FireFox Q/A.. from an email I got directly.

[jeremym]

From "Anonymous":

Hi Jeremy,

I definitely enjoyed the webinar.

Our immediate need is for a method to centrally manage Firefox within the enterprise. PolicyPak seems perfect for that. We are already in discussions with management for funding.

I have a (simple) question for you (that may not have such a simple answer).

When it comes to PolicyPak and Firefox can we manage ALL aspects of Firefox?
- about:config
- Tools, Options
- Etc.

We want the ability to centrally manage Firefox just as we manage IE.

Also, how often is PolicyPak updated? And are the updates backward compatible with the previous CSEs? Or do the upgrades require a CSE upgrade across the enterprise.

Here was my answer:

Awesome questions..

So, we can get MOST but not ALL things in MOST products. That’s very specific language I’m using.. so, said another way..
We can never always apply 100% of everything in any product.

Firefox: We get to MOST things, including, many things in Tools | Options yes, also the aboutL:config.

Here’s a FF specific video demonstrating both of those things you want to do: http://www.policypak.com/products/manage-firefox-with-group-policy.html

We cannot, however, get to (right now) Firefox add-ins.. that’s on the horizon.

And we cannot get to some items like adding / revoking certificates. (I don’t know if we can ever do that one.)

So, as Laura will tell you, you can try it out, and see what’s in the Pak and what isn’t. If it’s possible to add, we’ll try, but I cannot make any specific promises.

As for the Pak questions, you DIDN’T ask these questions, but please read these too.  : http://www.policypak.com/support-sharing/preconfigured-paks.html

For the question you DID ask, yes, OFTEN, but not ALWAYS, the “older” CSE will read new Paks.. BUT, that is not recommended.

PolicyPak’s real “brains” are in the CSE. So when we have something killer / new / shiny that we can do, it’s because of the CSE. The CSE isn’t updated on any set “schedule.” There are sometimes bug fixes / hotfixes we suggest for customers in need for specific problems, but more usual.. the CSE is updated occasionally to support a huge array of features. For instance, the Item Level Targeting will be “not visible” to pre-537 CSE clients and is not supported. When we have “Firefox Add-in” support, I’m 90% sure that will require a CSE update too.

The good news is that the CSE is deployable as an MSI and drop dead simple to deploy.

Here for more Q’s and A’s as you have them.

-Jeremy Moskowitz, Founder, PolicyPak Software, Group Policy MVP