How can I tell which FF profile is the active one?

[Restorm]

I just did a complete restore of my data (which was stored by an online
backup service) after having my laptop stolen, and ended up with three
profiles in my Firefox application data. Is there a quick and easy way
to determine which one is the "real" one that's in active use? I've
been all through the menus: you'd think there'd be a place where you can
see your profile name, but I can't find it.

[Tony Mechelynck]

Browse to http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox -- there
you'll find (among others) a very long javascript expression which you
can evaluate (by cut-and-paste) in the Error Console to get the full
path to the current profile. One element of that path consists of a
pseudorandom string followed by a dot and your current profile name.

You can create a bookmarklet for it by using, as the URL, the long
expression wrapped in javascript:alert() -- i.e. paste the expression
between the parentheses to make it the argument of the alert() function.
Then that bookmarklet will produce a popup with the full path to your
current popup on it.

Best regards,
Tony.
--
This will be a memorable month -- no matter how hard you try to forget
it.

[Restorm]

Thanks, Tony. It seems like it might be nice if the developers would
just have the name of the active profile be included somewhere in the
"advanced" menus, or even in the About Firefox box, and save us from
such a convoluted process...

[Erik Hahn]

Yes, read the profiles.ini. There's one section with has "Default=1" in
it.

-Erik

--
hackerkey://v4sw5hw2ln3pr5ck0ma2u7LwXm4l7Gi2e2t4b7Ken4/7a16s0r1p-5.62/-6.56g5OR

[Restorm]

Erik Hahn wrote:
> On 2008-09-27, Restorm <st...@resolutionfund.com> wrote:
>> I just did a complete restore of my data (which was stored by an online
>> backup service) after having my laptop stolen, and ended up with three
>> profiles in my Firefox application data. Is there a quick and easy way
>> to determine which one is the "real" one that's in active use? I've
>> been all through the menus: you'd think there'd be a place where you can
>> see your profile name, but I can't find it.
> Yes, read the profiles.ini. There's one section with has "Default=1" in
> it.
>
> -Erik
>

Actually, I found a simpler way: I just added a bookmark, and then
checked the date on the places.sqlite files, and that told me which
profile was active. Much easier!

[Ron Hunter]

My approach is a bit simpler. Just open Firefox, make a bookmark, then
examine bookmark files for the one last updated...

--
Ron Hunter rphu...@charter.net

[Fox on the run]

Another easy way is to type about:cache in the address bar. Then look
at the path for the cache files. Within the path you will see the
profile name.

JB

[Erik Hahn]

On 2008-09-27, Ron Hunter <rphu...@charter.net> wrote:
> My approach is a bit simpler. Just open Firefox, make a bookmark, then
> examine bookmark files for the one last updated...

You can just do that with the cache, without the need to create a
bookmark first,

--
hackerkey://v4sw5hw2ln3pr5ck0ma2u7LwXm4l7Gi2e2t4b7Ken4/7a16s0r1p-5.62/-6.56g5OR

[David McRitchie]

"Restorm" wrote...

This is one of the biggest problems, and one that the Firefox support group
does not want to be easy -- so countless hours are wasted, both by lost users
and by people answering questions in newsgroups.

If you don't mind installing extensions, and/or userstyles
The problems with these is that the extensions must be active
(you can't be in Safe Mode to use), but it makes things a lot
easier to work with when you have multiple profiles.

Open Profile Folder
To be able to get to where you want from Tools menu
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/545

Title Bar Tweaks
To see what you are using in Title bar, you must customize
Mozilla Firefox 3.0.1 "Persona01"
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/57

or the much larger
Nightly Tester Tools, must be customized but is more generic
${DefaultTitle} (${Profile} - ${Version} - Build ${AppBuildID} )
http://www.oxymoronical.com/web/firefox/nightly

If not your main profile you might also want to install
Stylish
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108
and Color Toolbars (Style 9514)
http://userstyles.org/styles/9514

Note the userstyles site if often down -- probably capacity problems,
but you should be able to get through at some time and obtain what you need.
You could make the changes in userChrome.css and it would be effective
even in Safe Mode, but a Firefox restart is needed to change/test.

More information in
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/profile.htm
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/firefox.htm#ext_table

--
HTH,
David McRitchie, extensions I use are briefly documented on my site
Firefox Custom: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/firefox.htm

[Restorm]

Actually, that was the first thing I did, and I was surprised when the
bookmark.html file's date didn't change. That's why I posted this in
the first place. It was only after I thought to check the places.sqlite
file that I was able to use that technique.

[Restorm]

That's good stuff, thanks. But I don't work with multiple profiles. I
was actually trying to get rid of all but one profile. The extras had
been created by a restore process. I was just trying to determine which
ones to kill.

[Clunker]

If you look in the profiles folder and open the profiles.ini it will
show you the file that the program is using.

[Clunker]

OOOPS I shoud have said to open the Application Data/Firefox and in
there you will find the Profiles folder along with the profiles.ini file.

[David McRitchie]

"Clunker"

>> If you look in the profiles folder and open the profiles.ini it will
>> show you the file that the program is using.
> OOOPS I shoud have said to open the Application Data/Firefox and in
> there you will find the Profiles folder along with the profiles.ini file.

As I said the easiest way is with an extension. I have at least a Firefox 2
version, a Firefox 3 version, and a Minefield version. I can have any
number of profiles open with each version all at the same time.