[SOLVED]cant change web start page in firefox

I have just upgraded from Zorin 6 to Zorin 9. My /home folder was on a seperate partition and I have kept it for all my setting and files.
my problem now is Firefox has reset the home page to zorin-os/start and I can not change it. if I do change it in prefs it resets to zorin-os/start on firefox restart.
any idea how to change this as I have a dedicated server with a website I prefer as my start page.
Thanx for any help on this matter.

Hi, To start with, Welcome! For future reference, most browsers Menu bar is hidden - the same command unhides them - press the 'F10' key and the menu bar will be shown - then click on 'View' and select 'menu bar' so it does not disappear again!

Then, go to 'Edit | Preferences' from the Menu and 'General Tab' should be showing - go to the entry that says 'http://zorin-os.com/start/' and highlight and enter your server address!

[Oh dear, forgot FireFox does not allow posting of pictures - will have to save screenshot to hard drive, then repost in Opera on LXLE 14.04!

have done both suggested. menu bar is visible I can type urls in fine and change pages. can reset homepage in prefs fine (change works until closing firefox), problem is after quitting firefox or rebooting system homepage resets to zorin-os/start

Found homepage hard set in /etc/firefox/sysprep.js

user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://zorin-os/start/");

just changed it to my preferred address.

Great Job! 120 blue jewels to you sir for great detective work! (I must admit I did not like the second window when Firefox launches - had me shuddering about 'Lenses' in Ubuntu main stream - I wonder if you turn all history off in Privacy settings would have achieved the same results?

I can't change my Firefox home page to Google.com.... everytime i change it in preferences it resets back to the Zorin os start page which i dislike...

Found homepage hard set in /etc/firefox/sysprep.js

user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://zorin-os/start/");

just changed it to my preferred address.

Does not work for me. Getting frustrated and thinking of installing Mint instead.

Does not work for me. Getting frustrated and thinking of installing Mint instead.

I haven't upgraded to 9 yet and am still running 8.1 without homepage issues. I just took a look at the file on my system and everything is commented out as follows:

// This file can be used to configure global preferences for Firefox
// Example: Homepage
//pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/");

You may want to try commenting everything out as well. Certainly worth a try.

BTW, I just came back to Zorin from Mint 17 because my teenage kids hated Mint.

kengator

I just installed on a second system with same results. homepage locked to zorin-os/start

changed /etc/firefox/sysprep.js
from user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://zorin-os/start/");
to user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://www.google.ca/");

after reboot homepage now google

by the way commenting it out did not help at all.

I just installed on a second system with same results. homepage locked to zorin-os/start

changed /etc/firefox/sysprep.js
from user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://zorin-os/start/");
to user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://www.google.ca/");

after reboot homepage now google

by the way commenting it out did not help at all.

I tried that but you have to save it after altering right?.. if that's the case, then it wouldn't let me save it...

You should open it with admin rights.

In terminal run:

sudo gedit /etc/firefox/sysprep.js

oops my bad, just noticed I've been saying sysprep.js its /etc/firefox/syspref.js.
madvinegar is right. you need to be admin to edit and save it.
also if you dont like the Zorin skin you can change it in the same file
change pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "Zorin");
to pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "default");

OK now for the real fix-- synaptic package full uninstall of Firefox ( firefox and xul-ext-webaccounts also xul-ext-zorin-theme)
reboot and install firefox with Zorin Web Browser Manager.
can now change all prefs including startpage without anything being locked.

OK now for the real fix-- synaptic package full uninstall of Firefox ( firefox and xul-ext-webaccounts also xul-ext-zorin-theme)
reboot and install firefox with Zorin Web Browser Manager.
can now change all prefs including startpage without anything being locked.

Thanks Jonas99, i will give that a try ...

OK now for the real fix-- synaptic package full uninstall of Firefox ( firefox and xul-ext-webaccounts also xul-ext-zorin-theme)
reboot and install firefox with Zorin Web Browser Manager.

Jonas99: You may want to post the step-by-step fix for this in the How-to section of this forum...I'm seeing more and more of same Firefox startpage questions being asked.

kengator

Jus tried it all ways listed !! Did not work ! Any other ideas ?

Hi - I responded in the Global announcement - I have uninstalled firefox and installed opera using web browser manager - instructions to reinstall firefox there!

Update - removing and reinstalling with command line brings back the same issue - suggest you go to mozilla firefox site and download .deb file from there - will try this now myself!

Have updated the Global announcement for a sure fire way of sorting it out! (Perhaps that should be sure firefox way! )

Please see updated post:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7855#p37945