Profile Migration Tool

For discussions about side projects, potential future projects or helper applications for Pale Moon.
Olexijl

Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by Olexijl » 2014-03-19, 20:08

Hello,

I don't actually know if i am posting this correctly in the right topic. If needed move it to the one, please.

I only have one suggestion: the Profile Migration Tool is supposed to "migrate" Firefox profile to Pale Moon. Some users want to move to Firefox back, so it would be nice to allow people to "migrate" profiles from Firefox - Pale Moon AND from Pale Moon - Firefox back using this tool. I know, there is a possibility to move to Firefox back manually, but if such a tool do exist: please implement BOTH directions, not only Firefox - Pale Moon.

thx in advance, Olexijl

User avatar
Moonchild
Pale Moon guru
Pale Moon guru
Posts: 35404
Joined: 2011-08-28, 17:27
Location: Motala, SE
Contact:

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by Moonchild » 2014-03-19, 23:45

I see no reason to implement this.
Then I may as well make a tool to go from Pale Moon -> IE, or -> Chrome, or -> Opera, or -> (your browser here) -- Not exactly a project I either want to put effort in or have the time for.

The tool is there to support Pale Moon, not other browsers.
"Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to be a good person." -- Louis Rossmann
"Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." -- Native American proverb
"Linux makes everything difficult." -- Lyceus Anubite

jimobasa

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by jimobasa » 2014-05-08, 15:08

You see no reason to implement this?
I thought Pale Moon, Firefox, Waterfox and Cyberfox were all part of the same family of browsers.
Simply because Pale Moon is supposedly faster and smoother doesn't mean it should divorce itself from its brethren.
Many of us want two or more browsers so we can switch from one to another when our main browser is having a bad day. It happens.
I am running a 64-bit computer so I am running Waterfox rather than Firefox itself.
What you appear to be saying above is that simply because I installed Pale Moon first and then Waterfox later, I have to build my Bookmarks Toolbar on Waterfox manually - site by site - because the Profile Migration Tool works in only one direction and, in this instance, is the wrong direction.
You do seem rather irritated by users seeking to migrate their Pale Moon profile to another browser within the Firefox family. I was rather taken aback by your curt response to my own question on this subject.
However, I followed the advice in the response and ended up here in this thread where you again appear a little intolerant of someone seeking to use PMT in the "wrong" direction (Pale Moon to Firefox)

User avatar
eskaton
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 474
Joined: 2013-08-23, 19:54

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by eskaton » 2014-05-08, 16:14

Companies sometimes offer moving expenses to new hires for relocating from far away to where the company/job resides. They certainly don't pay for you to move away and take a job elsewhere.
If your wife/partner wanted to see someone else, would you pay for their dates so she can possibly leave you? And then still be on the line for her calling you when there's problems with that new relationship?

Odd examples, but the 'brethern' browsers all have their idiosyncrasies in and of themselves, along with variations therein based on OS, etc. If Moonchild built a profile migration tool for other browsers..how many 'other' browsers is enough? And he then has to keep up with all the minutiae of updates and inconsistancies between them all. And if he wrote/provided the tool, all those users abandoning his main project will continue to send in support requests...it's not a one-and-done kind of thing.

TL;DR - it's a large, on-going project to create and manage when resources/time are already tight for a tool primarily for those leaving your main product

wildbill5891
Moonbather
Moonbather
Posts: 57
Joined: 2012-01-18, 04:49
Location: USA

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by wildbill5891 » 2014-05-08, 17:42

I disagree with your reasoning Moonchild also. I have a PC running a 64bit version of Windows. And I switch back and forth among the different web browsers.
I have Pale Moon, Waterfox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, 64bit version of Firefox all installed on my PC.

Supernova

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by Supernova » 2014-05-08, 17:56

And so you think MC should spend a lot of time to develop tools to be able to synchronize all of these browsers ? In fact, you support his point : if he would take the time for a version pm->firefox, then another one would ask pm->ie or pm->chrome as you nearly did. He has way enough work with developing pm to not spend a lot of time to make such tools which will be used either by very few person like you who use all browsers, or by those who leave - they should better ask mozilla, ie or chrome to make such a tool if they wish so.

User avatar
Moonchild
Pale Moon guru
Pale Moon guru
Posts: 35404
Joined: 2011-08-28, 17:27
Location: Motala, SE
Contact:

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by Moonchild » 2014-05-08, 18:39

I'm sorry but a multi-conversion tool would be a project by itself as a standalone program.

It is normal, and common, practice for software to have easy ways to import data from other, similar, pieces of software. But there is absolutely no common practice for software to offer export features to all other similar programs of the same type. At most, export would be to a common "generic" format. As far as pale Moon goes, it already offers this by offering exports of bookmarks to HTML, a common bookmark interchange format.

It would be the task of the other builds to offer similar import features, but Waterfox, Cyberfox, etc. simply use the Firefox profile folder, and don't actually have an import feature of their own.

As for switching back and forth between different browsers... It's hardly my fault that you can't make up your mind and.. there's even a solution for that.
It's called... *drumroll*... Sync!
"Sometimes, the best way to get what you want is to be a good person." -- Louis Rossmann
"Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past; wisdom is of the future." -- Native American proverb
"Linux makes everything difficult." -- Lyceus Anubite

Heartfelt

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by Heartfelt » 2014-05-08, 19:02

Moonchild wrote:a multi-conversion tool would be a project by itself as a standalone program.
A pretty involved, ongoing project for something that takes ten minutes to do without a tool.

dark_moon

Re: Profile Migration Tool

Unread post by dark_moon » 2014-05-09, 17:37

jimobasa wrote:Many of us want two or more browsers
I totally disagree with you. Many of us want just one browser which runs stable and fast.

If you use other Firefox based browsers then simple use sync, which Moonchild told you, or copy the profile files.

Locked