Installing Firefox/BonEcho 2.0 while keeping 1.5.0.7

[Alfred Neuman]

It would be really nice if the profile manager would keep track of the profile for each version and not have to ask you each time you started one of them.

[the-edmeister]

There is no way to assign a specific Profile to a specific installation thru Firefox; that has to be done thru the Operating System, either thru the Desktop Shortcut or thru a Batch File.

You need to modify your Desktop Shortcut to include the name of the Profile that you want launched with that Shortcut. In the image below the -no-remote Argument is so that you can launch Firefox when another version is already running; "2.0_09-16-06-C" is the name of the Profile to be launched with that Browser Shortcut. There must be a space before and after the -p Command Line Argument, whether you need the -no-remote Argument or not.




Ed

[Alfred Neuman]

Thanks, the-edmeister. It works as you say.

[kgbme]

(not that surprising since I learnt it from Ed, haha)

ahaha! That's great man, thanks for that comment!

[dfsjr47]

My operating system is Ubuntu Linux and as part of the software load it loads Firefox 1.5.0.7... I want to load FF 2.0 RC1 for testing purposes and I have a problem. When I load in the tar file and un tar it it loads into a directory called firefox. When I go to setup the profilemanager it steals control from the installed 1.5.0.7 build. Now both builds are using the same profile. So far this has worked, but if I encounter a problem on FF RC1 it corrupts my 1.5.0.7 program profile. Question is (In laymans terms) how do I go about making FF RC1 have it's own profile. Hopefully with a name such as .mozillaRC1 or something like that.

Any help broken down into language a moron could understand would be appreciated. I am at witts end trying to figure this out. HELP!!!!!!!


Donnie

[Frank Lion]

Just a little extra tip on this :

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 61#2484861

Sometimes, if you are really flying about from version to version (this applies more to testing) you can just make a mistake i.e. open up a Firefox 3 version when you have your normal Mozilla Folder for Firefox 2 profile on. Not good idea! (don't ask). You can get around this possibility by making sure that that you have MORE THAN one profile in your Firefox 2 Mozilla Folder. You don't have to use them, just make them.

Then, if by accident, you ever start up a FF3 version on that, then you will confuse the hell out of it and it will be forced to bring up the ProfileManager to ask you which profile to use....which sorta reminds you, haha.

[Alfred Neuman]

I came to the conclusion that having two versions of FF installed at the same time just isn't worth it. As Frank Lion suggested above, strange things can happen. (Don't ask!)

If you don't like RC1, you can always go back.

I wiped out everything and started over with RC1 and it is working perfectly.

[hhh]

To avoid problems with multiple versions of Firefox, use Vectorspace/the edmeister's batch file method...
http://the-edmeister.home.comcast.net/a ... -file.html

Please note that the Profile Name in the start path should match the profile as it appears in the profile manager, not in the profile folder (ie; minefield, not 83774f.minefield). A shortcut to the bat file comes in handy. I run Firefox, Bon Echo and Minefield side by side with no problems using this method.

[the-edmeister]

I run Firefox, Bon Echo and Minefield side by side with no problems using this method.

Heck, I run 5 different versions/profiles simultaneously that all use the same bookmarks.html file with no problems. It is neat to have two different Profiles running and tiled in windows, with the Sidebar (in both windows) open - I add a new bookmark in one and watch it appear in the other like magic. Simple things like that amuse me at times. I know I need a real life, but I can't find a website to sell me one!


Ed

[hhh]

I run Firefox, Bon Echo and Minefield side by side with no problems using this method.

Heck, I run 5 different versions/profiles simultaneously that all use the same bookmarks.html file with no problems.

oh, poo

I know I need a real life, but I can't find a website to sell me one!

lol

[LZ]

The -profile option is also noteworthy: Just use firefox -profile c:\some\path\to\profile, and firefox will use this folder as profile folder. The folder just has to exist, if its empty, a new profile will be created there.
The second advantage: The profile doesn't have to be registered in the profile manager! No risk to mess up the default profile if you just want to start a different version!

Thanks for this useful advice. This is the simplest method.

urichter,
Thanks. I suspect nothing gets added to the profiles.ini file (and thus the Profile Manager) when starting a Profile in that manner. I'm gonna have to test that out this coming weekend, it might help me cut down on the number of Profiles (47 now) listed in my profiles.ini file.

From my experience nothing gets added to the profiles.ini file.

[the-edmeister]

The -profile option is also noteworthy: Just use firefox -profile c:\some\path\to\profile, and firefox will use this folder as profile folder. The folder just has to exist, if its empty, a new profile will be created there.
The second advantage: The profile doesn't have to be registered in the profile manager! No risk to mess up the default profile if you just want to start a different version!

That is a very good method that I had not thought to explore myself. I have created a number of new Profiles using your method, and I also created a few Profiles away from the Default Folder using the Profile Manager to see the results, and to be able to make a comparison between the two methods.

I have come up with a few differences using both methods that are worth mentioning:
1. the Chrome folder doesn't get created
2. blocklist.xml file is missing
{a new file to 2.0 - an addons-blocklist retrieval URL that isn't yet used, AFAIK}
3. the searchplugins folder is missing {new to 1.5 versions}

Also noted, but not surprising:
1. the Cache folder was created in that Profile folder
2. XPC.mfl is present
3. XUL.mfl is present
{rather than those three things being in \Local Settings\Appl Data\}

It doesn't make a difference whether the new Profile is created thru the Profile Manager or not, creating the Profile in other than the default location produces these anomalies.

I had no problem creating the Chrome folder and 'migrating' a searchpluins folder from another Profile. The three things I called "not surprising" sure make it easier for a user to create their own "portable" version, with these turning up in the Profile folder rather than \Local Settings\ or being lost entirely.


Ed

[LZ]

2. blocklist.xml file is missing
{a new file to 2.0 - an addons-blocklist retrieval URL that isn't yet used, AFAIK}

My default profile folder for Firefox 1.7 is:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ud6ulzv4.default

My new profile folder for Firefox 2 created by using -profile option is:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla.1\Firefox\Profiles\BonEcho20061008
As I can see the file blocklist.xml is present in my new folder.

[Vectorspace]

Anyone know why this was unstickied?

[GeraldB]

I'm just Joe User, but to me this was an informative sticky that I referred to a number of times.