[NOT VIABLE] Using 2 profiles of Firefox simultaneously

[ineuw]

In Windows 10, I also need (to install) a complete copy of French Firefox, unrelated to my English Profile. Is this possible?

[malliz]

Isn't there a language pack?
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... uage-pack/

[ineuw]

@malliz, kindly re-read my post. Besides AFAIK one can't install two language packs in one Firefox. That is what I am asking. Can this be done in two Profiles of does it need to be two executables as well?

[DanRaisch]

You could run a Portable version of French Firefox, with its own profile.

Alternatively, see if this old link is helpful -- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1170758

[therube]

(Other then the "install" part...)

You can certainly run multiple separate instances & versions of FF.
It used to be simple - prior to FF 67.
(You would use the -no-remote switch & you were done.)

Today, oh who knows.
At this point, I've totally given up on Profile Manager.
None of my FF Profiles, instances, versions are run through Profile Manager.
I run all through shortcuts that use the -Profile switch.

"Install'.

FF need not be installed, per se. (I don't, never have.)

You can use Portable versions or ZIP versions & just "run" them.

So you can have FF 52 & FF 75 & FF 77 & FF 75FR all "installed" (unzipped) with shortcuts that point to the installs' .exe.
And use the -Profile switch to open Profiles specific to each installed version.

So something like:

Code: Select all

FF/52/firefox.exe    -Profile  /PROFILES/FF52_profile
FF/75/firefox.exe    -Profile  /PROFILES/FF75_profile
FF/75FR/firefox.exe  -Profile  /PROFILES/FF75FR_profile
FF/77/firefox.exe    -Profile  /PROFILES/Nightly/77/nightly-test-profile

Now, you have to be aware of updates.
In that you probably want to disable automatic updates.
How you do that may vary depending on FF versions that you are using.
Likewise, at some point FF is likely to remove that ability from you.

You also have to be aware of how external applications interact with your "default browser".
That also used to be extremely simply to understand - prior to FF 67.
Currently, I think what happens, is that if FF (some particular version, but I'd think not "any", IOW, you'd have to decide that some particular version will be your "default", so say FF 75) is your default browser, & it is asked to open (by an external application), it will attempt to load your (default browser, 75 as said here) with your "default" Profile - irregardless of what browser version, instance you may happen to have open.

So if 75 is your default, & your are running FR, & your music player says open a browser window & load a web page to download some tags, FF 75 will then open - irrespective of the fact that your are currently running FR. So at that point, FR is open, & then 75 will also open. (Now how absurd is that!). (And this is all premised on having a default FF browser defined, & having a Profiles defined through Profile Manager, which in my examples above, do not use Profile Manager - at all.)

Perhaps you can do something similar - through Profile Manager, through Profile Manager defined Profiles, but to my mind, the whole Profile system is so brain dead (to me) it just isn't worth thinking about.

-no-remote switch.
I use -no-remote switch in various batch files that I use to open various FF versions.
If I want to fire up a FF 52 instance, it is likely required.
Don't know if it is needed any longer with current FF, but that fact that my batch files use that switch, doesn't bugger things up.
(Matter of fact, my batch files still contain references to MOZ_NO_REMOTE environmental variables. Yet older method need prior to the existence of -no-remote, & again, its inclusion does not bugger things up.)


Some of the things that come to my mind.
Whether you can translate that into your work flow?
Whether similar can be done with the current Profile Manager system & profiles.ini & installs.ini, got me?


Maybe think of it as install 75 (the current FF version - don't worry, it will change before you know it [& break things ]) as an actual install, as your default browser, & set up a "normal" Profile, through Profile Manager to use as your "regular" browser.

Then download the 75FR, as ZIP, unzip it, somewhere, then set up a shortcut to its' firefox.exe & use the -Profile switch to point to its' (your defined) Profile location.

So 75, set up through Profile Manager, has its Profile somewhere in %APPDATA%.
And 75FR, you specifically have pointed to both its .exe & its (Profile) location; FF/75FR/firefox.exe -Profile /PROFILES/FF75FR_profile.

[ineuw]

Thanks to all. I guess portable apps is the way to go to create from a downloaded French bundle, and it will create it's own profile folder.

[BuddhaNature]

ineuw,

You don't need to build a Firefox Portable French version one is already available from the Firefox Portable download page: https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable -- just scroll down the page and look in the 'Localizations' table.

You can get specific Support information for Firefox Portable here: https://portableapps.com/support/firefox_portable Much of the information at that page is not given at the Support section of the Firefox Portable download page.

Once installed Firefox Portable will create the profile folder in the folder (for example) x:\FirefoxPortable\Data This profile is totally isolated from your fully installed Firefox.

If you want to run both your fully installed Firefox and Firefox Portable at the same time you can do so. But you have to modify and copy a FireFoxPortable.ini file to manage this. The instructions on how to do this are contained in the following file of Firefox Portable folders: x:\FirefoxPortable\Other\Source\Readme.txt The FireFoxPortable.ini file that you need to copy and then alter is also contained in that 'Source' folder. The value in the ini that you need to alter is the value AllowMultipleInstances -- you need to change that from false to true.

If you are new to Portable Apps then reading all the support documentation for Firefox Portable is strongly recommended as is reading the general support information that is available and is applicable to all portable apps released by PortableApps.

In any case, the critical thing with PortableApps is that you only ever launch an instance of portable app by using the launcher of that app, never ever launch by any other means, as this might screw up your fully installed Firefox profile. For Firefox Portable the launcher can be found in the root directory of the install location of Firefox Portable, something like: x:\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe

[ineuw]

@BuddhaNature, thanks for the info. Installed the portable French version prior to your post, and experienced all the problems you mentioned above until I learned how to manage it without interfering with the main English installation. Now all is good.

[dickvl]

It shouldn't be a problem to install multiple language packs in one profile or with multiple profile where each profile uses it own language pack.
You can select the current language in "Options/Preferences -> General -> Language".
Choose the languages used to display menus, messages, and notifications from Firefox -> Set Alternatives

If you need to do this manually, see also:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/us ... guage-pack

[ineuw]

It shouldn't be a problem to install multiple language packs in one profile or with multiple profile where each profile uses it own language pack.

Thanks this is great!!!

[ineuw]

It shouldn't be a problem to install multiple language packs in one profile or with multiple profile where each profile uses it own language pack.

I tested it and It works, but already installed the portable apps with it's own separate French profile and it has advantages in my context. The only item to change, is to set the prefs for multiple instances. The two versions are never used simultaneously (both are v75.0). but currently, after closing the French version, the main English version inherits the French skin and, I don't know how to separate the two instances.

[dickvl]

You need to use the Profile Manager to select the correct profile and use a desktop shortcut that specifies the profile folder.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/pr ... x-profiles
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Com ... ne_Options

[ineuw]

need to use the Profile Manager to select the correct profile and use a desktop shortcut that specifies the profile folder.

Then something is wrong. In my understanding, the separate portableapp installed the French version of 75 is in my user root folder. This installation includes its own Firefox.exe (not the same size as in the Program Files), and its own profile folder.

I thought that this additional installation is separate, unrelated, and unaware of the other, because I don't use them simultaneously.

There is only one profile in the standard installation folder and it's the same displayed in the Profile Manager.

[dickvl]

The Firefox startup code checks for other Firefox instances running and this may include the portable Firefox version.

[ineuw]

I found the problem. It was a nonexistent profile in the .ini files. Once corrected, I closed all instances of FF. Then opened both FF, one after another and running both copies in two separate processes. To identify them, I changed the Firefox icon with a French flag icon.