Custom downloads dir reset to default after prefsCleaner but `browser.download.dir` value is correct? [solved: override browser.download.folderList]

🟥 https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js/wiki/5.2-Troubleshooting

• I have read the troubleshooting guide, done the checks and confirmed this is caused by arkenfox
  • unchecked issues may will be closed as invalid

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🟪 REQUIRED INFO

Browser version & OS

Firefox 100.0 / Arch Linux / arkenfox user.js 100

Steps to Reproduce (STR):

1. Create a new profile with firefox -P
2. Launch Firefox once using the new profile
3. Set a custom download directory in Settings > General > Downloads
4. Close Firefox
5. Re-open Firefox: the custom download directory is still used in Settings > General
6. In about:config - browser.download.dir value is correct:
7. Close Firefox
8. Add the following in user-overrides.js:

   user_pref("browser.download.useDownloadDir", true);
   

10. Run updater.sh and prefsCleaner.sh 11. Open Firefox 12. In Settings > General > Downloads, the download directory is reset to default (~/Downloads): 14. Yet, in about:config: browser.download.dir value is still using my custom directory:

Note: Since I don’t have any ~/Downloads directory, when I click on “Browse…”, the file picker starts in my $HOME directory.

If I manually change the download directory again and close Firefox, it’s working as expected. But it’s reset again after running updater.sh and prefsCleaner.sh.

Expected result:

My custom download directory is persistent after each updater.sh and prefsCleaner.sh run.

Actual result:

My custom download directory is reset to default after each updater.sh and prefsCleaner.sh run.

Anything else you deem worth mentioning:

This started to occur a few days ago with my main profile. My custom download directory was always used before, even after running updater.sh and prefsCleaner.sh.

I also tried different directories but it doesn’t make any difference. FWIW, browser.download.lastDir value is also using my custom download directory, even after applying updater.sh and prefsCleaner.sh.

Did I miss any new override(s)?

Thanks.

[remyabel2]

I believe I identified the issue. I did a diff between prefs.js and the backup and found this preference: browser.download.folderList If this is set to 1, it sets the directory preference to default, setting this to 0 in users-override.js fixes the issue.

Note: I don’t fully understands how this preference works so take my comment with a grain of salt.

As far as the Linux perspective goes, I checked the PKGBUILD for Archlinux and they don’t set any distro specific preferences.

[remyabel2]

It is edge case. I do not think the majority of people would be enabling browser.download.useDownloadDir (most of the threads I’ve seen were complaining about new download behavior). Otherwise the setting of browser.download.folderList does not pose a problem from what I can tell.

For troubleshooting, I would just say “check the source RPM/PKGBUILD/whatever of your distro to see if they set any vendor preferences”.