Firefox - Reinstall & Restore Config & Saved Info

[NevilsStation]

We're re-configuring a computer with a fresh 18.1 install.

If I save .mozilla and .thumbnails from the existing MX-17 install and overwrite the default versions Firefox creates,
will that recover tabs, bookmarks, etc?

(I'm not sure why I am thinking I need to save .thumbnails, perhaps not?)

Thanks!

[sanlav]

1. Never used : Firefox or Thunderbird => simply copy .mozilla or .thurderbird from your backup.

2 Used : delete .directory-used and replace it with the backup.

Regarding thumbs, etc... problem mentioned I used the above method since Mx-16 -> Mx-18 (3 times at least because of a small problem with Pulseaudio) -> Mx-18.1 and even my usual NoJS addon for Firefox got along.

[Gerson]

Just copy the .mozilla folder that is hidden in the home and when you install the new system, delete the created folder and replace it with the one you copied.

[skidoo]

no need to copy thumbnails.
Profile directory created by an older version of firefox can be read+updated when copied to a system running a newer version, but not vice versa (profiles created by, or updated for use with, newer versions may be unusable by older versions of the browser).

[asqwerth]

https://mxlinux.org/wiki/system/hidden-dot-files

Read the section on mozilla.

[fiuewpg,vc]

it seems with Firefox 70 (Installed with MX 19) that they want to force you to make a Firefox profile online, and do this by making it impossible to import your old data. Does anyone know a not super-complicated way to get around this? I have no interest in having an online firefox profile.

[BV206]

it seems with Firefox 70 (Installed with MX 19) that they want to force you to make a Firefox profile online, and do this by making it impossible to import your old data. Does anyone know a not super-complicated way to get around this? I have no interest in having an online firefox profile.

Mozilla basically screwed everybody. Firefox versions after about 68 and Thunderbird versions after about 67 or 68 (I don't remember exactly when they changed) will no longer let you simply copy the profile folders. You can't even do it with the same version installed on different machines or different OS/partitions on the same machine. I have been trying to figure this out but have not had 100% success.

First save your good profile, back up any custom extension or addon settings (if they are capable of saving/exporting/importing settings or data).

You can try copying your old good profile folder (.mozilla or .thunderbird) running in a terminal
firefox -ProfileManager or thunderbird -ProfileManager
and select the old profile. That doesn't always work.

You can try copying your old good profile folder, then
Look for the sub folder with the random characters in the name
Look for the profiles.ini file and installs.ini (if it exists) file, edit those so that the random-character profile names match or change it to something non-random.
Delete any other profiles listed.
Then run firefox -ProfileManager or thunderbird -ProfileManager and select the correct profile.
That might not work either.

If nothing else you will have to let it create a new profile.
First rename your old folder from .mozilla or .thunderbird so the new installation doesn't mess with it.
Then copy to the new profile:
bookmarks files (favicons.sqlite, places.sqlite), cookies (cookies.sqlite), saved passwords (key4.db, logins.json)
and for Thunderbird:
Address book (abook.mab), saved passwords (key4.db, logins.json), mail folders.

If you do that then you will have to redo any custom settings and modifications and reinstall all addons, extensions and custom search engines. I don't use many addons so I don't know how much they affect other things in the profile.

Another thing I found that appears to work better is purging the repository versions of firefox and thunderbird and using the versions downloaded from Mozilla's web site. I run them from my home directory but that is probably too complicated for many users and can create other issues like GIMP and LibreOffice depending on installed firefox.

I found that if I do that I can copy the profiles from my main linux installation on the HD to a MX live USB and I only have to run them with the -ProfileManager once if I copy a profile. It appears to work with no issues at all in Thunderbird but on Firefox none of the extension icons appear in the toolbar so I have to disable them, restart firefox , and enable them.

[fiuewpg,vc]

Thanks for your reply.
Yeah I had a bit of a poke around and tried changing some of the random hashes in the profiles.ini file but it almost seemed like Firefox knew I was trying to do that and restoring its stupid online profile demand.
What I ended up doing was copying over the essential bits of data, which I found here (somehow): https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/pr ... -user-data, into the new profile i had been forced to create.
I didnt care so much about my settings or whatever, just didnt want to lose bookmarks, passwords, history etc.
Stupid cloud computing bullcrap! (afaiac)
& always this kind of stuff dressed up in "we're just trying to look after you"... no dignity