permanent "private browsing" mode?

[Eli the Bearded]

Some simple web searches turn up instructions for making Firefox be
"private browsing" all the time. However, these instructions seem to
amount to turning off history. I already do that, but that's not the
full functionality of Private Browsing.

This:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Private+Browsing#w_can-i-set-firefox-to-always-use-private-browsing

for example mentions the "Never remember history" setting, but it is
also careful to describe it as "effectively" in Private Browsing.

One difference I have observed is that HSTS "supercookies" don't survive
closing a Private Browsing window, but will survive a "no history" window.

On HSTS "supercookies":

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/02/02/anatomy-of-a-browser-dilemma-how-hsts-supercookies-make-you-choose-between-privacy-or-security/

Anyway, my concern today and here is: can I make all windows all the
time be Private Browsing?

(And smaller bonus question: how can I make private browsing windows
start with an empty tab instead of the Private Browsing 101 page?)

I'm not afraid to "void my warrantee", but I prefer to use recent
released (so not beta or bleeding edge or LTS) versions.

Elijah
------
history smystery

[»Q«]

In
<news:mailman.635.1456796679...@lists.mozilla.org>,

Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:

> This:
>
> https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Private+Browsing#w_can-i-set-firefox-to-always-use-private-browsing
>
> for example mentions the "Never remember history" setting, but it is
> also careful to describe it as "effectively" in Private Browsing.

For me, it says "this is equivalent to always being in Private Browsing
mode." That's wrong -- it's not equivalent; Private Browsing mode
does much more than not remember history.

> Anyway, my concern today and here is: can I make all windows all the
> time be Private Browsing?
>
> (And smaller bonus question: how can I make private browsing windows
> start with an empty tab instead of the Private Browsing 101 page?)

AFAICT, this still works:
<http://www.ghacks.net/2009/12/22/autostart-firefox-in-private-browsing-mode/>.
After setting that pref, you won't get any indication in the UI that Fx
is in private mode (neither the domino mask icon nor the 101 page).