Firefox Profile, components help + transfer help
Hello:
Questions
- Can I migrate elements from a Firefox 47.0.1 profile on yosemite osx to the latest edition of Firefox (48) on el capitan osx ?
- the new "Customize (3 horizontal lines) button" on top right of menu bar. Where is the layout of this stored (I have modified mine to include the icons I wanted to), Preferably I wish to migrate this element of my Firefox Profile.
- What is the best method to feedback, "suggestions to improve" any Firefox support KB article? I could not see any link on the KB articles I was reading.
- for the Items in KB1 not in KB3, is the Mozilla recommendation NOT to transfer these OR if desired, OK to transfer into new Fx Profile? I would like to transfer my toolbar customizations (Toolbar customization)
All 3 of these KBs are very helpful. Thankyou. The intent of the feedback to make them fully in sync with each other.
Feedback relates to 3 articles:
KB1
- Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
- Share this article: http://mzl.la/1BAQULj
KB2 (mozillazine)
- Transferring data to a new profile - Firefox
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox
KB3
- Recovering important data from an old profile
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile#w_copying-files-between-profile-folders
- Share this article: http://mzl.la/1xKrzkF
KB1 appears to be a more complete list of the components of the Firefox Profile.
KB1 appears to say some slightly different information to KB2 as follows. It could be the same, but to me, non-technical it reads differently. KB1 says
- DOM storage: DOM Storage is designed to provide a larger, more secure, and easier-to-use alternative to storing information in cookies. Information is stored in the webappsstore.sqlite file for websites and in the chromeappsstore.sqlite for about:* pages.
- Stored session: The sessionstore.js file stores the currently open tabs and windows. For more information, see Restore previous session - Configure when Firefox shows your most recent tabs and windows.
KB2 says Session storage: webappsstore.sqlite - Only copy this if you deliberately keep and use many saved sessions. and no mention of chromeappsstore.sqlite KB3 does not mention these 2 components.
site specific Zoom-levels
KB1 sorted KB3 does not mention site specific zoom Site-specific preferences permissions.sqlite This file stores many of your Firefox permissions that are decided on a per-site basis. For example, it stores which sites are allowed to, or blocked from setting cookies, installing extensions, showing images, displaying popups, etc.
KB2 mentions it, but only for an old Firefox e.g. Site specific settings (e.g. Page Zoom): content-prefs.sqlite (Firefox 3 only).
KB1 mentions 3 things, that are not mentioned in KB2 or KB3
- Toolbar customization: The xulstore.json file stores toolbar and window size/position settings. For more information, see Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars.
- Security device settings: The secmod.db file is the security module database
- Plugin MIME type: The pluginreg.dat file stores Internet media types related to your installed plugins. For more information, see Use plugins to play audio, video, games and more.
Modified by jendrew
All Replies (4)
1. Can I migrate elements from a Firefox 47.0.1 profile on yosemite osx to the latest edition of Firefox (48) on el capitan osx ?
Are you avoiding updating to Firefox 48 on your Yosemite system? Doing that first would upconvert the files and potentially make them more compatible, but generally speaking, the changes between Firefox 47 and 48 are not huge.
2. the new "Customize (3 horizontal lines) button" on top right of menu bar. Where is the layout of this stored (I have modified mine to include the icons I wanted to), Preferably I wish to migrate this element of my Firefox Profile.
The prefs.js file stores many of your preference settings, plus the controls arranged on the main toolbar. It might also store the controls moved from there to other bars, but I don't do that, so I couldn't tell you for sure.
The xulstore.json file stores other toolbar layout information.
3. What is the best method to feedback, "suggestions to improve" any Firefox support KB article? I could not see any link on the KB articles I was reading.
You can use the "Edit Tools" in the left column of an article to start a discussion or mark up changes. It's a little complicated comparing across articles. For that you might use this forum: https://support.mozilla.org/forums/knowledge-base-articles
4. for the Items in KB1 not in KB3, is the Mozilla recommendation NOT to transfer these OR if desired, OK to transfer into new Fx Profile? I would like to transfer my toolbar customizations (Toolbar customization)
The articles are written with certain assumptions in mind. For example, you might set up Firefox Sync to share data between two different Firefox profiles, or you might just need one particular kind of data.
If you want to do a wholesale transplant of your old profile to the corresponding location on the new system, you can do that. See the next reply.
The trick with copying an old profile folder to the corresponding location on a new system is that Firefox won't notice it. Therefore, you can instead create a new profile, remove its contents, and replace its contents with the contents of an old profile folder. Here's how.
Overview
These are the steps described in more detail below:
- Create a new Firefox profile (Firefox 47+)
- Remove everything from that new profile folder
- Copy in everything from the old profile folder
Before you start, have the old folder handy somewhere, for example, on an extenal hard drive, flash drive, or on the desktop.
Create a new Firefox profile (Mac)
In Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Return to load that page.
Click the "Create New Profile" button and assign a name like OldSettings. Ignore the button for changing the folder location and click Finish.
Next, scroll down and below the Profile: OldSettings box, click the "Set as default profile" button.
Then scroll back to the top of the page and click the "Restart normally" button. This should quit Firefox and start Firefox up in that new profile.
Open the New Profile folder in Finder
Firefox in the new profile should look like a factory fresh installation. Open the Troubleshooting Information page using either:
- "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
- Help menu > Troubleshooting Information
- type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Return
In the first table, click the "Show in Finder" button. Firefox will launch your brand new profile folder in Finder.
Leaving that folder open, switch back to Firefox, and Quit using either:
- "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
- (menu bar) Firefox > Quit
When Firefox closes, the Finder window showing the new profile folder should be front and center, or you can activate it.
Copy Old Data in Place of New
In that new profile folder, select all of the contents and delete it, so the folder is now empty.
Leaving that window open, open or switch over to your old profile folder. At this level you should see a folder named bookmarkbackups among other things. You want to make sure you're at that top level and not in a subfolder and not outside the folder.
Select everything and Copy.
Switch to the empty new profile folder in other window and Paste. This may take a minute since some of the files are large.
Start Firefox
Firefox should start up in that "new" profile with the resurrected old profile data. Success?
thankyou jscher2000. A very helpful reply.
by your replies -- it appears I missed highlighting an aspect. Apologises.
I am creating a brand new Fx Profile in OSX El Captain (brand new image on macbook) and wish to transfer components of my old Fx Profile. I do not wish to migrate the complete Fx profile at all/do not want to wholesale transplant my old profile.
answers to your questions. 1) Are you avoiding updating to Firefox 48 on your Yosemite system? No. No longer an option to upgrade F48 on Yosemite OSX.
2) I wont transfer prefs.js as Mozilla recommends not to. So I have screenshots of these settings. What would be great is if the toolbar and this custom button (3 horizontal lines) could be transferred as that is UI fiddly.
Is there a way to find out where the settings for Custom Button (3 horizontal lines icon is stored?
What does "other toolbar layout information" mean? Does it mean the toolbars but not the main toolbar?.
3. Thankyou
4. Sorry, I dont think my question was understood. In the KB on transfer it says if Mozilla recommends to transfer the component or not. In that KB there are 3 components missing (as listed above). My question is -- is it Mozilla recommendation NOT to transfer these?
5. new question: Where is the "tiles" configuration stored e.g. my current settings that I followed using this KB "Hide or display Tiles in New Tab". I have 9 tiles only showing and pinned 7 tiles and dont have anything else.
Thankyou for your help
jendrew said
What would be great is if the toolbar and this custom button (3 horizontal lines) could be transferred as that is UI fiddly.
Is there a way to find out where the settings for Custom Button (3 horizontal lines icon is stored?
The layout of buttons and controls on your toolbars and your application menu are conveniently stored in prefs.js under this preference (... is the actual data):
user_pref("browser.uiCustomization.state", "...");
You can transplant that data into your new prefs.js in place of the default value of that preference. There could be some discrepancies caused by differences in extensions, but Firefox should add anything that's missing.
What does "other toolbar layout information" mean? Does it mean the toolbars but not the main toolbar?
For example, which bars are displayed and which are not, the length of the address bar on the main toolbar, and the sizes of various windows and dialogs. Nothing earth shattering.
5. new question: Where is the "tiles" configuration stored e.g. my current settings that I followed using this KB "Hide or display Tiles in New Tab". I have 9 tiles only showing and pinned 7 tiles and dont have anything else.
Your pinned tile addresses are stored in prefs.js under this preference (... is the actual data):
user_pref("browser.newtabpage.pinned", "...");
The tiles you have X'd off the page might be stored in this preference, but the addresses are coded in a weird way that I don't understand, so... it could relate to entries in your old history rather than being a list of actual addresses.
user_pref("browser.newtabpage.blocked", "...");