Re: how to run a second copy of firefox in a separate address space with no connection to the first?

[Dan Hitt <dan.hitt@gmail.com>]

Thanks Sven, and also Erwan, Curt, rpr, and Felix,


On Sun, Jul 30, 2017 at 11:54 AM, Sven Hartge <sven@svenhartge.de> wrote:
> Dan Hitt <dan.hitt@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I would like to run a second copy of firefox in debian, that is
>> completely unconnected to the first.
>
>> That is, the second copy should not share history, cookies, any kind
>> of storage, passwords, configuration, or anything else with the first.
>> It should be possible to send a signal to one (such as kill) without
>> the other being aware of it.
>
>> In essence it should run parallel to firefox like a clone (e.g., Pale
>> Moon), except using the same binary.  (But i'd be willing to copy the
>> binary if there were an easy way to just change its name to firefox2
>> or something.)
>
> Make a new user on your system, and start firefox as that user via sudo,
> adding the option "--no-remote" to the firefox command line.
>
> You might need to add
>
>  Defaults        env_reset,env_keep+="DISPLAY XAUTHORITY"
>
> to your /etc/sudoers to allow any programm running as the other user
> access to your X session.

This is a very good solution for my particular use case.

I had actually used profiles before, but not so satisfactorily.  But
that was some years ago, and may have been due to my general
ineptness.

My only modification on the solution is to use 'xhost +' instead of
giving extra privs to the new user.  This is all on a very isolated
lan so hopefully no holes there.

It has the advantage that i'm certain that information from one
firefox cannot possibly leak into the other.  And one side effect,
which i think can sometimes be an advantage, is that the downloads
cannot mix either.

dan