You are not logged in.
How do I 'launch' firefox and let it create it's default profile and then replace that default profile with my personal one in the archiso process.
Workaround
My workaround used to be a script in .xinitrc that opens firefox, to create the first profile ever on the system, then uses sed to extract the random string from the directory containing the newly created default profile, close firefox,
copies my personal profile into the directory that contains the newly created default profile, ultimately just replacing the standard files that firefox creates, to trick firefox and finally open firefox again this time with my personal profile.
Not only is this hacky, dumb and just straight forwardly stupid, but the only way that I've come up so far to achieve, what seems to be so simple.
I'm searching for a way to 'just', create the default directory/profile for firefox during the archiso process, then replace it with my personal one, before EROFS/ISO becomes read-only...
That's all I'm asking for and as I see it, it's really technical, based on https://justbrowsingcd.tumblr.com/post/ … ivecds-and
Does it really have to be so technical, basically re-mastering the whole ISO ?
1. Maybe it would be possible during the archiso build process.2. Maybe it would be possible to kind of arch-chroot into the iso.3. Maybe the only way is to re-master the entire ISO.
I'd prefer if 2./3. would not be necessary, and would highly appreciate if you could guide me.
If you would be so kind to help me out here and ignore the rest that I've written.
For anyone that doubts that I've put the time in to solve this by myself, read below, for anyone that believes me, please skip the following part, because it's just for those that doubt me, in the hopes that it proves that I've seriously tried my best.
This introduces the opportunity to point something out, for anyone that cares to read more, if there would be the bbcode to create a spoiler, I'd love to do so here, just to have the following in the same post.
While giving the reader the chance not to see any of it.
This questions seems dumb and it looks like I'm just not dedicated enough to do my own research, correct ?
I agree with you, that just given the information above, it looks like that.
That's why I've spend some serious time to visually represent and guide you through my research process, please consider the idea is not to make the question more efficient, since I believe the core of the question is already asked.
However, the purpose is to show you the reason why 'dumb' questions, are not necessarily 'dumb' for the person that is asking the question, ultimately calling a question simple, dumb, or reacting in any other from that shows the person that asks the question, that not the question, but the person asking the question behind the screen 'is dumb', so consider that while answering.
Now, it's been a long time coming, and I've solved many issues, where I agree with you that many of the questions here on the forum are truly just asked due to a lack of determination, or are they?
Anyway, feel free to read, ignore or reply to my question, anyway I've taken the liberty to write down my ideas why things are like they are.
This question contains three main sections.
1. [One] The misunderstanding.
2. [Two] The attempted solutions.
3. [Three] An explanation of why there are so many dumb easy questions on this forum. Tl;Tr, you will have to pretend that you know nothing and just read what's written below [Three], if you do that, you are allowed to empathize more.
When you create a new .iso with archiso https://archlinux.org/packages/?name=archiso (a utility that I'm entirely grateful for, and will never be able to understand) you actually do not end up with only a bootable .iso,
but within the .iso is an EROFS, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EROFS.
Now, I never used customize_airootfs.sh but from what I understand it's been the only way to achieve the execution of an additional set of commands before the creation of the read only EROFS/ISO.
I always thought that customize_airootfs.sh would be the way to go, but since it's depreceated, maybe that is even better to finally understand the proper way of achieving this.
In my case, I have my personal firefox profile,
which I'm able to manage as long as the destination is read/write,
since .iso, specially the EROFS is read only, there the problem occurs.
How do I make firefox start with my personal profile on the live .iso
I got the idea that it's possible from https://justbrowsinglinux.com/
But, at least I am unable to figure out how the creator of this awesome project combined a custom firefox profile with archiso.
https://github.com/justbrowsing/justbro … ox-profile
There is some documentation, but I need some additional help understanding what the author is writing about there, if you would be so kind.
https://justbrowsingcd.tumblr.com/post/ … ivecds-and
While writing this, I thought to myself, surely there are other ways of tricking firefox in using my personal profile that's stored somewhere, but that's not the question.
I do not need another tricky way, since the goal is to finally understand what is considered best practise in this case.
Which leads me to point [Three], which I know will trigger some folks out there, however just hear me out and try to empathize.
I wish nothing more to be on your level and not having to spend my time asking stupid questions, but that's not the case.
Most of you advanced user did have the pleasure to own hardware, and gradually grow, advance with technology.
It's been my experience that the gap of knowledge is so wide that, not having the ability to ask a question appropriately, leads to toxic replies and comments, also on this forum.
While in reality people would rarely interact with each other in such a rude and unhelpful way, the internet has become a place for many to blow of some steam.
I'm simply asking, is that not a little bit contrary to what Free and Open Source Software is all about?
On the other hand, when I see the amount of posts that some administrators have collected over the past, it's clear to me that after answering the 10.000th 'dumb' question, there might not be as much energy for empathy left, as there once was.
At that point, you gotta ask yourself, why do you choose to spend your time here on the forum. Wouldn't that be the right question, instead of ... ?
So, as I wrote, I've taken the liberty to write down in [Three], how my journey searching for answers usually looks like, which is usually a combination of not knowing enough, yet, outdated information and not having the skills to search for the up-to-date information.
The ArchWiki is a great resource, but requires a fair amount of pre-knowledge before it becomes useful.
Once, a newb asks on the forum, there is usually a very simple explanation, to how to fix it.
Most people do just want that simple explanation, and go on with their lifes, essentially taking the knowledge, time of others to improve their own life, without necessarily ever having the thought of giving back.
And I'm not free from that either, nobody knows what will happen in the future, all I'm trying to express is that it's not very easy to get involved purely due to the fact that over the years Arch has been somewhat of an elite-invite-only-club, at least that's my impression.
Not invite-only because anyone is trying to do that, but just because of the fact that it's so hard to catch up with the knowledge required to really connect with the people that are capable of implementing changes.
And that's why I wrote [Three].
I do believe if you take the time, take a deep breath and pretend to know only the basics, you will see how hard it actually is to do research on your own, and maybe, just maybe it will help you come up with new ideas on how to make it easier for newbs to catch up, which would in return ultimately help you save you time, by not even having to see as many 'dumb' questions as there are now, because a new and improved Arch Wiki would enable the newbs to really figure stuff out themselves.
https://stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask
Following the guidelines of How to ask for help when you are hope-/helpless
Make sure your question is on-topic and suitable for the site.
firefox is available in the OAR and it's FOSS
even after hours of research and trying to find a solution by myself, I could not figure it out, hence as for help now here
I expect no help due to my inability to ask a question straight to the point
Now I understand even less
Search and research before posting to find existing answers or related questions.
I know that I can place files in the /airootfs but
Note: Custom files that conflict with those provided by packages will be overwritten unless a package specifies them as backup files.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman … ckup_files
that seems to make things just even more complicated and it's too hard to understand for me
Write a title that summarizes the specific problem and includes relevant details.
Which sub is the correct sub to post in?
What are "relevant details?"
Introduce the problem and provide background information in the question body.
Help others reproduce the problem by including necessary code or creating a minimal, reproducible example.
[b][u][color=gold]Sorry, I'm not able to ask a question in a way that pleases you[/color][/u][/b]Include all relevant tags, such as the language, library, and specific API.
Sorry, I'm not able to ask a question in a way that pleases you
Proofread your question for clarity, readability, and accuracy.
Tried my best, to my best knowledge.
Respond to feedback and comments after posting.
Will try my best, to my best knowledge.
Seek additional resources for help in improving your question.
To my best knowledge, already done, but will keep trying.
To summarize:
As a newb, using a searchengine and then being forced to make informed decisions based on what a newb knows, separating what is outdated and what is actually the correct way of doing things.
This mechanic creates multiple problem, because how can you know something that you are trying to learn, it's a paradox.
Which slows down everyone that is highly interested in learning more, but incapable, yet, to use technology, yet, and on top of that most people expect, specially newbs to follow the status quo, that is defined by people that are very good with technology
and just because of that there might be some issues that only occur due to the fact that it's impossible to communicate for a group of people using technology, if some members of that group are incapable of using technology, if that makes sense.
Which does not necessarily mean that those members are incapable per se, but they definitely will loose their motivation really fast if other members of the group make them aware that their approach it 'dumb'.
Nobody expects you to help anyone half-arsed, all I'm saying is that most of the time, it's better now to help at all, instead of coming up with half-arsed attempts to help, which result in half-arsed solutions that bit all of us in our very own arses in the long run.
I do believe that Arch Linux is the only distro that actually still tries to keep it simple and efficient, that's why I am motivated to write down my thoughts, because I have the slightest hope that my concerns will be taken seriously.
Stay true, stay save, keep it simple.
Your friend and a fellow Arch Lover.
Offline