TenFourFox - Really Slow

[AmazingHenry]

When I made the Tiger Transition recently, I was really impressed with TenFourFox. Page loads were similar to LWK, and the webpages were really responsive!

However, with a few weeks use, TenFourFox is really, really slow now. I find myself using Camino more and more. I have @Altemose's/@eyoungren's tweaks installed, yet it's still really slow. It was never like this before, I don't know what's happened.

So, what are some good ways to speed up TenFourFox? Also, anyone else had this issue?

Thanks,
Henry

 

[eyoungren]

There has to be some other variables involved. What's changed?

I've had my prefs file installed on multiple computers and never experienced any slowdown over time.

There can be some slowness in intial startup until you've browsed a few pages, but nothing that causes it to revert to not working.

Sometimes in copying from place to place the browser will reset cache settings, so you might check there, but that's a rare issue.

Does your hard drive check out?

 

[KawaiiAurora]

When I made the Tiger Transition recently, I was really impressed with TenFourFox. Page loads were similar to LWK, and the webpages were really responsive!

However, with a few weeks use, TenFourFox is really, really slow now. I find myself using Camino more and more. I have @Altemose's/@eyoungren's tweaks installed, yet it's still really slow. It was never like this before, I don't know what's happened.

So, what are some good ways to speed up TenFourFox? Also, anyone else had this issue?

Thanks,
Henry

Never had a browser slow down tooo much before. Gonna ask the usual things you probably have done tho. Tried using a new profile, nuking all TFF settings files and using another version of TFF?

 

[Slix]

This might be a silly question, but are you using the incorrect version of the G4 TenFourFox, if you're on a G4?

Read more about it here: https://github.com/classilla/tenfourfox/wiki/WhichVersion

 

[Dronecatcher]

Maybe you have a plugin that has autoupdated since your first installation and is causing some issue?

 

[AmazingHenry]

There has to be some other variables involved. What's changed?

I've had my prefs file installed on multiple computers and never experienced any slowdown over time.

There can be some slowness in intial startup until you've browsed a few pages, but nothing that causes it to revert to not working.

Sometimes in copying from place to place the browser will reset cache settings, so you might check there, but that's a rare issue.

Does your hard drive check out?

Nothing has changed. I have no add-ons, no ad-blockers, etc. As for my hard drive, it's not an SSD and it's pretty old, but all other apps (even TenFourBird) run just fine.

Never had a browser slow down tooo much before. Gonna ask the usual things you probably have done tho. Tried using a new profile, nuking all TFF settings files and using another version of TFF?

Didn't even think to use a new profile. Nuking all settings would be the same thing as deleting the profile, right?

This might be a silly question, but are you using the incorrect version of the G4 TenFourFox, if you're on a G4?

Read more about it here: https://github.com/classilla/tenfourfox/wiki/WhichVersion

Yes, using correct version.

Maybe you have a plugin that has autoupdated since your first installation and is causing some issue?

As said above, no plugins or add-ons installed.

 

[Dronecatcher]

As said above, no plugins or add-ons installed.

Without any plugins I'm surprised TFF was even quick to start with! I have to use Noscript to even have a hope of using TFF.

 

[KawaiiAurora]

Nothing has changed. I have no add-ons, no ad-blockers, etc. As for my hard drive, it's not an SSD and it's pretty old, but all other apps (even TenFourBird) run just fine.

Didn't even think to use a new profile. Nuking all settings would be the same thing as deleting the profile, right?

Yes, using correct version.

As said above, no plugins or add-ons installed.

By nuking all settings I'm suggesting you delete all TenFourFox files (but the only folders in the TenFourFox data folder is the profiles folder, right?).

 

[pochopsp]

History, cookies, etc... Do you keep or delete them?

 

[eyoungren]

Without any plugins I'm surprised TFF was even quick to start with! I have to use Noscript to even have a hope of using TFF.

^^^This.

@AmazingHenry. That most likely is your issue.

You will notice that my thread about tweaks also included plugins. @Dronecatcher uses NoScript. As an absolute bare minimum I wouldn't use T4Fx without BluHell Firewall and uMatrix.

You need something blocking tracking, ads and unnecessary javascript.

Stay away from AdBlock branded addons and Ghostery.

 

[coconutshrimp]

I'd offload as much work as I could from the PPC mac to a host peripheral "helper" computers. Biggest help i found was installing a network wide adblock such as https://pi-hole.net/

Just point your mac's (or any devices for that matter) DNS settings to it and you're good to go.

 

[AmazingHenry]

I'll need to install some add-ons then! I thought they slowed down TFF, that's why I didn't install them.

I'll start with NoScript, BluHell Firewall and uMatrix. I'm using Tiger, however... that shouldn't cause any problems, right?

 

[eyoungren]

I'll need to install some add-ons then! I thought they slowed down TFF, that's why I didn't install them.

I'll start with NoScript, BluHell Firewall and uMatrix. I'm using Tiger, however... that shouldn't cause any problems, right?

I would choose between NoScript and uMatrix.

uMatrix replicates the functions of NoScript and Request Policy. Hence, if you have NoScript already installed, installing uMatrix will simply duplicate NoScript's features.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Well, OK... what do you recommend?
[doublepost=1494357191][/doublepost]

History, cookies, etc... Do you keep or delete them?

Keep. If I deleted my cookies I would have to log into everything again.

 

[eyoungren]

Well, OK... what do you recommend?

Absolute minimum?

BluHell Firewall and uMatrix.

But if uMatrix is not your cup of tea (it looks complicated until you actually start using it, then it makes sense), NoScript, Request Policy and BluHell Firewall.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Absolute minimum?

BluHell Firewall and uMatrix.

But if uMatrix is not your cup of tea (it looks complicated until you actually start using it, then it makes sense), NoScript, Request Policy and BluHell Firewall.

Thanks. I'll try uMatrix. Can't learn unless you use! You have more add-ons that can be used to speed up the browser on your tweaks thread, right?

 

[eyoungren]

Thanks. I'll try uMatrix. Can't learn unless you use! You have more add-ons that can be used to speed up the browser on your tweaks thread, right?

Yep. Some of them I am not using any more because uMatrix makes them redundant but you can look through them anyway.

The trick with uMatrix is to realize that what you are "allowing/blocking" are the various third party sites that every website calls.

Light green is what uMatrix assumes as an allow default. Light red is what it assumes as a block default. You can go with the defaults or you can allow or block by clicking on the square. Then you use the lock button to tell uMatrix to save that default for that website.

Once you start clicking around you'll get what I mean and it will become an "OHHHHHHH!!!" moment.

PS. BluHell Firewall is an install and forget type addon. Unless you want to turn it off, which you do by clicking on it's icon. The ONLY site I have seen it fail to block ads on was Facebook.

However, sometimes there are some functions that a site needs that BluHell tends to block. So you may have to experiment if something isn't happening that you expect.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Yep. Some of them I am not using any more because uMatrix makes them redundant but you can look through them anyway.

The trick with uMatrix is to realize that what you are "allowing/blocking" are the various third party sites that every website calls.

Light green is what uMatrix assumes as an allow default. Light red is what it assumes as a block default. You can go with the defaults or you can allow or block by clicking on the square. Then you use the lock button to tell uMatrix to save that default for that website.

Once you start clicking around you'll get what I mean and it will become an "OHHHHHHH!!!" moment.

Was clicking around, doesn't look too hard. Block certain elements. Simple!

I installed BluHell Firewall, uMatrix, Local Load, and SpeedyFox as well in case it'll provide any additional speed.

 

[eyoungren]

Was clicking around, doesn't look too hard. Block certain elements. Simple!

I installed BluHell Firewall, uMatrix, Local Load, and SpeedyFox as well in case it'll provide any additional speed.

Well, SpeedyFox mainly allows a few basic tweaks. All of them covered by the prefs file. I put it in there because I know some people are very hesitant to mess arround inside about:config. I don't believe it should do any harm, but it's not going to be any help if you're already using my tweaks.

You may want to check that the prefs go back to the settings in my prefs file if you uninstall it though. Uninstalling it may cause it to set things back to Mozilla's defaults - which is not what you want.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Well, SpeedyFox mainly allows a few basic tweaks. All of them covered by the prefs file. I put it in there because I know some people are very hesitant to mess arround inside about:config. I don't believe it should do any harm, but it's not going to be any help if you're already using my tweaks.

You may want to check that the prefs go back to the settings in my prefs file if you uninstall it though. Uninstalling it may cause it to set things back to Mozilla's defaults - which is not what you want.

OK. If it's not harming anything, I won't remove it. Kinda lazy.
[doublepost=1494359610][/doublepost]Oh, and one more thing... Will installing other add-ons harm anything? Was browsing through the Add-ons and found some interesting ones.

 

[eyoungren]

Oh, and one more thing... Will installing other add-ons harm anything? Was browsing through the Add-ons and found some interesting ones.

No. As long as you're careful that what you're installing doesn't replicate things.

For instance, installing a referrer addon would replicate a feature already included in uMatrix. Stuff like that. It's not necessary to replicate features and may slow things down if some of those addons aren't memory efficient.

 

[amagichnich]

Some days ago I saw a YT video about Pi-Hole (see more at https://pi-hole.net/). In theorie that could speed up any browser a lot. As soon as I can get my hands on a RasPi I'll try that out.
Or maybe someone here as already been testing it?

 

[eyoungren]

Some days ago I saw a YT video about Pi-Hole (see more at https://pi-hole.net/). In theorie that could speed up any browser a lot. As soon as I can get my hands on a RasPi I'll try that out.
Or maybe someone here as already been testing it?

I saw that. It's a global ad blocker using a script. Then you have to point your router to a DNS address for it to work. A small amount of work.

That's all fine, but essentially it serves the same purpose as other ad blockers out there.

I'm not sure I understand however, what ads are you blocking when not using a browser?

There's also Glimmerblocker, which is also system-wide but allows you to control what's blocked.

It all comes down to personal preference I guess. I'm usually only using TenFourFox/Firefox so ad blocking in other browsers isn't much of a concern for me.