odd bookmarks glitch regarding size

[moonie]

I've noticed something that doesn't make sense with the size of an html export file—the ones that have less bookmarks (after removing several of them) still have a larger number of bytes than the older ones that had many more bookmarks in them. (In other browsers, the file would decrease in size accordingly.) I know we're talking about minutia here, but it seems like a weird thing going on with the code thereof, and I am OCD. It makes me want to use the desktop to save links, instead of the bookmark menu interface, which works, but.. is not as convenient sometimes. Any ideas why this is the way it is? Thanks.

[adesh]

This might be because website icons are present in the export. But I'm not sure if that was not the case earlier.

[moonie]

This might be because website icons are present in the export. But I'm not sure if that was not the case earlier.

Hmm, that would account for it. I wonder if there may be some way to scrap the icons while retaining the links with their titles...?

[Goodydino]

I seem to remember that bookmark icons are not in JSON files. If you save your bookmarks as JSON, then remove them from the browser and restore them, there should be no more icons (except generic ones). I found that blocking favicons and site icons was not enough to block them with Pale Moon (at least not with version 27). I had to set the maximum allowed icon size to 0 to stop them altogether.

[moonie]

I seem to remember that bookmark icons are not in JSON files. If you save your bookmarks as JSON, then remove them from the browser and restore them, there should be no more icons (except generic ones). I found that blocking favicons and site icons was not enough to block them with Pale Moon (at least not with version 27). I had to set the maximum allowed icon size to 0 to stop them altogether.

Thanks, I don't save them as JSON files, but as HTML... Where can you find this setting? is it in the preferences somewhere, or do you have to use the config to get to it? Thanks again!

[Goodydino]

Open Organize Bookmarks, click on Import and Backup and choose Backup. Save the file to somewhere that is handy to access, remove the browser's bookmarks and then restore from that backup copy. You might also have to change the settings I changed in about:config.

[moonie]

Open Organize Bookmarks, click on Import and Backup and choose Backup. Save the file to somewhere that is handy to access, remove the browser's bookmarks and then restore from that backup copy. You might also have to change the settings I changed in about:config.

Thanks, I just did all of that (including setting the max size to 0 in :config) and yet somehow the icons still show upon reopening PM. I even tried deleting all of the .ico files in Palemoon's folder that's under Appdata, and they're still there.

[moonie]

Open Organize Bookmarks, click on Import and Backup and choose Backup. Save the file to somewhere that is handy to access, remove the browser's bookmarks and then restore from that backup copy. You might also have to change the settings I changed in about:config.

Thanks, I just did all of that (including setting the max size to 0 in :config) and yet somehow the icons still show upon reopening PM. I even tried deleting all of the .ico files in Palemoon's folder that's under Appdata, and they're still there.

So, you're saying that the code for the icons themselves is somehow being written to the html file (when using the Export to Html option, that being the one in question)?

[_yuyu_]

So, you're saying that the code for the icons themselves is somehow being written to the html file (when using the Export to Html option, that being the one in question)?

Yes, it's written in base64 code:

[moonie]

So, you're saying that the code for the icons themselves is somehow being written to the html file (when using the Export to Html option, that being the one in question)?

Yes, it's written in base64 code:
Capture1.PNG

Ok, thanks; I see. Aside from changing the max size for icons to zero in about:config, and re-importing the bookmarks via json (as directed above), is there anything that will keep the base64 code from ending up in the html export file?

[Goodydino]

I had also set browser.chrome.favicons as well as browser.chrome.site_icons to false in about:config. I have no favicons or site icons anywhere.

[Michaell]

Does anyone know the difference between favicon, site icon, and shell.shortcutFavicons, as in where they're used? I have some that are present and some that seem to be blocked but I can't remember where that was set.

[moonie]

They're still there; here are the changes I made to the config file:

[moonie]

Does anyone know the difference between favicon, site icon, and shell.shortcutFavicons, as in where they're used? I have some that are present and some that seem to be blocked but I can't remember where that was set.

I think those setting are all in the about:config file (type "icon" in the search.)

[Michaell]

Uh ... yea, but not what I meant. I was asking what each config setting affects, like icons in menu, icon on tabs, etc. I'll find out eventually by toggling them.

This is old but still seems mostly correct:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser.chrome.favicons

[vannilla]

Does anyone know the difference between favicon, site icon, and shell.shortcutFavicons, as in where they're used? I have some that are present and some that seem to be blocked but I can't remember where that was set.

The "favicon" is an image specified by websites so that browsers will display it near the page title.
Site icons might just be the same thing.
I don't know about the last one.

[moonie]

Uh ... yea, but not what I meant. I was asking what each config setting affects, like icons in menu, icon on tabs, etc. I'll find out eventually by toggling them.

This is old but still seems mostly correct:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser.chrome.favicons

Right, sorry.. Where they're used... I had a brain-fart... Any clue as to why I still see icons in the browser after setting the parameters to "false" and limiting the size in that one setting to zero (as directed by Goodydino)? How did you get rid of them? I must not be clearing the .ico contents of some folder, or something..? Just a guess.

[Michaell]

How did you get rid of them? I must not be clearing the .ico contents of some folder, or something..? Just a guess.

I never did clear all of them; the ones for here and a few other sites always remained in Bookmarks menus (incl. toolbar). So I agree that they are cached somewhere, still to be determined. I was reading comments in the circus known as Bugzilla where they were talking about this 16-17 years ago, wasn't clear what they finally did, but I did see where one guy suggested storing them as part of the bookmarks file (like the base64). I have noticed that favicons seem to be blocked in tabs with siteicons = false (I don't think it even needed favicons=false which agrees with the old knowledgebase article. A hidden pref mentioned there (load_toolbar_icons) may not work anymore in PM; I haven't tested it yet(read the bugzilla where it was proposed). My main interest is blocking extra downloads of favicons (some sites are abusing the concept for tracking). I'm sure I could probably test it better if I started with a clean profile, but it's getting to be a bit much.

Off-topic:
I know one thing that has blocked many is the way I'm using uMatrix (default deny, Behind the Scene grid enabled, and images blocked by default for Behind the Scene. But this site is allowed so that's why I have favicon here.

[moonie]

How did you get rid of them? I must not be clearing the .ico contents of some folder, or something..? Just a guess.

I never did clear all of them; the ones for here and a few other sites always remained in Bookmarks menus (incl. toolbar). So I agree that they are cached somewhere, still to be determined. I was reading comments in the circus known as Bugzilla where they were talking about this 16-17 years ago, wasn't clear what they finally did, but I did see where one guy suggested storing them as part of the bookmarks file (like the base64). I have noticed that favicons seem to be blocked in tabs with siteicons = false (I don't think it even needed favicons=false which agrees with the old knowledgebase article. A hidden pref mentioned there (load_toolbar_icons) may not work anymore in PM; I haven't tested it yet(read the bugzilla where it was proposed). My main interest is blocking extra downloads of favicons (some sites are abusing the concept for tracking). I'm sure I could probably test it better if I started with a clean profile, but it's getting to be a bit much.

Off-topic:
I know one thing that has blocked many is the way I'm using uMatrix (default deny, Behind the Scene grid enabled, and images blocked by default for Behind the Scene. But this site is allowed so that's why I have favicon here.

I didn't know favicons could be used in that manner! Anyway, it's funny how the amount of data grows in the .html backup as the number of bookmarks lessens. I prefer to stick with this browser regardless of this odd glitch. Still, it is interesting.. and if it's solved, it sounds like it should resolve that security issue as well.

[moonie]

How did you get rid of them? I must not be clearing the .ico contents of some folder, or something..? Just a guess.

I never did clear all of them; the ones for here and a few other sites always remained in Bookmarks menus (incl. toolbar). So I agree that they are cached somewhere, still to be determined. I was reading comments in the circus known as Bugzilla where they were talking about this 16-17 years ago, wasn't clear what they finally did, but I did see where one guy suggested storing them as part of the bookmarks file (like the base64). I have noticed that favicons seem to be blocked in tabs with siteicons = false (I don't think it even needed favicons=false which agrees with the old knowledgebase article. A hidden pref mentioned there (load_toolbar_icons) may not work anymore in PM; I haven't tested it yet(read the bugzilla where it was proposed). My main interest is blocking extra downloads of favicons (some sites are abusing the concept for tracking). I'm sure I could probably test it better if I started with a clean profile, but it's getting to be a bit much.

Off-topic:
I know one thing that has blocked many is the way I'm using uMatrix (default deny, Behind the Scene grid enabled, and images blocked by default for Behind the Scene. But this site is allowed so that's why I have favicon here.

I didn't know favicons could be used in that manner! Anyway, it's funny how the amount of data grows in the .html backup as the number of bookmarks lessens. I prefer to stick with this browser regardless of this odd glitch. Still, it is interesting.. and if it's solved, it sounds like it should resolve that security issue as well.

Anyway, Does anyone know of an extension, add-on, or tiny 3rd party software for a minimal .html bookmark export?