Resulting from a request in one of my other blog pages, I have added a Slackware (15.0 and -current, 32bit as well as 64bit) package for LibreWolf.
The LibreWolf version number “137.0.2–1” is a combination of the version of Firefox on which the release is based, and the release iteration of the LibreWolf developer community.
LibreWolf is a custom and independent fork of the Mozilla Firefox browser, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom.
The LibreWolf browser implements sane defaults for increased protection against tracking and fingerprinting techniques, and adds security improvements compared to its Firefox upstream codebase. All telemetry, data collection and other annoyances that come with the Firefox browser have been disabled or removed altogether.
By default, DRM is disabled as well because Digital Rights Management is considered restrictive towards consumers of digital media. You can however enable DRM in the browser settings if you want to watch DRM-protected video content for instance.
One thing to be aware of if you start using LibreWolf is that by default, your cookies and browsing history are deleted every time you close the browser. This behavior can be disabled in the browser settings.
Firefox Sync is disabled by default in Librewolf – again for the sake of protecting your privacy, but this too can be enabled in the browser’s settings.
LibreWolf is on par with other browsers like Brave and Tor Browser when it comes to the level of privacy protection they offer to you, the user. Another comparison: Brave browser is based on Chromium whereas Tor Browser, like LibreWolf, is a fork of Firefox.
I hope that this additional choice of browser in Slackware offers some benefit to you. Note that my package contains natively compiled Slackware binaries. There’s also a LibreWolf entry on SlackBuilds.org but that one merely re-packages a binary AppImage, not specifically built on (or for) Slackware.
Let me know if I missed some feature or functionality when configuring and building the source code. You can find the packages in my repository or any of its mirrors:
Enjoy! Eric
Thanks Eric for your time and effort building this for our community. I will try it.
Thank you Eric for this package.
When I saw your answer to the request, I (wrongly) guessed that you wouldn’t have time to build it.
Although chromium-ungoogled in my primary browser, having a second one that is also privacy-oriented is very useful as it will enable me to rethink my browsing habit/workflow like one browser for general browsing and one for accessing financial sites and trusted ones.
Initially I expected indeed that I would not have time. But then my wife fell ill and I had a day to spend on stuff. LibreWolf builds in a fraction of the time which is needed for Chromium.
What I liked was that LibreWolf was able to import my Chromium bookmarks when I first started it.
I wish your wife a quick recovery.
On my side, librewolf couldn’t automatically find my chromium-ungoogled bookmarks which I believe makes senses as configuration is in ~/.config/chromium-ungoogled (I suppose “chromium” is expected on the last part of the path).
First I heard about this and gonna give it a try now…trying to build the CubicSDR up right now but will add this to my try out list going forward….thanks to all those that keep Slackware alive too….is my main OS for a long time….keep up the good work …..
Thank you Eric, excellent work.
Tested Librewolf for x265 and a big surprise. “Out of the box” it support that video playback.
I need it to watch video clips Zoneminder records from my video surveillance cameras.
For now it is only the second one besides Thorium, Chromium fork on a Linux to be able to support x265.
Need further tests to become my #1 web browser.
Heh. Thanks for informing me about the HEVC (x265) support in LibreWolf. I had no idea!
I quickly tested on https://lf-tk-sg.ibytedtos.com/obj/tcs-client-sg/resources/video_demo_hevc.html and indeed! It works 🙂
Hi Eric,
Thanks for your SlackBuild. I wasn’t familiar with this browser. I think I’ll use it from now on. I’ve also compiled the latest versions with your script. I hope your wife is doing better, and that you’re well. I always maintain an up-to-date version of your ktown.
Kind regards,
Gérard
Hi Eric,
Thanks for all the packaging work you do for Slackware, it’s always appreciated.
It might be worth bearing in mind that LibreWolf is deliberately deceptive about your OS, in the HTTP header, where it is reported you are running Windows 10. The reason offered for that relates to “passive fingerprinting”. Being identified as a Windows 10 machine my not thrill a Slackware user, but then again you might not care.
It caused me minor annoyance when logging in to eBay, where I was prompted, ironically enough, to use a Windows supported biometric fingerprint device, as it thought I was running on Windows.
I’m not terribly convinced by the arguments the LibreWolf devs offer for doing this. It can be disabled, but then you lose the “benefits” of their approach to “fingerprinting”, as it relates to the browser.
LibreWolf 138.0.4_1, the release I uploaded today, reports the following as its UserAgent with RFP (resist fingerprinting) enabled:
“Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:138.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/138.0”.
No Windows reported.
Ah, looks like they’ve changed that. That’s good to know. Thanks for the feedback, and for the package.
Thank you for librewolf, it is now my primary browser.
Thanks a lot !
I read about it and just had a look if it was somewhere for Slackware… bingo, you did it !
It’s now my primary !
Thank you for adding Librewolf, I use it on a spare x220 and it works great. Also I hope your wife is now healthy and doing well. Grüße aus Deutschland