against the "YOLO" install culture common on Windows and macOS – just double-clicking and hoping for the best. I specifically use CachyOS, an Arch-based Linux distribution, because it emphasizes a more deliberate, package-managed approach. I prefer relying on the maintainers' work and pre-defined steps within packages whenever possible. It allows me to understand what is being installed and how it's being configured, rather than an all-in-one script potentially making changes I didn't anticipate.
joemi 1/16/2026||
Manual steps are linked to in the second sentence of the Getting Started section.
emulio 1/16/2026||
Not for Linux. I am using Linux on my desktop.
hans_castorp 1/16/2026|||
It does if you look into the README for Firefox

https://github.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/tree/mai...

joemi 1/16/2026|||
Ah, it looks like they have Linux instructions for Firefox but not for Chrome or Edge. How odd.
johnisgood 1/17/2026||
Who uses Edge on Linux?
emulio 1/18/2026||
I do. I use it, alongside other browsers, because I prefer different browsers for different types of tasks.
nzubair 1/17/2026||
> Open a PowerShell prompt as Administrator...

Sounds like the beginning of a nice ClickFix campaign: https://it.lbl.gov/the-clickfix-attack-a-new-threat-to-your-...

solarkraft 1/16/2026||
> No. Just the Browser uses group policies that are fully supported by web browsers, usually intended for IT departments in companies or other large organizations

This is cool! I was expecting a script, which tend to be brittle. This is a great way to do it.

beshur 1/16/2026||
I like how the bash script to install this starts with getting sudo access :)
roughly 1/17/2026||
I’ve been using Waterfox recently, which feels almost nostalgic in how much it’s just a plain goddamn browser. It’s really delightful.

Helium seems to be trying to be the same thing for Chrome - it’s replaced Brave as my go-to for the sites that have issues with non-Chrome browsers.

DavideNL 1/16/2026||
Firefox:

"Something that hasn't been made clear: Firefox will have an option to completely disable all AI features. We've been calling it the AI kill switch internally. I'm sure it'll ship with a less murderous name, but that's how seriously and absolutely we're taking this."

https://mastodon.social/@firefoxwebdevs/115740500373677782

vuggamie 1/16/2026|
I hope someone tells the Mozilla CEO.
Devorlon 1/16/2026||
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/leadership/mozillas-next...

“AI must be clear and understandable. Controls must be simple. AI should always be a choice — something people can easily turn off.”

thesdev 1/16/2026|||
And then in the same article he goes to write that Firefox "will evolve into a modern AI browser", which makes AI sound like an intrinsic trait. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence if you ask me.
pbhjpbhj 1/16/2026|||
You could turn Pocket off, you just had to do it every time you updated because they decided to be user-hostile and keep jamming it down users throats (I'm still baffled as to why).

I'm not hopeful.

troyvit 1/16/2026||
That wasn't my experience with Pocket. It stayed off for me on Firefox for Linux.
subjectsigma 1/17/2026||
Very neat, just installed it. I would say having someone download the profile and install it on macOS is honestly just as easy as running bash. It's also safer and provides more understanding.
thinkindie 1/16/2026||
I noticed that Safari is not mentioned - is it because is not relevant on Desktop or because it didn't go through the same enshittification process as the other two major browsers?
mrweasel 1/16/2026||
That's an interesting observation. Apple doesn't really have an AI offering, so they have nothing to stuff into Safari. In general Apples failure to produce an AI offering might turn out to be an advantage long term.
eightnoneone 1/16/2026||
Probably both? I did find its omission spoke loudly. I use it every day on desktop. The only enshitification I have to worry about is Alan Dye’s hit and run crimes against usability.
Gabrys1 1/16/2026|
> Mac and Linux: Search for the Terminal in your applications list and open it. Next, copy the below command, paste it into the window (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V), and press the Enter/Return key:

Should be Ctrl+Shift+V

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