Problems with add ons & 'portable' version

[1210_bex]

I run Pale Moon 27.9.0 and Firefox 42 (as well as several other browsers) on my Windows 7 Pro (64 bit) SP1 computer. To test their updates before I install them on my computer, I install portable versions on a USB stick.

So I decided to try Basilisk [2018.04.27 (64 bit) portable], on my USB stick. It seemed to install just fine. But when I tried to include some add-ons (extensions) I immediately ran into problems. The URL of the 1st screen was Basilisk | about.addons, but it said "Personalize your Firefox", and all add-ons said: "This add-on does not support your browser". So then I scrolled down to More Add-ons, clicked on it, and was taken to this URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/. I scrolled down and clicked on Easy Screenshot, which took me to this URL: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... ostpopular . But what the page says is: "Only with Firefox-Get Firefox Now". I tried several different add-ons, and always got the same message.

Then I went to the Help Menu. When I chose 'Basilisk Help' I got Firefox Help & support. When I chose 'Basilisk Tour', I got 404 Page Not Found and a note that said 'Your Firefox is out-of-date'. When I selected 'Keyboard Shortcuts', I got Firefox Keyboard shortcuts. The rest of the items on the Help Menu (Troubleshooting information, Submit feedback.., Restart with add-ons disabled, and About Basilisk) took me to the correct Basilisk pages.

What is going on here, and why do all these items lead me to Firefox pages instead of Basilisk pages?

So I thought I would just move over my Pale Moon profile, like I do with all Pale Moon and Firefox portable versions on my USB stick. But there is NO Profile folder for Basilisk on my USB. After lots of checking, I found that Basilisk had opened a Profile folder on my computer hard drive, in AppData\Roaming\Moonchild Productions. So I deleted the default Basilisk Profile on my hard drive, and replaced it with my default Pale Moon Profile (changing the file name to match the Basilisk default profile), and almost everything transferred over correctly

Why is a Basilisk 'portable' program on a USB stick opening a profile on my computer hard drive? That means I cannot run Basilisk on my other Windows computers via my USB, which is what I do with Pale Moon, Firefox, Chrome, etc.

I also searched this forum to see if there were any instructions or help articles to aid Pale Moon users when they 1st try Basilisk. If there are any, I could not find them.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Harry

[Moonchild]

Considering there is no portable version of Basilisk, we cannot help you.

As for the reason why Help points to Mozilla pages: Basilisk is a very close twin to Firefox and as such any help and support for Firefox will also apply to Basilisk. Considering it is a reference application and development vessel for the underlying platform with relatively low user numbers, there has not been a reason for us to consider duplicating Mozilla content and taking on the maintenance burden for it. If anyone wants to help out in that respect, contact me.

[coffeebreak]

...Basilisk 'portable' program...

It's possible to adapt Pale Moon's portable shell to use with Basilisk.
For instructions, see this post by another user.

[1210_bex]

...Basilisk 'portable' program...

It's possible to adapt Pale Moon's portable shell to use with Basilisk.
For instructions, see this post by another user.

Thanks for that link. I already have it working reasonably well using the Pale Moon profile from AppData\Roaming\Moonchild Productions and copying it to the equivalent Basilisk folder on my hard drive. But when there is a major Basilisk update, I will try the method shown in the link you provided.

Harry

[1210_bex]

Considering there is no portable version of Basilisk, we cannot help you.

As for the reason why Help points to Mozilla pages: Basilisk is a very close twin to Firefox and as such any help and support for Firefox will also apply to Basilisk. Considering it is a reference application and development vessel for the underlying platform with relatively low user numbers, there has not been a reason for us to consider duplicating Mozilla content and taking on the maintenance burden for it. If anyone wants to help out in that respect, contact me.

"Considering there is no portable version of Basilisk, we cannot help you."

You are obviously correct. Don't know why I assumed otherwise. So sorry.

"Basilisk is a very close twin to Firefox and as such any help and support for Firefox will also apply to Basilisk. Considering it is a reference application and development vessel for the underlying platform with relatively low user numbers, there has not been a reason for us to consider duplicating Mozilla content."

I can understand that. But what I don't understand is why, when I try to follow the links on those pages, I end up with it telling me to install Firefox! See the attachment.


Harry

[Nightbird]

Basilisk is a very close twin to Firefox but it's not Firefox.

Basilisk (on my pc) :
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:52.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/4.1 Firefox/52.9 Basilisk/20180427

Firefox :
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/52.0

A script is running on AMO, it can identify any browser.

Basilisk => you're not a true Firefox user, you get the message "only with FF, get FF"
Firefox => you're a Firefox user, you get the message "add to Firefox"

If you need to download the addon Easy ScreenShot, go here :
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... /versions/

you will see the versions compatible ("add to Firefox" => from v2.51 to v2.55.3) with Basilisk (52.9)

[1210_bex]

Basilisk is a very close twin to Firefox but it's not Firefox.

Basilisk (on my pc) :
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:52.9) Gecko/20100101 Goanna/4.1 Firefox/52.9 Basilisk/20180427

Firefox :
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/52.0

A script is running on AMO, it can identify any browser.

Basilisk => you're not a true Firefox user, you get the message "only with FF, get FF"
Firefox => you're a Firefox user, you get the message "add to Firefox"

If you need to download the addon Easy ScreenShot, go here :
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... /versions/

you will see the versions compatible ("add to Firefox" => from v2.51 to v2.55.3) with Basilisk (52.9)

>>Basilisk => you're not a true Firefox user, you get the message "only with FF, get FF"
>>Firefox => you're a Firefox user, you get the message "add to Firefox"

Thanks for this information. But I still don't really understand why Basilisk even goes to this page. I understand what Moonchild said about these Firefox pages essentially being 'placeholders' until the basic program is more advanced, but this is really confusing to folks like me who are not experts in browser coding.

I initially went to the varous add-ons websites, which are specified in Pale Moon's Add-on list, and downloaded from there. But when I found that Basilisk had created a Profile folder on my hard drive, I just copied my Pale Moon profile over, and then dealt with the ones that would not install on an exception basis.


Harry