Cannot change Ubuntu-Mate desktop to my homepage

Support & Help Requests
#1

I want my homepage as Start page. Ubuntu-Mate overrides it and I cannot get rid of it. Please help.

#2

Hello,

you are using 16.10, right?

Close Firefox.
Then go to /usr/lib/firefox/ and delete the file ubuntumate.cfg (with sudo rights).
Now you can change your prefered homepage.

Does it work?

You can see the full history here.

Best regards

EDIT
Deleting the file with sudo rights:

  1. Open a terminal (Press ALT + F2 and type in terminal )
  2. In terminal: gksudo caja /usr/lib/firefox/ (password needed)
  3. Delete the file ubuntumate.cfg
  4. Close the caja window.
1 Like
#3

From another post: (if you would rather not delete anything)

Go to usr/lib/firefox and within that directory open (as Root/SU) ‘ubuntumate.cfg’.

Change the default URL to your own personal preference and save. Done!

Goes without saying you should probably do this whilst Firefox is closed :slight_smile:

#4

Hi @reb68,

open Firefox > Edit > Settings and where it states what the homepage should be, click on “Use Current” (making sure you are already on the desired start page!). :smiley:

#5

Hello @wolfman,

that works on 16.04, but not on 16.10. This is a bug. Please see here.

#6

I tried changing it in Preferences and it does not work in 16.10. I did
as instructed in a previous post (EDIT
Deleting the file with sudo rights:

  1. Open a terminal (Press ALT + F2 and type in /terminal/ )
  2. In terminal: |gksudo caja /usr/lib/firefox/| (password needed)
  3. Delete the file |ubuntumate.cfg|
  4. Close the caja window.)

Now I have lost Firefox as well. I had to go to a different web browser
to try to follow this. Please tell me how to get Firefox back. I tried
installing the new 50.0 Firefox but do not know how to proceed.

#7

Hello @reb68,

i tested my own tip in Ubuntu MATE 16.10 and got an error after deleting this file and starting firefox. (there seems to be a different between firefox 49 and 50…?)

So this seems not to work. Did you get an error too?

Another idea:
Close firefox.
If you have already deleted the file ubuntumate.cfg pleae create a new empty document at /usr/lib/firefox/ and name it ubuntumate.cfg
If the origin file is available try to delete the contet to get an empty file.
Restart firefox and set your homepage in firefox settings.
Does this work?