"Disable pre-fetching" should not interfere with DNS prefetching settings

[temtemy]

Prerequisites

• I verified that this is not a filter issue
  • Filter issues MUST be reported at filter issue tracker
• This is not a support issue or a question
  • Support issues and questions are handled at /r/uBlockOrigin
• I performed a cursory search of the issue tracker to avoid opening a duplicate issue
  • Your issue may already be reported.
• I tried to reproduce the issue when...
  • uBlock Origin is the only extension
  • uBlock Origin with default lists/settings
  • using a new, unmodified browser profile
• I am running the latest version of uBlock Origin
• I checked the documentation to understand that the issue I report is not a normal behavior

Description

When I install uBlock Origin in Pale Moon 33.3.0, it flips the network.dns.disablePrefetch by itself, since the "Disable pre-fetching" checkbox in the uBlock settings is ticked by default. The add-on will keep trying to flip the pref every restart. I don't believe this is correct behavior, especially now that Pale Moon has enabled DNS prefetching by default which will confuses users who have uBlock and most likely have pre-fetching disabled.

DNS prefetching is not the same as the content prefetching uBlock intends to block, since the former will only connect to the DNS server the user has configured. It will not bypass the user's filters, and therefore at the very least it should be separated out to its own checkbox, not ticked by default.

A specific URL where the issue occurs

N/A, as this affects one of the browser's prefs, not a webpage

Steps to Reproduce

1. Check that network.dns.disablePrefetch is false
2. Install uBlock Origin

Expected behavior:

network.dns.disablePrefetch should stay the same

Actual behavior:

network.dns.disablePrefetch is flipped to true the moment you install, as well as the moment you restart while the add-on is enabled.

Your environment

• uBlock Origin version: 1.16.4.30
• Browser Name and version: Pale Moon 33.3.0
• Operating System and version: Windows 11 23H2 x64

[temtemy]

@UCyborg I wonder if we can have this issue fixed in your fork?