Tuning TIps for the Mozilla Firefox web browser

Over the years, FireFox seems to have become increasingly greedy, and one can experience slowness and delays on less less powerful machines.

If you enter and select about:config in the URL entry box, you will be presented with an interface which allows you to change values internally significant to FireFox.

(Note: about:config and about:preferences links unfortunately seem to need to be entered manually).

Prior to doing that you should go to about:preferences and turn off everything which obviously competes with your basic text entry.

about:preferences (Settings)

General

Specifically, uncheck all the following...

   [ ] Search for text when you start typing
   [ ] Enable picture-in-picture video controls (Learn more)
   [ ] Control media via keyboard, headset, or virtual interface (Learn more)
   [ ] Recommend extensions as you browse (Learn more)
   [ ] Recommend features as you browse (Learn more)

I have a note to disable HTTPS DNS in settings, but looking at settings (preferences) today I cannot find that.
I found it later, but I'll leave the waffling to indicate obscurity. At the bottom of "General Settings", select Settings... under "Network Settings". That opens a popup entitled Connection Settings. Scroll right to the bottom and unselect...
     [ ] Enable DNS over HTTPS

Privacy & Security

Under the "Privacy & Security" options, under "Firefox Data Collection and Use" uncheck everything so data is not sent to Mozilla...
I.e.
    [ ] Allow Firefox to send technical and interaction data to Mozilla (Learn more)
        [ ] Allow Firefox to make personalized extension recommendations (Learn more)
    [ ] Allow Firefox to install and run studies (View Firefox studies)
    [ ] Allow Firefox to send backlogged crash reports on your behalf (Learn more)

Search

Under the "Search" options, basically disable search suggestions, i.e. uncheck all of...
    [ ] Provide search suggestions
        [ ] Show search suggestions in address bar results
        [ ] Show search suggestions ahead of browsing history in address bar results
        [ ] Show search suggestions in Private Windows
(Some of these settings are annoyingly easy to accidentally turn back on).

Also, at the top may want to turn on..
    (o) Add search bar in toolbar

about:config

In addition to all that, within about:config the following seem to have positive effects.

    dom.serviceWorkers.idle_timeout 1000 (default 30000)
    dom.serviceWorkers.idle_extended_timeout 30000 (leave as default for now)
    network.dns.disablePrefetch true (seems to help a little)
    network.dns.disableHttpsPrefetch true (is default)
    accessibility.browsewithcaret_shortcut.enabled false
    browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.improvesearch.topSiteSearchShortcuts false
    javascript.options.compact_on_user_inactive_delay 30000 (default 300000)
          (Seems to make BIG difference)

-- AdrianPepper - 04 Apr 2022