868843 - Unify the handling of cache directories in the profile folder

Status: UNCONFIRMED

(Core :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Palmer Eldritch]

I have a profile in a custom folder, syncing it to a windows and a linux machine via dropbox. In the folder FF creates :

.\startupCache
.\Cache
.\jumpListCache
.\mozilla-media-cache
.\OfflineCache

which at least are clearly caches (although there is no documentation some place central for all of them) but also :

.\thumbmnails
.\safebrowsing

which look like caches of one sort or another - again no docs !

Now I am able to move the Cache/ dir using about:config (maybe not in linux though 
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=721277) - but I have to enter a absolute file path (!!), which is a no option

The situation needs amending 

1. it takes space where it probably shouldn't
2. it takes effort to exclude those folders from backup
3. the user's profile is no dumping place for temp files (I recently had to debug a total screw up of the browser (see : http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2700323) and _once again_ I had to exclude the cache folders from Beyond compare) - really this is most important, please realize people _work_ in this folder
4. the caches change frequently and some engineers do not even name them as such - why thumbnails and not thumbnailCache ??!!? - so every couple releases one has to google for new folders turning up in the profile - what a waste of effort !
5. it feels like a code smell - and it does lead to bugs :
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=572243
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=752407

some of which are _security_ bugs

______________________________________

I suggest that a radio button preference is added to the advanced tab
Cache location[the location of firefox cache folders]
* System Application Folders [default - like AppData\Local in windows - out of the user's face]
* In the profile folder [default when the system has no default place for such data]
* Specify [X:\MyRamDisk\]

If this is not feasible an about:config preference should be added and clearly documented, like cache_folders_parent_directory

Internally _you should handle all caches in a unified manner *including a naming scheme*_, which could be camelCaseCache as it is now - to not break many scripts. They should be treated the same in private browsing (not created - I guess this makes safebrowsing into a different beast)

I would mark this priority major considering the loss of time and headaches it has caused - and extra lines of code in scripts

Thanks :)

Comment 2

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

Reopening as a Windows bug.
But works for me even if creating a profile in a custom location.

Comment 3

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

I must be half asleep... Indeed cache folders are mixed with other profile data if the profile is created in a custom location. I think this is a valid RFE.

Comment 4

[[:Aleksej]]

(In reply to Masatoshi Kimura [:emk] from comment #2)
> Reopening as a Windows bug.

Maybe you wanted to reopen this as filed for All, and change bug 804731 back to Windows…

Comment 5

[[:Aleksej]]

…or maybe not, since there was some discussion.  But then this bug is also not platform-specific.  Though I've mainly edited the bugs in the first place to connect them with each other, so they are not completely untriaged when there are patches, possibly already applied.

Comment 6

[Masatoshi Kimura [:emk]]

The NS_GetSpecialDirectory implementation is highly specific to platform and I'm not familiar with other platforms' convention.

Comment 7

[Palmer Eldritch]

As I commented in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=804731#c6 - think this is more of a bug than a RFE - as already the Cache is created outside the "roaming" profile the behavior should be consistent for custom location profiles