Firefox questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I'm an enthusiastic user of Firefox. I have some questions for the "pros"
out there though.

1. Extensions. I back up the Firefox installation files to CD as I upgrade
each version. I would also like to backup some of the more useful extensions
in case they should ever disappear. How do I do that? Where do I find them
on my harddrive? In the future, if I want to re-install Firefox from the CD,
how would I go about "manually" installing the extensions again? (In
Firefox, it seems you can only install directly from the extensions'
website.)

2. Is is possible to edit the bookmarks file directly using NVu or similar?
I tried to do it, but mucked it up. When I re-opened Firefox, the bookmarks
weren't visible and even the previous ones had disappeared. Is there some
special format I should be following when editing the file?

M
 
2. Is is possible to edit the bookmarks file directly using NVu or similar?
Click to expand...

I love the browser, but just what were they thinking about with they
bookmarks??? It is one of the more obscure and difficult features.
 
1. Extensions. I back up the Firefox installation files to CD as I upgrade
each version. I would also like to backup some of the more useful extensions
in case they should ever disappear. How do I do that? Where do I find them
on my harddrive? In the future, if I want to re-install Firefox from the CD,
how would I go about "manually" installing the extensions again? (In
Firefox, it seems you can only install directly from the extensions'
website.)
Click to expand...
I usually don't install the extension directly from the 'net location. I
download the .xpi file by shift-clicking it then install it from where I
saved it locally by dragging it onto a Mozilla window. Doing it that way
lets me archive the extension setup file and reinstall if needed without
having to find it again.
2. Is is possible to edit the bookmarks file directly using NVu or similar?
I tried to do it, but mucked it up. When I re-opened Firefox, the bookmarks
weren't visible and even the previous ones had disappeared. Is there some
special format I should be following when editing the file?
Click to expand...
The easiest way to edit the bookmarks file is by using the menu item
Bookmarks/Manage Bookmarks. Editing the order or Properties of a
bookmark (rightclick Properties or ctrl-i) is pretty straightforward
that way. I have done it with a text editor but its not pretty.

HTH.
 
I usually don't install the extension directly from the 'net location. I
download the .xpi file by shift-clicking it then install it from where I
saved it locally by dragging it onto a Mozilla window. Doing it that way
lets me archive the extension setup file and reinstall if needed without
having to find it again.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that trick. I did find a tutorial on-line about how to do it, but
it was somewhat difficult. Your method seems dead easy in comparison.

M
 
Just save them as .xpi files.
Click to expand...

When you do that, you might want to make some notes about which version
each xpi file is and which versions of Firefox it works with.
 
When you do that, you might want to make some notes about which version
each xpi file is and which versions of Firefox it works with.
Click to expand...

Well, with the new extension system this won't be as necessary for much
longer, since each extension is clearly marked for a given version and
the browser will automatically uninstall extensions that arean
t marked as usable for it.

In theory, this should help make extensions more useful and less error
prone as you upgrade.



Aaron (my email is not munged!)
 
Well, with the new extension system this won't be as necessary for
much longer, since each extension is clearly marked for a given
version and the browser will automatically uninstall extensions
that arean t marked as usable for it.

In theory, this should help make extensions more useful and less
error prone as you upgrade.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think they have made vast improvements to extension-handling.
It looks like by the time the 'technology preview' phase is over, all
the kinks will have been hammered out. I expect they will learn a lot
as people migrate from 0.9 to 1.0 (both with this new system), and that
future upgrades between 1.x versions will make keeping all settings
easy and transparent.
 
Back
Top