Browser Update - Firefox

Technical issues/questions of an intermediate or advanced nature.
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Ed_P
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#1 by Ed_P » 20 Jan 2021, 21:39

When the Firefox update module runs it creates a profile folder and adds it's name to the .mozilla/firefox/ installs.ini and profiles.ini. But all the current Firefox bookmarks and settings are in the old Firefox's profile folder. To keep my bookmarks/Favorites and settings I edit the installs.ini and profiles.ini files and point the new Default names to the old Firefox's profile folder.

Should I copy the files from the new Firefox profile folder to the old Firefox's folder? Or should I copy all the files from the old Firefox folder to the new Firefox profile folder and not edit the installs.ini and profiles.ini files?

Or should the Browser Selection and Update Tool do that automatically for Firefox Updates?

:%) :unknown: :hmmm:
Ed

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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#2 by Ed_P » 25 Jan 2021, 17:24

I'm the only one who uses Firefox!! :o
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#3 by AcnapyxoB » 25 Jan 2021, 18:04

Answer to your question lies in this question!

If it works according to your method, it doesn't matter which way you choose.
The newer Firefox will looks for ********.default-release profile.
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#4 by AcnapyxoB » 25 Jan 2021, 18:15

Ed_P wrote:
25 Jan 2021, 17:24
I'm the only one who uses Firefox!!
You are not the only one. I'm uing it from the time when it was a Phoenix, then a Firebird until it becomes Firefox :beer:

"While talking about the wolf he is in the pen" there is new 85.0 release: https://download-installer.cdn.mozilla. ... ases/85.0/
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#5 by Ed_P » 25 Jan 2021, 18:25

My path is Mosaic > Netscape > Firefox.

So, how do you do the updates and keep your settings and bookmarks AcnapyxoB? :%)
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#6 by AcnapyxoB » 25 Jan 2021, 18:42

Ed_P wrote:
25 Jan 2021, 18:25
So, how do you do the updates and keep your settings and bookmarks AcnapyxoB?
The update has nothing to do with the settings and profile :o
Firefox is in: /usr/lib64/firefox (64bit), /usr/lib/firefox (32bit)
and the profile is in: /home/USER_NAME/.mozilla/firefox/PROFILENAME.default-release
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/pr ... -user-data
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#7 by Ed_P » 26 Jan 2021, 01:30

My profile.ini file is in the /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/ folder. And each firefox update adds a new name for the profile.ini and a new default folder. But my settings and bookmarks are in the /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/dsxquimp.default folder and when the update release starts they aren't present.

My profile.ini file:

Code: Select all

[Install8EE4439F9AB0F49E]
Default=dxsqumip.default
Locked=1

[Profile3]
Name=default-esr-2
IsRelative=1
Path=g89thxoy.default-esr-2

[Profile2]
Name=default-esr-1
IsRelative=1
Path=zz7u6zk6.default-esr-1

[Profile1]
Name=default-esr
IsRelative=1
Path=h11c8gy9.default-esr

[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=1
Path=dxsqumip.default
Default=1

[Install84C7E5489A661753]
Default=dxsqumip.default
Locked=1

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1
Version=2

[InstallBF30F23273C142F6]
Default=dxsqumip.default
Locked=1

[Install93951F1802389310]
Default=dxsqumip.default
Locked=1
Unless I edit the Default name to be dxsquimp.default my bookmarks and etc are not picked up.

If I were to keep the new Default folder's name I need to copy my dxsquimp.default files into the update's new Default's folder.

I don't know which approach is better and why the Browser Update doesn't do it automatically.
Ed

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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#8 by AcnapyxoB » 26 Jan 2021, 06:04

Ed_P why don't you try this:

Backup existing profiles!

Copy in advance key4.db and logins.json (login passwords) from your current profile.
Export bookmarks Ctrl+Shift+O / Import and Backup / Backup

Delete existing profiles and start new fresh Firefox.
Copy/Paste key4.db and logins.json inside the new created profile and import (previously saved) bookmarks Ctrl+Shift+O / Import and Backup / Restore.

Wait for the next Firefox update to check is it OK!
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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#9 by Ed_P » 26 Jan 2021, 07:02

Backup/Import of the bookmarks looses all the associated favicons connected to the bookmarks. Deleting my existing profile folder looses all my addon Extensions.

I run a script that backs up all my Poeteus settings and customizations to a xzm module which allows me to run a customized Porteus in a safe mode, no changes saved. In my script this is the code I use to backup my Firefox system.

Code: Select all

#                  -- Browser files - Firefox --
FFPATH=`grep "Path=" /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/profiles.ini|tail -n1`; FFPATH=${FFPATH:5}
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/*.ini                         /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/addonStartup.json.lz4 /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/addons.json           /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/content-prefs.sqlite  /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/cookies.sqlite        /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/favicons.sqlite       /tmp/mod/ 
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/formhistory.sqlite    /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/key?.db               /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/logins.json           /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/permissions.sqlite    /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/places.sqlite         /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/prefs.js              /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/search.json.mozlz4    /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/webappsstore.sqlite   /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/xulstore.json         /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/Alternate*.txt        /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/Security*.txt         /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/SiteSecurity*.txt     /tmp/mod/
cp -a --parents    /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/TRRBlack*.txt         /tmp/mod/
if [ -d            /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/browser-extension-data/ ]; then
   cp -a --parents /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/extensions/*              /tmp/mod/
   cp -a --parents /home/guest/.mozilla/firefox/$FFPATH/extension*.json           /tmp/mod/
fi
The files backed up are found to have been changed after I have added or changed something in Firefox then run a changes.sh script that does a "sudo -S find /mnt/live/memory/changes -iname "*" -mmin -$X" with $X usually set to 1.

BTW I boot the Porteus systems as ISOs and for updating with the changes=EXIT cheatcode option.
Ed

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Browser Update - Firefox

Post#10 by Ed_P » 13 Mar 2021, 17:12

Adding a path to the name of my existing firefox profile to the bottom of the new firefox profiles.ini's Profile entry results in Firefox prompting me to select which profile to use when restarting it. I select my existing profile, firefox then updates the profiles.ini to use it for the new Profile which seems to solve my problem. Deleting the profiles.ini's new Profile's path line and replacing it with the one for my existing profile works also but having firefox make the change may result in changes less obvious that are important to keep.

But a new problem has shown up. The firefox updates when initially run after being activated creates a new /home/guest/.cache/mozilla/firefox/profilename-default folder. And it gets added to the save.dat file when the changes=EXIT cheatcode is used. This can result in the save.dat file growing unexpectedly and becoming corrupted. When researching this problem I found 6 or 7 of these firefox .cache folders in my 96% full save.dat file.
Ed

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