About:Config Mods to New Profile

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
Post Reply
User avatar
costark
Posts: 548
Joined: July 14th, 2004, 5:03 am

About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by costark »

EDIT: Would really appreciate a look at my last Post ref: [ about:config ][browser.search.openintab, true ]

I followed some Mozilla Help Notes about transferring suggested Files & (ie) bookmarkbackups to a new Profile BUT what I really need help with is the Modifications to [ about:config ] I've previously made. THERE were NO PROBLEMS in the old Profile, just a prefernce about .Default and .Test extensions.

My NEW Profile ends in [ .Default ] and the prior Profile ended in [ .Test] , and I believe about:config Changes are in [ prefs.js ].

Surely there is a PATH issue for Associating the old Profile Prefs.js File to the NEW PROFILE Name, So HOW do I do that - AND - do I need to do the same for [ prefs-1.js AND prefs-2.js ]?

I'm Not an expert so please phrase answers for a non-techie. MANY THANKS!!
Last edited by costark on May 10th, 2017, 1:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
W10 22H2 - SSD-HDD i5 12G -
User avatar
dickvl
Posts: 54145
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by dickvl »

First this:
You shouldn't have numbered prefs-1.js AND prefs-2.js temp files.
The presence of such numbered files indicate that there was a problem with renaming the numbered temp file to replace the actual prefs.js file (its file date will show you when this happened).
If you intend to keep using this profile then you can remove these numbered files.

You could copy the prefs.js file from one profile to another profile, but it is usually not recommended because this file stores a lot of profile depended data (e.g. timers).

What kind of settings in particular are you interested in?

You can check the file in a text editor to see if you can identify settings you want to move over and copy them over to the prefs.js file in the current profile with Firefox closed or copy them to a user.js file.
Do not forget to rename/remove the user.js file after you have started Firefox once because this file is parsed on every Firefox start and would undo changes you made to involved prefs in the previous session.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/user.js_file
Brummelchen
Posts: 4480
Joined: March 19th, 2005, 10:51 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by Brummelchen »

Surely there is a PATH issue for Associating the old Profile Prefs.js File to the NEW PROFILE Name
no, there is not.

profile path is set into profiles.ini and prefs.js belongs to the profile, but it has no relationchip to the path!
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profiles.ini_file

at least there exist no special form of the profile name - it has to be set in profiles.ini - see link above.

if you like to backup files go in firefox -> about:support, open profile folder, quit firefox, enable all files (system&hidden) in explorer and use a packager of your choice to backup all data. (or copy the whole profile including profiles.ini (read above).

picking only some elements from profile is not recommended!
User avatar
costark
Posts: 548
Joined: July 14th, 2004, 5:03 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by costark »

Thanks, dickvl & Brummelchin .... it turns out a number of about:config member lines I had Mod'd aren't in V53.
They had more recently involved multi-Forum notes on Security, Privacy, etc. but I found just a few of the original List and changed them per notes.
I killed the "Site is Insecure Popup" manually and am satisfied to leave things as is.
[ B: "picking only some elements from profile is not recommended!" ] The Mozilla Help notes generally name about 12 Files and 3 Folders to Copy/Paste and I followed that without issue ... particularly since my Profile was Without Problems when I created a new one.
Thanks again for the Replies and education.

P.S. ghacks.net has an FF section & is sometimes a reference for FF mods in the AskWoody.com blog I follow; The following is an example if you're interested.....
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/30/firef ... s-changes/
W10 22H2 - SSD-HDD i5 12G -
User avatar
costark
Posts: 548
Joined: July 14th, 2004, 5:03 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by costark »

costark wrote:Thanks, dickvl & Brummelchen .... it turns out a number of about:config member lines I had Mod'd aren't in V53.
They had more recently involved multi-Forum notes on Security, Privacy, etc. but I found just a few of the original List and changed them per notes.
I killed the "Site is Insecure Popup" manually and am satisfied to leave things as is.
[ B: "picking only some elements from profile is not recommended!" ] The Mozilla Help notes generally name about 12 Files and 3 Folders to Copy/Paste and I followed that without issue ... particularly since my Profile was Without Problems when I created a new one.
Thanks again for the Replies and education.

P.S. ghacks.net has an FF section & is sometimes a reference for FF mods in the AskWoody.com blog I follow; The following is an example if you're interested.....
https://www.ghacks.net/2017/04/30/firef ... s-changes/
I had edited my last post for no bump to Forum top but think the ghacks.net FF "blog" on- FF 53 user:js - Mods may be of interest to some of you, so read just above. FF TAB is 4th from Left at Top for future reading...
W10 22H2 - SSD-HDD i5 12G -
User avatar
dickvl
Posts: 54145
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by dickvl »

Keep in mind that if you set a pref via user.js then you can only change this pref temporarily for the current session.
The user.js file is read on every start and although the new state will be saved to prefs.js in case you make changes in a session when you close Firefox then on the next start these changes will be lost because user.js is evaluated after prefs.js has been read.
So only use user.js to set prefs that you never want to change permanently or you want them in a known state and also do not include prefs that Firefox sets to keep track of specific actions and database versions.

There is nothing against copying specific files from one profile to another as long as you know what you are doing and know what files and folders you shouldn't copy.
Database files that store personal data (e.g. bookmarks, sessionstore, passwords, persdict) are OK, but others that store specific data (session data or website data) are best left out.
User avatar
makaiguy
Posts: 16878
Joined: November 18th, 2002, 6:44 pm
Location: Somewhere in SE USA
Contact:

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by makaiguy »

Or to put it another way ... you can use user.js temporarily to xfer settings. If you're only using it for a one time xfer of settings, after you start and stop FFox one time user.js will no longer be needed and can be deleted, as those settings will now be recorded in an updated prefs.js file.

If, on the other hand, you want those settings to be used each and every time you start up FFox, no matter what you may have changed them to in your previous session, then leave user.js in place.
Doug Wilson
Win10 64bit: FF 115.0.02 64bit, TB 102.12.0 32-bit ║ Android 13/10: FF 115.2.0/115.0.1 ║ No TB for Android available, dammit!
What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away - Doobie Brothers
Brummelchen
Posts: 4480
Joined: March 19th, 2005, 10:51 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by Brummelchen »

i dont use the ghacks user.js - i can not foresee how deep it will impact my firefox - and i call myself more experienced than regular. ofc i use a user.js but entries are set wisely.
User avatar
costark
Posts: 548
Joined: July 14th, 2004, 5:03 am

Re: Move About:Config Mods to New Profile

Post by costark »

One last item and I'll leave you guys alone.

EDIT: 5/11/17 ..... I discovered IF I initiate the Search by Pressing "ENTER" it opens in a New Tab; IF I Clk the Search Bar Arrow it Opens in the SAME Tab.
Good enough for me.

To Open a Search in a New Tab I know two ways that require One extra step - BUT - a prior MozillaZine KB article & 2 Online sites say that IF
[ browser.search.openintab ] is set to TRUE in about:config then a Search from the Search Bar will Open in a New Tab - AND it does NOT. (A Search FROM the Address bar actually does but subsequent Searches use that same Tab.)

I even created a user.js File and the results in - prefs.js - Appeared to look like other lines - BUT No Change. Deleted entry in user.js, and even tried False for the about:config entry.

Can anyone get this to work, IF you're interested in having it .....
No big project intended If this is not an easy answer.
Thanks again for all the Replies. Just trying to Learn.
W10 22H2 - SSD-HDD i5 12G -
Post Reply