The browser that doesn't suck.
A Firefox fork that combines the best of all worlds: Firefox's privacy DNA, Chromium-level DRM support, V8-competitive JavaScript performance, and zero surveillance.
Part of the bob software ecosystem by Robert Pelloni.
Firefox is the last bastion against Chromium monoculture, but it has problems:
- Netflix/streaming limited to 720p (DRM/Widevine issues)
- JavaScript engine (SpiderMonkey) slower than V8
- Mozilla telemetry and surveillance by default
- Pocket, sponsored tiles, and ad partnerships baked in
- Still the best for ad blocking (Manifest V2 support)
- Still the best for privacy (when configured properly)
bobzilla aims to:
- Fix the DRM situation - full Widevine L1 support for 4K streaming
- Optimize SpiderMonkey or explore V8 integration paths
- Strip ALL telemetry and Mozilla services by default
- Keep Manifest V2 forever - superior ad blocking
- Bake in privacy settings that LibreWolf/arkenfox provide
- Maintain Firefox's rendering engine (Gecko) - no Chromium inside
- Introduce Javasandbox: A native hardware-isolated MicroVM architecture to run Java directly within the browser tab.
bobzilla pulls from multiple Firefox forks, cherry-picking the best:
| Fork | What We Take |
|---|---|
| Firefox | Base browser, Gecko engine, SpiderMonkey |
| LibreWolf | Privacy settings, telemetry removal, policies.json |
| Floorp | UI customization, vertical tabs, workspaces |
| Tor Browser | Fingerprinting resistance patches |
| Waterfox | Legacy extension support insights |
- All telemetry disabled by default
- No Mozilla accounts integration
- No Pocket
- No sponsored content
- Enhanced tracking protection on strict
- Fingerprinting resistance enabled
- HTTPS-only mode default
- Google Safe Browsing APIs disabled
- V8-Spider Integration Design
- Javasandbox MicroVM Runner-Daemon scaffolded (Rust/Tokio)
- SpiderMonkey optimizations
- Memory usage improvements
- Startup time optimization
- Widevine L1 hardware spoofing patches drafted
- Netflix 1080p/4K support verified
- Hardware video decoding improvements
- Manifest V2 preserved forever
- Native network-level ad-blocking hook drafted
- Built-in uBlock Origin (optional)
- Vertical tabs mock patches
- Floorp-style compact URL bar mock patches
- Workspaces/tab groups
- Clean, minimal default theme
- Python 3.x
- Rust (latest stable)
- Visual Studio 2022 (Windows) or GCC/Clang (Linux/Mac)
git-cinnabar(Required for fetching Mozilla sources)- ~50GB disk space
- ~16GB RAM recommended
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/user/bobzilla.git
cd bobzilla
# Bootstrap the build environment & submodules
./scripts/fetch-source.sh
./mach bootstrap
# Configure the build
cp mozconfig.bobzilla mozconfig
# Build
./scripts/build.sh
# Run
cd mozilla-unified && ./mach runbobzilla/
├── guest-os/ # Buildroot configurations for the Javasandbox MicroVM
├── mozilla-unified/ # Firefox source (submodule)
├── patches/ # Our modifications
│ ├── privacy/ # Telemetry removal, tracking protection
│ ├── drm/ # Widevine/DRM improvements
│ ├── performance/ # SpiderMonkey optimizations
│ ├── ui/ # UI customizations
│ └── branding/ # bobzilla branding
├── runner-daemon/ # Rust IPC controller for Javasandbox MicroVMs
├── settings/ # Default preferences (like LibreWolf)
├── policies/ # Enterprise policies
├── scripts/ # Build and maintenance scripts
└── docs/ # Architecture documentation
- Privacy by default - No opt-out, just private
- Performance matters - Compete with Chromium
- DRM pragmatism - We hate DRM but Netflix exists
- Community first - No corporate surveillance
- Absurdist branding - It's called bobzilla, embrace it
MPL 2.0 (inherited from Firefox)
- bobcoin - Proof-of-play cryptocurrency
- bobfilez - File organization engine
- FWBer - Dating platform
- bob's game - The game that started it all
"All browsers will eventually be bobzilla running boblang on bobos."