Make preferences documentation more precise

[policy-templates.git] / README.md

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6a6faad13e9c64c47a423baf5446b62982e45ab7..2ffe5982e136c26a389583cc6f7f985a376e2219 100644 (file)
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ Policies can be specified using the [Group Policy templates on Windows](https://
 | **[`Permissions`](#permissions)** | Set permissions associated with camera, microphone, location, and notifications.
 | **[`PictureInPicture`](#pictureinpicture)** | Enable or disable Picture-in-Picture.
 | **[`PopupBlocking`](#popupblocking)** | Configure the default pop-up window policy as well as origins for which pop-up windows are allowed.
 | **[`Permissions`](#permissions)** | Set permissions associated with camera, microphone, location, and notifications.
 | **[`PictureInPicture`](#pictureinpicture)** | Enable or disable Picture-in-Picture.
 | **[`PopupBlocking`](#popupblocking)** | Configure the default pop-up window policy as well as origins for which pop-up windows are allowed.

-| **[`Preferences`](#preferences)** | Set and lock some preferences.
-| **[`Preferences (deprecated)`](#preferences--deprecated)** | Set and lock some preferences.
+| **[`Preferences`](#preferences)** | Set and lock preferences.
+| **[`Preferences (Deprecated)`](#preferences--deprecated)** | Set and lock some preferences.

 | **[`PromptForDownloadLocation`](#promptfordownloadlocation)** | Ask where to save each file before downloading.
 | **[`Proxy`](#proxy)** | Configure proxy settings.
 | **[`RequestedLocales`](#requestedlocales)** | Set the the list of requested locales for the application in order of preference.
 | **[`PromptForDownloadLocation`](#promptfordownloadlocation)** | Ask where to save each file before downloading.
 | **[`Proxy`](#proxy)** | Configure proxy settings.
 | **[`RequestedLocales`](#requestedlocales)** | Set the the list of requested locales for the application in order of preference.


@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ Configure sites that support integrated authentication.
 
 See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Integrated_authentication for more information.
 
 
 See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Integrated_authentication for more information.
 

-`PrivateBrowsing` enables integrated authentication in prviate browsing.
+`PrivateBrowsing` enables integrated authentication in private browsing.

 
 **Compatibility:** Firefox 60, Firefox ESR 60 (AllowNonFQDN added in 62/60.2, AllowProxies added in 70/68.2, Locked added in 71/68.3, PrivateBrowsing added in 77/68.9)\
 **CCK2 Equivalent:** N/A\
 
 **Compatibility:** Firefox 60, Firefox ESR 60 (AllowNonFQDN added in 62/60.2, AllowProxies added in 70/68.2, Locked added in 71/68.3, PrivateBrowsing added in 77/68.9)\
 **CCK2 Equivalent:** N/A\


@@ -2258,7 +2258,7 @@ The configuration for each extension is another dictionary that can contain the
 |         `normal_installed`| The extension is automatically installed but can be disabled by the user. This option is not valid for the default configuration and requires an install_url.
 | `install_url`| Maps to a URL indicating where Firefox can download a force_installed or normal_installed extension. If installing from the addons.mozilla.org, use the following URL (substituting SHORT_NAME from the URL on AMO), https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/SHORT_NAME/latest.xpi. If installing from the local file system, use a file:/// URL. Languages packs are available from https://releases.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/VERSION/PLATFORM/xpi/LANGUAGE.xpi. If you need to update the extension, you can change the name of the extension and it will be automatically updated. Extensions installed from file URLs will additional be updated when their internal version changes.
 | `install_sources` | A list of sources from which installing extensions is allowed. **This is unnecessary if you are only allowing the installation of certain extensions by ID.** Each item in this list is an extension-style match pattern. Users will be able to easily install items from any URL that matches an item in this list. Both the location of the *.xpi file and the page where the download is started from (i.e.  the referrer) must be allowed by these patterns. This setting can be used only for the default configuration. If you want to allow the install of extensions from the recommended add-ons page, you must add `about:addons` to this list.
 |         `normal_installed`| The extension is automatically installed but can be disabled by the user. This option is not valid for the default configuration and requires an install_url.
 | `install_url`| Maps to a URL indicating where Firefox can download a force_installed or normal_installed extension. If installing from the addons.mozilla.org, use the following URL (substituting SHORT_NAME from the URL on AMO), https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/SHORT_NAME/latest.xpi. If installing from the local file system, use a file:/// URL. Languages packs are available from https://releases.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/VERSION/PLATFORM/xpi/LANGUAGE.xpi. If you need to update the extension, you can change the name of the extension and it will be automatically updated. Extensions installed from file URLs will additional be updated when their internal version changes.
 | `install_sources` | A list of sources from which installing extensions is allowed. **This is unnecessary if you are only allowing the installation of certain extensions by ID.** Each item in this list is an extension-style match pattern. Users will be able to easily install items from any URL that matches an item in this list. Both the location of the *.xpi file and the page where the download is started from (i.e.  the referrer) must be allowed by these patterns. This setting can be used only for the default configuration. If you want to allow the install of extensions from the recommended add-ons page, you must add `about:addons` to this list.

-| `allowed_types` | This setting whitelists the allowed types of extension/apps that can be installed in Firefox. The value is a list of strings, each of which should be one of the following: "extension", "theme", "dictionary", "langpack" This setting can be used only for the default configuration.
+| `allowed_types` | This setting whitelists the allowed types of extension/apps that can be installed in Firefox. The value is a list of strings, each of which should be one of the following: "extension", "theme", "dictionary", "locale" This setting can be used only for the default configuration.

 | `blocked_install_message` | This maps to a string specifying the error message to display to users if they're blocked from installing an extension. This setting allows you to append text to the generic error message displayed when the extension is blocked. This could be be used to direct users to your help desk, explain why a particular extension is blocked, or something else. This setting can be used only for the default configuration.
 | `restricted_domains` | An array of domains on which content scripts can't be run. This setting can be used only for the default configuration.
 
 | `blocked_install_message` | This maps to a string specifying the error message to display to users if they're blocked from installing an extension. This setting allows you to append text to the generic error message displayed when the extension is blocked. This could be be used to direct users to your help desk, explain why a particular extension is blocked, or something else. This setting can be used only for the default configuration.
 | `restricted_domains` | An array of domains on which content scripts can't be run. This setting can be used only for the default configuration.
 


@@ -3750,9 +3750,9 @@ Value (string):
 }
 ```
 ### Preferences
 }
 ```
 ### Preferences

-Set the default and user values of certain preferences, as well as lock and clear them.
+Set and lock preferences.

 
 

-IMPORTANT: If you set a preference using this mechanism that has be set by a different policy, the behavior is undefined. You should only use one method for setting preferences.
+Previously you could only set and lock a subset of preferences. Starting with Firefox 81 and Firefox ESR 78.3 you can set many more preferences. You can also set default preferences, user preferences and you can clear preferences.

 
 Preferences that start with the following prefixes are supported:
 ```
 
 Preferences that start with the following prefixes are supported:
 ```


@@ -3783,26 +3783,32 @@ security.ssl.errorReporting.enabled
 security.tls.hello_downgrade_check
 security.warn_submit_secure_to_insecure
 ```
 security.tls.hello_downgrade_check
 security.warn_submit_secure_to_insecure
 ```

-For a given preferences, set the `Value` to the corresponding preference value.
+Using the preference as the key, set the `Value` to the corresponding preference value.

 
 `Status` can be "default", "locked", "user" or "clear"
 
 
 `Status` can be "default", "locked", "user" or "clear"
 

+Default preferences can be modified by the user.
+

 If a value is locked, it is also set as the default.
 
 If a value is locked, it is also set as the default.
 

-User preferences persist across invocations of Firefox.
+User preferences persist across invocations of Firefox. It is the equivalent of a user setting the preference. They are most useful when a preference is needed very early in startup so it can't be set as a default by policy.
+
+See the examples below for more detail.
+
+IMPORTANT: Make sure you're only setting a particular preference using this mechanism and not some other way.

 
 Status
 **Compatibility:** Firefox 81, Firefox ESR 78.3\
 **CCK2 Equivalent:** `preferences`\
 
 Status
 **Compatibility:** Firefox 81, Firefox ESR 78.3\
 **CCK2 Equivalent:** `preferences`\

-**Preferences Affected:** See below
+**Preferences Affected:** Many

 
 #### Windows (GPO)
 ```
 Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Preferences (REG_MULTI_SZ) =
 {
   "accessibility.force_disabled": {
 
 #### Windows (GPO)
 ```
 Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Preferences (REG_MULTI_SZ) =
 {
   "accessibility.force_disabled": {

-    "Value": 1
-    "Status": "default",
+    "Value": 1,
+    "Status": "default"

   },
   "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory": {
     "Value": "SOME_NATIVE_PATH",
   },
   "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory": {
     "Value": "SOME_NATIVE_PATH",


@@ -3825,8 +3831,8 @@ Value (string):
 <data id="Preferences" value='
 {
   "accessibility.force_disabled": {
 <data id="Preferences" value='
 {
   "accessibility.force_disabled": {

-    "Value": 1
-    "Status": "default",
+    "Value": 1,
+    "Status": "default"

   },
   "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory": {
     "Value": "SOME_NATIVE_PATH",
   },
   "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory": {
     "Value": "SOME_NATIVE_PATH",


@@ -3873,8 +3879,8 @@ Value (string):
   "policies": {
     "Preferences": {
       "accessibility.force_disabled": {
   "policies": {
     "Preferences": {
       "accessibility.force_disabled": {

-        "Value": 1
-        "Status": "default",
+        "Value": 1,
+        "Status": "default"

       },
       "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory": {
         "Value": "SOME_NATIVE_PATH",
       },
       "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory": {
         "Value": "SOME_NATIVE_PATH",


@@ -3888,7 +3894,7 @@ Value (string):
   }
 }
 ```
   }
 }
 ```

-### Preferences (deprecated)
+### Preferences (Deprecated)

 Set and lock certain preferences.
 
 **Compatibility:** See below\
 Set and lock certain preferences.
 
 **Compatibility:** See below\