Keep default bookmark folder static

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ffatbuser
Posts: 2
Joined: February 13th, 2021, 12:52 pm

Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by ffatbuser »

Hi,

Apologies if that has been answered before, but a Google and local forum search didn't find what I was looking for.

The issue: Clicking on the star in the toolbar to store a bookmark will use the last selected folder. Before (not sure when FF changed the behavior, but it's recent), it would always default to a fixed default folder.

The new behavior is really unpractical, because many bookmarks would go into the general folder, and only some in specific ones. And for generic bookmarks, a simple click on the star would be enough. Now it will add it to whatever folder I selected last, which I may not remember after a few days. So often bookmarks would ended up in the wrong folder, before I noticed this behavior.

I found this setting:
browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation

But it is adapted automatically after saving a bookmark in a specific folder.

How can I make FF behave like before, and have a really fixed default bookmark folder?
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jscher2000
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Location: Silicon Valley, CA USA
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Re: Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by jscher2000 »

Yes, this is a new feature of Firefox 85.

There isn't any built-in way to lock that preference to the folder you want Firefox to use. You can use Autoconfig files to lock preferences; that might work. See:

* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locking_preferences
* https://support.mozilla.org/kb/customiz ... autoconfig

You also could look at the following extension, which has been a popular workaround to Firefox's default folder behavior for many years. Unfortunately, it hasn't adapted fully to Firefox 85 yet and creates a mess if you import bookmarks or restore a backup in version 3.1.0; make sure to disable it if you need to restore bookmarks from a backup or import a bookmarks.html file:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addo ... rk-folder/
ffatbuser
Posts: 2
Joined: February 13th, 2021, 12:52 pm

Re: Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by ffatbuser »

Thanks!

Would be great if FF had an option to set this basic functionality reliably within FF itself.
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ineuw
Posts: 743
Joined: March 19th, 2006, 4:17 pm
Location: Québec, Canada

Re: Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by ineuw »

I cannot understand this post. My bookmarks always end up in "Other Bookmarks" as I want them, unless I change the folder in the bookmarks editor. I would not use an add-on that can cause a problem with any of its features.
Firefox 115.0.2 (default install) in Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon 64 bit, updated on 2023-07-31 00:05
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jscher2000
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Location: Silicon Valley, CA USA
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Re: Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by jscher2000 »

ineuw wrote:I cannot understand this post. My bookmarks always end up in "Other Bookmarks" as I want them, unless I change the folder in the bookmarks editor.
Hmm, I think you have a habit of customizing things... did you disable the entire new round of Bookmarks Toolbar changes using:

browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020 => false

That would revert to the Firefox 4-84 behavior of always using Other Boomarks for the star icon.
I would not use an add-on that can cause a problem with any of its features.
Even after the above preference goes away? Hopefully the developer will figure out a fix soon. There are over 20,000 active users of the extension.
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ineuw
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Joined: March 19th, 2006, 4:17 pm
Location: Québec, Canada

Re: Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by ineuw »

I am aware of user_pref("browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020", false); but I am using nothing at the moment. Just haven't noticed the change to the new behavior and accepted the new location of the Other Bookmarks. Always had a shortcut to Other Bookmarks on the bar at the left, ever since it was called "Unfiled". This name shows still shows up when importing Firefox Bookmarks into another browser.
Firefox 115.0.2 (default install) in Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon 64 bit, updated on 2023-07-31 00:05
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ineuw
Posts: 743
Joined: March 19th, 2006, 4:17 pm
Location: Québec, Canada

Re: Keep default bookmark folder static

Post by ineuw »

Bookmarks I added today ended up on the bookmarks toolbar, so I understood the issue immediately. Added the preference, user_pref("browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020", false);, to the user.js which solved TWO problems. The function of userTabsOnBottom.css, which failed http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3058197 was restored. A minor miracle.
Firefox 115.0.2 (default install) in Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon 64 bit, updated on 2023-07-31 00:05
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