How to get Mozilla to ignore profiles

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Mr Video
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How to get Mozilla to ignore profiles

Post by Mr Video »

Mozilla 1.7 for Sun Solaris 10

Is there a way to get Mozilla to ignore profiles when it starts? There is a common login that is used and Mozilla is used for help. Currently, if person A starts help and another person starts help on another box, the 2nd person is asked to use a different profile.

Since this is only used for help, is there a way to get Mozilla to start and not complain about profiles?

Personally, I doubt that there is a way to avoid profiles, but I have been tasked to find out.

Thanks for any pointers.
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Daifne
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Post by Daifne »

Moving to SeaMonkey Support
Mr Video
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Post by Mr Video »

Daifne wrote:Moving to SeaMonkey Support


I'm confused as to why this query was moved to SeaMonkey?

Wisconsin, as in Madison?
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Andy Boze
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Post by Andy Boze »

Mr Video wrote:I'm confused as to why this query was moved to SeaMonkey?

When the Mozilla Suite was discontinued by the Mozilla Foundation, development continued as a separate project under a new name -- SeaMonkey.
Mr Video wrote:Is there a way to get Mozilla to ignore profiles when it starts?

Maybe. In the user profile, Mozilla needs to create a file named parent.lock. If the file already exists, or if the directory is read-only, Mozilla cannot create the file and will object that the profile is already in use. Can you create some process that will monitor the profile directory, and delete the parent.lock file as soon as it's created? That might work. Or start Mozilla from a script that deletes any instance of parent.lock before it starts Mozilla.

Now, running multiple instances of Mozilla using the same profile is not a good idea. When Mozilla is closed, data gets written to files, even if the files weren't changed -- the bookmarks file, for example. You stand a great risk of files becoming corrupted by accessing the same profile simultaneously by multiple users.
But then again, I may be wrong.
Mr Video
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Post by Mr Video »

Andy Boze wrote:When the Mozilla Suite was discontinued by the Mozilla Foundation, development continued as a separate project under a new name -- SeaMonkey.


That makes sense, except that this query still pertains to Mozilla 1.7. SeaMonkey might have new features dealing with profiles, that Mozilla 1.7 doesn't have.

Maybe. In the user profile, Mozilla needs to create a file named parent.lock. If the file already exists, or if the directory is read-only, Mozilla cannot create the file and will object that the profile is already in use. Can you create some process that will monitor the profile directory, and delete the parent.lock file as soon as it's created? That might work. Or start Mozilla from a script that deletes any instance of parent.lock before it starts Mozilla.


Sounds like an idea, but as you point out ...

Now, running multiple instances of Mozilla using the same profile is not a good idea. When Mozilla is closed, data gets written to files, even if the files weren't changed -- the bookmarks file, for example. You stand a great risk of files becoming corrupted by accessing the same profile simultaneously by multiple users.


Yes, not a good idea. The last thing we need if for Mozilla to bail with a complaint about the profile being bad.

What I have thought of is:

mozilla -CreateProfile `hostname` ; mozilla -P `hostname` <file>

This won't eliminate the problem of the user forgetting that Mozilla was started in a different desktop, as it will bring up the profile manager. But, it does eliminate the problem of the same user on two different hosts from having a problem. That is the main thing we are after.
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Andy Boze
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Post by Andy Boze »

Mr Video wrote:
Andy Boze wrote:When the Mozilla Suite was discontinued by the Mozilla Foundation, development continued as a separate project under a new name -- SeaMonkey.

That makes sense, except that this query still pertains to Mozilla 1.7. SeaMonkey might have new features dealing with profiles, that Mozilla 1.7 doesn't have.

Note, though, that the SeaMonkey fora are listed under the section "SeaMonkey/Mozilla 1.x Suite". Both are covered here.
What I have thought of is:

mozilla -CreateProfile `hostname` ; mozilla -P `hostname` <file>

This won't eliminate the problem of the user forgetting that Mozilla was started in a different desktop, as it will bring up the profile manager. But, it does eliminate the problem of the same user on two different hosts from having a problem. That is the main thing we are after.

Yes, if all you're wanting to do is get the user to a particular file or URL, and not needing to share parts of the profile such as bookmarks, then this seems as though it should work. If you need a standard base profile, you can also configure Mozilla to make new profiles according to your own specifications.
But then again, I may be wrong.
Mr Video
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Post by Mr Video »

Andy Boze wrote:Note, though, that the SeaMonkey fora are listed under the section "SeaMonkey/Mozilla 1.x Suite". Both are covered here.


Ah, OK.

Yes, if all you're wanting to do is get the user to a particular file or URL, and not needing to share parts of the profile such as bookmarks, then this seems as though it should work. If you need a standard base profile, you can also configure Mozilla to make new profiles according to your own specifications.


Need for a standarized profile not required.

One last question... what does mozilla do when it atempts to read a corrupt profile?
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Andy Boze
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Post by Andy Boze »

Mr Video wrote:One last question... what does mozilla do when it atempts to read a corrupt profile?

The profile actually comprises many files and folders, so it depends upon exactly what got corrupted. Bookmarks might get truncated, if the bookmarks file is corrupted. Corrupted extensions can cause the status bar at the bottom of the browser window to expand and display odd XML code. E-mail can seem to disappear. Or Mozilla might start and crash. Or just not start. Just depends. Fortunately, even when using alpha and beta versions, I've rarely run into a corruption problem.
But then again, I may be wrong.
Mr Video
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Post by Mr Video »

Andy Boze wrote:The profile actually comprises many files and folders, so it depends upon exactly what got corrupted. Bookmarks might get truncated, if the bookmarks file is corrupted. Corrupted extensions can cause the status bar at the bottom of the browser window to expand and display odd XML code. E-mail can seem to disappear. Or Mozilla might start and crash. Or just not start. Just depends. Fortunately, even when using alpha and beta versions, I've rarely run into a corruption problem.


Thanks. I should have indicated that I knew that multiple files made up a user profile.

But, your response covered what I needed to know.
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