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Using files from a backed-up Linux /home folder tree, how do I get those bookmarks into new installation?

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  • Last reply by tom9

tom9
tom9
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Before posting this, I read available info about importing-exporting-backups but unfortunately, I've become very confused.

Situation:

On my home PC, I backed up my Ubuntu+Mint /home folder trees [dual-boot setup] onto a flash drive. In both Ubuntu+Mint, I used Firefox 3.6.3

Now I've installed Mint with Firefox 3.6.3 on a new hard drive.

In my new Mint+Firefox installation, how do I use the file(s) in my backed-up /home folder trees to give my new Firefox these same bookmarks?

I never "exported" or "backed up" my bookmarks; I just copied my entire /home folder trees onto flash drive, assuming the files would be there when I need them. I see a bookmarks.html file in my new installation but it seems to have only toolbar links, and not the few bookmarks I've created in the past few days. And I don't know how to deal with the file "places.sqlite"

Should I find the "places.sqlite" files in the backed-up /home folder tree, and copy/paste them somewhere onto the new hard drive?

I don't want to risk experimenting with all this--might hurt myself!

Thanks very much.

Before posting this, I read available info about importing-exporting-backups but unfortunately, I've become very confused. Situation: On my home PC, I backed up my Ubuntu+Mint /home folder trees [dual-boot setup] onto a flash drive. In both Ubuntu+Mint, I used Firefox 3.6.3 Now I've installed Mint with Firefox 3.6.3 on a new hard drive. In my new Mint+Firefox installation, how do I use the file(s) in my backed-up /home folder trees to give my new Firefox these same bookmarks? I never "exported" or "backed up" my bookmarks; I just copied my entire /home folder trees onto flash drive, assuming the files would be there when I need them. I see a bookmarks.html file in my new installation but it seems to have only toolbar links, and not the few bookmarks I've created in the past few days. And I don't know how to deal with the file "places.sqlite" Should I find the "places.sqlite" files in the backed-up /home folder tree, and copy/paste them somewhere onto the new hard drive? I don't want to risk experimenting with all this--might hurt myself! Thanks very much.

Chosen solution

Firefox 3 and later no longer use bookmarks.html to store the bookmarks.
You can restore the bookmarks from the most recent JSON back in the bookmarkbackups folder or copy places.sqlite to the current Firefox profile. Both methods will replace the current bookmarks with the new bookmarks, so I you need to preserve existing bookmarks then export them to an HTML file and import that file afterward.

See:

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cor-el
cor-el
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Chosen Solution

Firefox 3 and later no longer use bookmarks.html to store the bookmarks.
You can restore the bookmarks from the most recent JSON back in the bookmarkbackups folder or copy places.sqlite to the current Firefox profile. Both methods will replace the current bookmarks with the new bookmarks, so I you need to preserve existing bookmarks then export them to an HTML file and import that file afterward.

See:

tom9
tom9 Question owner
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Thank you for reply. For a newb, it's confusing to see a file named Bookmarks.html; to learn that auto-backed-up bookmarks are .json; and that bookmarks are kept in the file places.sqlite. It's hard to determine what's what, and why! But, I did read your linked article, and a few others; I think I'm beginning to get it.

Thx again--you're a champ!