creating_a_cookie_log.rst

Enable keyboard shortcuts

Creating a cookie log

=====================

Creating a cookie log is often necessary to troubleshoot problems with

Firefox's cookie handling. If you are reading this, you have probably

been directed here from a bug report. Please follow the instructions

below to run Firefox with cookie logging enabled.

.. _Enabling_Cookie_Logging:

Enabling Cookie Logging

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Windows

^^^^^^^

Open a command prompt (this is under Programs or Programs/Accessories in

normal installations of Windows).

#. Change to your Firefox directory (usually C:\Program Files\Mozilla

   Firefox)

#. Type "set NSPR_LOG_FILE=C:\temp\cookie-log.txt", enter

#. Type "set NSPR_LOG_MODULES=cookie:4" and press Enter

#. Run Firefox by typing "firefox.exe" and pressing Enter.

Linux

^^^^^

Start a command shell (these instructions are for bash, if you use

something else, you probably know how to modify these instructions

already).

#. Change to the installation directory for Firefox.

#. Type "export NSPR_LOG_FILE=~/cookie-log.txt" and press Enter.

#. Type "export NSPR_LOG_MODULES=cookie:4" and press Enter.

#. Run Firefox by typing "./firefox" and pressing Enter

macOS

^^^^^

Open Terminal.app, which is located in the /Applications/Utilities

folder (these instructions are for bash, the default shell in macOS

10.3 and higher; if you use something else, you probably know how to

modify these instructions already).

#. Change to the installation directory for Firefox, e.g. type "cd

   /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS" and press Return.

#. Type "export NSPR_LOG_FILE=~/Desktop/cookie-log.txt" and press

   Return.

#. Type "export NSPR_LOG_MODULES=cookie:4" and press Return.

#. Run Firefox by typing "./firefox" and pressing Return (note that

   Firefox will launch behind windows for other applications).

Creating the Log

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that you have Firefox running with logging enabled, please try to

replicate the bug using the steps to reproduce from the bug report. Once

you have reproduced the bug, shut down Firefox. Close out of the command

prompt/shell/Terminal, and then launch Firefox normally. Finally, attach

the cookie-log.txt file to the bug where it was requested (by clicking

on Create New Attachment). It should be in C:\temp on Windows, your home

directory on Linux, or the Desktop on Mac OS X.

Thanks for helping us make Firefox better!