RetroFed Forum
Your home away from modern life.
Umbra is a Firefox ESR fork with no telemetry
Post Reply
AuthorMessage
jerry lemmy.world jerrimu@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-14
Quote

We built Umbra by forking, updating, and improving the ghostery browser build script, fern.js

Umbra removes all telemetry and outgoing requests except for codec requests ( netfix works!) All non-browsing features like AI, pocket, and profiles are also removed,

The idea behind umbra is usable privacy. By default RFP is off because it breaks websites.

You can build Umbra yourself but using the build script at https://github.com/openconstruct/user-agent-desktop

Or downod binaries for Linux/WIn at https://github.com/openconstruct/umbra/releases

64   Original
faizalr piefed.social faizalr@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-11-22
#2 · Quote Reply

Cool project. Will it support existing extension?

9
jerry lemmy.world jerrimu@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-14
#3 · Quote Reply

Cool project. Will it support existing extension?

Yeah it supports all firefox extensions. We kept the parts that don't spy on you.

14
Florencia (she/her) lemmy.blahaj.zone florencia@lemmy.blahaj.zone
Joined: 2024-10-23
#4 · Quote Reply

34
faizalr piefed.social faizalr@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-11-22
#5 · Quote Reply

Yeah it supports all firefox extensions. We kept the parts that don't spy on you.

Will it support sync between devices as well?

6
jerry lemmy.world jerrimu@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-14
#6 · Quote Reply

Will it support sync between devices as well?

I don't like browsers phoning home, even when it's convenient. You can import history/password from another browser.

11
anthropozaen feddit.org anthropozaen@feddit.org
Joined: 2025-03-10
#7 · (edited) Quote Reply

Will it support sync between devices as well?

If you want hardened Firefox with sync you could use Librewolf.

6
faizalr piefed.social faizalr@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-11-22
#8 · Quote Reply

If you want hardened Firefox with sync you could use Librewolf.

Thanks.

2
chi-chan~ lemmy.world eruchitanda@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-16
#9 · Quote Reply

I came here to ask the million dollar question, they answered it on their GitHub.

How we are differnt from Librewolf? Umbra uses the built in firefox password manager instead of recommending extensions. Netflix works, and we do not enable RFP ( resist fingerprinting ) by default as it breaks many web pages. We also have an Umbra Control Center ( about:umbra or bottom left in setting menu) that allows you to set many privacy settings and set profiles for individual web sites. ( may be more differences just the top of my head)

13
NKBTN feddit.uk NKBTN@feddit.uk
Joined: 2024-04-02
#10 · Quote Reply

I came here to ask the million dollar question, they answered it on their GitHub. How we are differnt from Librewolf? Umbra uses the built in firefox password manager instead of recommending extensions. Netflix works, and we do not enable RFP ( resist fingerprinting ) by default as it breaks many web pages. We also have an Umbra Control Center ( about:umbra or bottom left in setting menu) that ...

Nice. Now - how does it differ from IronFox?

2
jerry lemmy.world jerrimu@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-14
#11 · Quote Reply

Nice. Now - how does it differ from IronFox?

I'm not super familiar with ironfox. Currently we're only available on Linux/windows. We don't use profiles at all.

1
brbposting sh.itjust.works brbposting@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-09-20
#12 · (edited) Quote Reply

Congratulations!

Tradeoff question—

Should I expect to find some semblance of safety in sticking with the largest open source browser project I can find, given perhaps the eyeballs etc., or would you reckon not (or even perhaps the opposite, security through obscurity & Umbra is “safer” than Firefox)?

Maybe this is so “lightly” forked it’s “just” stripping + cosmetics & the risk profile is essentially identical?

2
jerry lemmy.world jerrimu@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-14
#13 · Quote Reply

Congratulations! Tradeoff question— Should I expect to find some semblance of safety in sticking with the largest open source browser project I can find, given perhaps the eyeballs etc., or would you reckon not (or even perhaps the opposite, security through obscurity & Umbra is “safer” than Firefox)? Maybe this is so “lightly” forked it’s “just” stripping + cosmetics & the risk profile...

Umbra doesn't add any security flaws to firefox. Every security fix applied to firefox esr is also applied to Umbra.

1
Shrouded0603 feddit.org orochi02@feddit.org
Joined: 2025-04-08
#14 · (edited) Quote Reply

I don't like browsers phoning home, even when it's convenient. You can import history/password from another browser.

Its encrypted tho as far as i know (Unless just privacy is your concern). But Yea to each their own

1
BrilliantBadger piefed.ca BrilliantBadger@piefed.ca
Joined: 2025-12-20
#15 · Quote Reply

Very cool indeed. Librewolf user and love it, but always need good options because you never know the future.

Definitely be checking this one out. Cheers!

3
brbposting sh.itjust.works brbposting@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-09-20
#16 · Quote Reply

Umbra doesn't add any security flaws to firefox. Every security fix applied to firefox esr is also applied to Umbra.

That makes you different eh? Love that. Means I could actually use it :D

1
hobata lemmy.ml hobata@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2025-05-06
#17 · Quote Reply

Good project, all the best to you!

2
Voxel feddit.uk voxel@feddit.uk
Joined: 2026-03-05
#18 · Quote Reply

I assume your disability is related to grammar, since there are a lot of errors in your Readme, or you might just not be that good with English yet. Whatever the case might be, it would look more trustworthy and professional if you would fix those.

Kagi Translate or LanguageTool can help:
https://translate.kagi.com/
https://languagetool.org/

0
corvus lemmy.ml corvus@lemmy.ml
Joined: 2023-06-21
#19 · (edited) Quote Reply

Interesting, I'll check it out. I see the flapak release, will you make it available from flathub?

1
jerry lemmy.world jerrimu@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-14
#20 · Quote Reply

Interesting, I'll check it out. I see the flapak release, will you make it available from flathub?

I plan on uploading it there yes

2
Delusion6903 discuss.online Delusion6903@discuss.online
Joined: 2023-06-26
#21 · Quote Reply

Nice work, keep it up. But Phoenix for Firefox and IronFox for me. They don't really interfere with my browsing.

2
Voxel feddit.uk voxel@feddit.uk
Joined: 2026-03-05
#22 · Quote Reply

Why is the source code not available in the repository? As far I know, the GitHub ToS don't allow for such use.

1
Post Reply
Back to top