updating browsers effect: is it possible to keep the settings

[francois]

For reasons of security, we are asked to update browsers like firefox, google-chrome-stable, and others regularly.

Each time that I upgrade the browser, I loose the settings. Instead of reinstalling anew, is it possible to keep the settings of the previous browser version? I am interested in doing so with firefox and google-chrome-stable.

Any enlightning suggestion will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Ed_P]

I can relate. What I did with my Firefox 110 update is start the new release then exit it and edit the /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini's Install*'s Default= name to be equal to Profile0's Path='s name. When I restarted Firefox I selected the 1st setup option and was done. My favorites, extensions, cache sizes, etc were all there.

Code: Select all

[Install7930325786C2BC47]
Default=ple67xm3.default-release
Locked=1
 :
 :
 :
[Profile0]
Name=default-release
IsRelative=1
Path=ple67xm3.default-release

[francois]

Great!

Do you have the answer for google-chrome stable?

[Ed_P]

Do you have the answer for google-chrome stable?

Have never used chrome.

Added in 1 hour 35 minutes 30 seconds:
This will help you with the Firefox updates.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
# Upgrade to Firefox 110

FOLDER=`cat /etc/porteus-version`
FOLDER=${FOLDER##*v}
FOLDER=${FOLDER:0:3}
FOLDER="porteus$FOLDER"
PSW=toor
OLD=94
NEW=110

if [ $FOLDER == "porteus4.0" ]; then PSW=guest; fi

if [ -e /mnt/live/memory/images/firefox-$OLD*.xzm ]; then
   echo Deactivating $OLD
   echo $PSW | sudo -S deactivate /mnt/$DRV/$FOLDER/Modules/firefox-*.xzm  > /dev/null 2>&1 &
   sleep 2
   cp /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/profiles$OLD.ini
   cp /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/installs.ini /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/installs$OLD.ini
fi
if [ ! -e /mnt/live$NEW/memory/images/firefox-*.xzm ]; then
   echo Activating $NEW
   echo $PSW | sudo -S activate /mnt/$DRV/porteus5.0/Optional/firefox-*.xzm  > /dev/null 2>&1 &
   sleep 2
fi

nohup firefox > /dev/null 2>&1 & 
disown
sleep 2 

ls -lgt --color=never --group-directories-first /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/

echo
echo -e "\033[1;31m Close Firefox & edit profiles.ini's Install*'s Default= name"
echo -e " to be equal to Profile0's Path='s name. \033[0m" 
sleep 3
xed /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini
read

echo -e "\033[1;31m When Firefox restarts select the 1st setup option. \033[0m"
echo -e "\033[1m Check for Extensions: "
echo -e " favicon-customizer, StopAll Ads & Emoji Cheatsheet \033[0m"
echo
echo -e "\033[1;31m And if successful copy the new Firefox to the /Modules folder. \033[0m"
sleep 7
nohup firefox > /dev/null 2>&1 & 
disown
sleep 2
exit

[francois]

Google-chrome-stable:
If you are synced withe your email account, the updated version will automatically boot all the information under the google-chrome-stable browser. You can also select which information will be synced.
https://chrome.google.com/sync?hl=en-US
https://workona.com/blog/how-to-restore-tabs-chrome/

I did not noticed much as I used firefox more often in these last years.

[Testuser]

Hi Francois,

I always have a separate settings xzm module for my firefox or librewolf browser, so i only need to create updated browser module only.

Create a module of the settings files located in /home/guest/.librewolf - here librewolf is my browse (see for firefox which has same setup).

prefs.js - browser preference settings file.

extensions - This folder has all added extensions.

datareporting folder - This will be created always used for telemetry and home calling, so I removed all permission of this folder, so that no file will be created in this and is sent to the Owner of program.

places.sqlite - This is exact copy of your bookmarks.

As shown in the screenshot I kept rest of the files because removing them will always load a fresh browser without my custom settings.

Hope this helps you.

https://ibb.co/pzkKS30

[Ed_P]

Do you use a script to save your settings Testuser?

[francois]

Bumping as very useful to me.

[francois]

Bumping.

[Ed_P]

What I do for Firefox updates:

Before activating the update I make a backup of the /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/installs.ini and profiles.ini files.
In the profiles.ini I make note of the Path= value in the Name=default-release Profile.

Code: Select all

[Profile1]
Name=default-release
IsRelative=1
Path=ple67xm3.default-release

After I install the new release I review the new profiles.ini and change the name of it's install's Default to be the same as previously noted.

Code: Select all

[InstallFE437B5FC261A631]
#Default=gkrgbm2v.default-release-1
Default=ple67xm3.default-release
Locked=1

There's also this posting that may help you francois: Some useful settings for Firefox (Post by Tolkem #84145)

[M. Eerie]

Apart from Tokem's excellent contribution on custom Firefox online profile creation, and the files indicated by Testuser, there are other files that should be considered when backing up the browser profile. For example, "cert8.db" or "cert9.db", which contain the certificate store (including personal ones).

Because of this and because Mozilla updates from time to time the content included in a profile, I think it is convenient to make a backup of the entire profile folder, and for this there is the rych oneliner, or the bbprofile script.

If the profile starts to get fat (because e.g. it includes ublock-origin databases) and you don't like that, it is always good to pull another browser with an empty profile, import the relevant data as a backup and then use Tolkem's proposal to start with a preconfigured profile to the user's liking.

Doing a vaccum of sqlite3 databases and such is inefficient in my opinion, because they are going to be compressed anyway when creating the module, and if you omit them, you force the browser to recreate them again every time an extension goes live.

Just my .02$

[Kulle]

Hi all,

I use Firefox Portable.
There is a Firefox_portable folder on the USB device or hard drive.

This folder contains:
the firefox folder, the profile folder and the run script (loader.sh)

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
"$PWD/firefox/firefox" -no-remote -profile "$PWD/profilefolder"

Firefox always updates itself when you use it
All settings (in the profile folder) are retained.

Very comfortable, you don't have to worry about anything.
A detailed explanation (but in German):

https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Portable_Firefox/

However, this does not correspond to the modular concept of Porteus,
but I now use a number of programs not as xzm modules, for example Appimages

[rych]

Firefox always updates itself when you use it
All settings (in the profile folder) are retained.

Indeed. I also use a portable self-updating installation of Firefox itself. People who use Firefox xzm need to regularly manually update that xzm from a server. As for the Profile folder -- I have it mounted as an xzm module at boot. The run script (loader.sh) on exit makes me a new up-to-date FirefoxProfile.xzm while saving the FirefoxProfileOld.xzm just in case to the /optional folder -- but all that is perhaps an unnecessary complication.

[Kulle]

Hi rych,
I use Firefox with a VPN addon.
The profile folder has become bigger and bigger over time
Now already 1.1 GiB

Is it possible to delete something in it ?

[rych]

Now already 1.1 GiB

That's typical: my 422MB FirefoxProfile.xzm when mounted is also around 1GB. It's worth investigating. If we find out what could be discarded between restarts, in rebuilding FirefoxProfile.xzm that junk could easily be excluded. Firstly, make sure cache is not stored in the Profile. Type about:cache to find out, and maybe set the browser.cache.disk.parent_directory in about:config.

Actually, the heaviest part of my FirefoxProfile is the "storage" subfolder needed by extensions, probably Japanese dictionaries and other legit files. So I have to live with it.

I now use a number of programs not as xzm modules, for example Appimages

Me too actually. AppImages and huge standalone packages that don't need to be integrated into linux usual directory tree or be part of aufs union as there will be no changes to them. I keep those compressed as .squashfs images and mount read-only just before use. On the other hand, self-updating programs too -- those better always be in the uncompressed state. Otherwise, of course, xzm modules remain Porteus' great foundation