[SOLVED] Firefox cache vanished

[SomeDamFool]

On my laptop Firefox used to store the cache in ~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/cache. At about FF 10 it started storing cached items in ~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/cache/(gazillions of numbered subfolders).

With FF 12 the cache disappeared altogether; there is no cache folder. about:cache tells me it's ~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/OfflineCache, but nothing ever appears in that folder either. There is a file index.sqlite in there that is 256 Kb and stays that size, but nothing else.

I tried making a cache folder and adding to about:config

browser.cache.disk.enable value: ~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/cache

but still nothing appears in the cache folder no matter how many sites I open. I even looked in ~/.cache and /usr/share/mozilla, but found nothing.

Question: Where the *bleep* does FF 12 store the cache?
Mike

[dd_wizard]

That field should be a boolean, and should be set to "true". If you want to control the directory, you have to add "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory" and set its value to the path.

dd_wizard

[SomeDamFool]

Originally Posted by dd_wizard

If you want to control the directory, you have to add "browser.cache.disk.parent_directory" and set its value to the path.

dd_wizard

That is in fact what I did, but I copied the wrong string to my post... my bad. Anyway it doesn't use that directory even if set as above. I restarted the browser, tried logging out, etc. Still no cache... anywhere.

The browser still performs well however, no matter what I change.
Mike

---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:34 PM ----------

AND, about:cache shows:

Memory cache device
Number of entries: 202
Maximum storage size: 22528 KiB
Storage in use: 612 KiB
Inactive storage: 612 KiB
List Cache Entries

The last line is a link that when clicked shows a long list of links, but there is still nothing in the cache folder.

[dd_wizard]

Hmm, this is what I see in about:cache:

Information about the Cache Service

Memory cache device
Number of entries: 	79
Maximum storage size: 	23552 KiB
Storage in use: 	250 KiB
Inactive storage: 	247 KiB
List Cache Entries

Disk cache device
Number of entries: 	2450
Maximum storage size: 	102400 KiB
Storage in use: 	64590 KiB
Cache Directory: 	/tmp/firefox-gene/Cache
List Cache Entries

Offline cache device
Number of entries: 	0
Maximum storage size: 	512000 KiB
Storage in use: 	0 KiB
Cache Directory: 	/home/gene/.mozilla/firefox/a3hgwzu3.default/OfflineCache

Notice I have three devices? Did you miss the disk and offline cache by not scrolling down, perhaps? I have my disk cache in /tmp because it's a tmpfs, which runs faster and gets cleaned at reboot.

dd_wizard

[SomeDamFool]

There are two entries for about:cache. The second one is:

Offline cache device
Number of entries: 0
Maximum storage size: 512000 KiB
Storage in use: 0 KiB
Cache Directory: /home/mike/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/OfflineCache

Both of the entries were there before I added my string to about:config, and remain the only two after I added my string. BTW this is the case on both my laptop and desktop machines since updating to FF 12.

[PabloTwo]

Instead of trying to look in "~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/cache", why not try looking in "~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/Cache".

BASH:~/-> du -hs /home/paul/.mozilla/firefox/*.default/Cache
115M	/home/paul/.mozilla/firefox/4n30p67e.default/Cache

[dd_wizard]

If I go to about:config and toggle browser.cache.disk.enable to false, the disk cache section disappears from about:cache. Have you checked to make sure it is a boolean, and set to true?

dd_wizard

[SomeDamFool]

Pablo Two,
That folder does not exist. I created the folder /cache and made the path ~/.mozilla/firefox/qav0z3zp.default/cache

dd_wizard,
browser.cache.disk.enable is set to true

[PabloTwo]

The default "cache" for Firefox 12 is ~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxx.default/Cache

CAPITAL "C" in the folder /Cache. This is Linux, case matters.

[SomeDamFool]

Pablo Two
Before FF 12 it was cache (small c) but after your last post I tried changing it to Cache, and changed the path in about:config, but it made no difference. It still doesn't show up in about:cache and nothing appears in the folder when the browser is open.

I also tried making a folder /tmp/cache (also tried /tmp/Cache) and setting the path but that didn't work either.
Mike

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 PM ----------

I noticed the problem when I was in xxxxx.default and noticed there was no cache (or Cache) folder. I figured they moved it but couldn't find one anywhere, I even looked in /usr/share/mozilla.

I thought no problem, just make one and set the path in about:config... but nothing I've tried will recognize it, and I can't figure out why.

---------- Post added 19th May 2012 at 07:56 AM ---------- Previous post was 18th May 2012 at 10:44 PM ----------

I found out on Mozilla's Bugzilla that in FF12 if you have set to clear private data when you close FF, the cache is disabled. Uncheck that option and a Cache folder appears in xxxxx.default, BUT you have to uncheck it globally you can't just uncheck cache. Checking even one item, like history also disables the cache and the folder disappears.

So with cache disabled it must be caching to memory because if there is a Cache folder present in xxxxx.default it shows in about:cache but the memory cache entry disappears.
Mike