Another new release another major regression

[Sailfish]

The new bookmark features makes management of bookmarks a fools errand.
It allow importation of lost bookmarks from another profile but it
launches that profile in another instance of the current browser which,
in turn, converts the other older profile file entries to the new
browser formats and ruins it for the older browser use. No warning that
this will occur, of course. It also strips the ability to import from a
bookmarks.html file, so even that route has been removed. That Mozilla
makes changes to their new browser versions is to be expected but to
implements features that ruins other older profiles is ridiculous!

--
Sailfish
CDC Covid19 Trends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624208354841034
Rare Mozilla Stuff: http://tinyurl.com/z86x3sg

[Big Al]

On 3/8/21 2:39 AM, this is what Sailfish wrote:
> The new bookmark features makes management of bookmarks a fools errand. It allow importation of lost bookmarks from another profile but it
> launches that profile in another instance of the current browser which, in turn, converts the other older profile file entries to the new
> browser formats and ruins it for the older browser use. No warning that this will occur, of course. It also strips the ability to import
> from a bookmarks.html file, so even that route has been removed. That Mozilla makes changes to their new browser versions is to be expected
> but to implements features that ruins other older profiles is ridiculous!
>

What version of Firefox???

--
Linux Mint Cinnamon 20.1 64bit, Dell Inspiron 5570 laptop
Quad Core i7-8550U, 16G Memory, 512G SSD, 750G & 1TB HDDs
____ _ _ _
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| _ \| |/ _` | / _ \ | |
| |_) | | (_| | / ___ \| |
|____/|_|\__, | /_/ \_\_|
|___/

[WaltS48]

On 3/8/21 7:47 AM, Big Al wrote:
> On 3/8/21 2:39 AM, this is what Sailfish wrote:
>> The new bookmark features makes management of bookmarks a fools
>> errand. It allow importation of lost bookmarks from another profile
>> but it launches that profile in another instance of the current
>> browser which, in turn, converts the other older profile file entries
>> to the new browser formats and ruins it for the older browser use. No
>> warning that this will occur, of course. It also strips the ability
>> to import from a bookmarks.html file, so even that route has been
>> removed. That Mozilla makes changes to their new browser versions is
>> to be expected but to implements features that ruins other older
>> profiles is ridiculous!
>>
> What version of Firefox???
>

Any older version that doesn't use places.sqlite to store bookmarks I guess.

--
OS: Fedora 33 Workstation - Gnome Desktop
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/get-involved/

[Wilf]

On 08/03/2021 13:58, WaltS48 wrote:
> On 3/8/21 7:47 AM, Big Al wrote:
>> On 3/8/21 2:39 AM, this is what Sailfish wrote:
>>> The new bookmark features makes management of bookmarks a fools
>>> errand. It allow importation of lost bookmarks from another profile
>>> but it launches that profile in another instance of the current
>>> browser which, in turn, converts the other older profile file entries
>>> to the new browser formats and ruins it for the older browser use. No
>>> warning that this will occur, of course. It also strips the ability
>>> to import from a bookmarks.html file, so even that route has been
>>> removed. That Mozilla makes changes to their new browser versions is
>>> to be expected but to implements features that ruins other older
>>> profiles is ridiculous!
>>>
>> What version of Firefox???
>>
> Any older version that doesn't use places.sqlite to store bookmarks I guess.
>

Those must be pretty old versions. Hasn't places.sqlite been used for a
long time?

--
Wilf

[Cruz, Jaime]

I've discovered if I try to copy places.sqlite from the ESR version to
the rapid release version it doesn't copy over as well as it used to.
The most immediate symptom is that all of the "favicons" in the
bookmarks are lost but there have been other oddities as well.


--
Jaime A. Cruz

Nassau Wings Motorcycle Club
http://www.nassauwings.org/

AMA District 34
https://www.amad34.org/

[Sailfish]

My bloviated meandering follows what WaltS48 graced us with on 3/8/2021
5:58 AM:

> On 3/8/21 7:47 AM, Big Al wrote:
>> On 3/8/21 2:39 AM, this is what Sailfish wrote:
>>> The new bookmark features makes management of bookmarks a fools
>>> errand. It allow importation of lost bookmarks from another profile
>>> but it launches that profile in another instance of the current
>>> browser which, in turn, converts the other older profile file entries
>>> to the new browser formats and ruins it for the older browser use. No
>>> warning that this will occur, of course. It also strips the ability
>>> to import from a bookmarks.html file, so even that route has been
>>> removed. That Mozilla makes changes to their new browser versions is
>>> to be expected but to implements features that ruins other older
>>> profiles is ridiculous!
>>>
>> What version of Firefox???
>>
> Any older version that doesn't use places.sqlite to store bookmarks I
> guess.
>

Nope. Fx52.9esr. Even so, Firefox (or any software for that matter)
should not corrupt or change a selected profile but use read-only.

[Sailfish]

My bloviated meandering follows what Cruz, Jaime graced us with on
3/8/2021 6:47 AM:

Ref:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/bookmarks-firefox?as=u&utm_source=inproduct

I can confirm this. That's what led me to this article and then,
incorrectly trusting, it's new corruption-prone method of importing old
profile bookmarks.

WARNING: Do not use this new method on 52.9esr profiles or risk corruption!

[Sailfish]

My bloviated meandering follows what Sailfish graced us with on 3/8/2021
8:57 AM:

I found what seems to be an acceptable, yet ironic, workaround.
1. Open Microsoft Edge
2. Import 52.9esr bookmarks into Favorites
3. Exit Edge and bring up latest Fx
4. Import Edge-saved Fx52.9esr Favorites into Fx86.x

[Sailfish]

My bloviated meandering follows what Sailfish graced us with on 3/8/2021

9:15 AM:

Added benefit. Above method also easily imports 52.9esr passwords which
had been prevented somewhere around Fx75.x.

Lastly, if extra cautious, delete imported bookmarks (Favorites) and
passwords from Edge. Note! If one uses Edge with other passwords and
bookmarks, this method will remove them, too. So, back them up before
importing Fx bookmarks/passwords and restore afterward. Since I don't
use Edge, this is not a problem.

[Big Al]

Favicons are in the favicons.sqlite file.

[Cruz, Jaime]

Interesting. Never noticed that file before. It's not used by Palemoon
(which probably explains why places.sqlite is so much bigger in Palemoon
than it is in Firefox).