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What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-11, 23:11
by Smokey20
I closed Basilisk before I went to bed last night. I just got on the computer today and started Basilisk and was greeted with a popup saying all extensions have been removed and the only one I can keep is one I downloaded myself (Tree Style Tabs)! That makes zero sense because all of the extensions were downloaded by me.

Then Basilisk proceeded to open to the page that it does after you update it. But it is on the Sept update since the middle of September so why did it open to that page?

EVERYTHING IS GONE. All history, extensions, themes, bookmarks, all the current saved tabs, everything gone.

What happened? !

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-11, 23:39
by Smokey20
I didn't even recall I had TWO Basilisk profiles. The second I never use and it has no extensions, etc.

I tried opening Basilisk from a Macys email in Thunderbird and that opened it to my default profile which is the one I use and everything is there ...thank goodness!

I have no idea why Basilisk opened to the second, NON default profile when I had closed it last night from the default profile like I do every night. It didn't popup the profile manager! It just opened to the second profile but had been closed while in the default profile. What would possibly cause this?

One good thing about this scare is that I realized I haven't backed up this default profile in quite a while so I will do that now. (Although everything on Windows is backed up automatically on the first of every month).

I wonder if there is something wrong with Quick Launch on Windows 10 1803. That where I always open it from. This is probably far fetched, but I did install the "infamous" Microsoft IE security patch from Sept 27 I think it was. I didn't have any problems with my printer but some really odd problems have been reported and maybe malfunction of Quick Launch is one of them.

Re: What the h**k has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-12, 08:07
by New Tobin Paradigm
I am confused. Also did you censor "heck"?

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-12, 08:34
by Moonchild
Uncesored heck.

Also, the problem was apparently that it started with his other (almost virgin) profile instead of the default one.

As to -why- I don't think speculating about some weird-ass side-effect of a Microsoft KB is going to be anywhere close. Unless there is some extra steering wheel I don't know of, the only way to select profile is from the command-line, interactive through the manager, or from profiles.ini.

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-12, 09:11
by athenian200
Are you sure this was a second profile? What you're describing sounds more like the browser attempted to restart itself in safe mode. There are times when even after a program properly closes, it misinterprets the intentional shutdown as a crash. Sometimes it happens as a result of shutdown not being finished or hanging on a certain step after the window has disappeared, but before you shut the computer down.

If the browser ever starts in safe mode like that again, the best thing to do is just close it completely ASAP. The next time you open it, it should start normally. Another thing that's worth noting when dealing with profile issues is that you can see how many profiles you have and select which profile you want the browser to use by running basilisk -P from the Run dialog box if you ever get switched over to a different one. You don't have to switch around between applications invoking it different ways hoping to get that option.

Windows Key + R pulls up the Run dialog box. Type:

basilisk -P

And you should get a window presenting you with a list of profiles.

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-14, 14:08
by Michaell
A word of warning: profile management is messed up in both PM and Basilisk (and probably older Fx too). I have seen something similar happen but I'm running both PM and Basilisk as portable installs (unsupported custom in the latter) so it's not reportable and/or I don't bother. I think the main issue is probably with "about:profiles" but the regular profile manager is just about useless because it only shows name not path (how the heck can you manage them when you can't tell what's what?).

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-14, 16:29
by satrow
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-14, 14:08
I think the main issue is probably with "about:profiles" but the regular profile manager is just about useless because it only shows name not path (how the heck can you manage them when you can't tell what's what?).
Pale Moon's Profile path is clearly shown in about:support or drill down from the install location, eg: Palemoon-Portable-28.7.1.win32\User\Palemoon\Profiles\Default

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-14, 20:28
by Michaell
No path, just a button for me, but it does at least open the correct folder. (Recent versions of Fx started including the path, but even WF 56 still just has the button.) The exe path is shown in about:support but not the profile. The profile path is shown in about:profiles, but that is where it can show a different profile as in use when it isn't. And Palemoon-Portable.ini uses a name that leaves it unclear whether it's the profile name or the profile folder name (I just changed it and seems to match the folder). If you just use defaults you'll never notice. If all these different pages/dialogs showed all the info (profile name and path including full profile folder name) it would be a lot easier to see what you have and choose what you want. Actually, a portable install shouldn't even use profiles.ini in the C:\Users folder but not worth fighting over.

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 09:36
by satrow
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-14, 20:28
No path. The exe path is shown in about:support but not the profile.
PM-Portable location\User\Palemoon\Profiles is the default portable profile folder.
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-14, 20:28
The profile path is shown in about:profiles, but that is where it can show a different profile as in use when it isn't. And Palemoon-Portable.ini uses a name that leaves it unclear whether it's the profile name or the profile folder name (I just changed it and seems to match the folder). If you just use defaults you'll never notice. If all these different pages/dialogs showed all the info (profile name and path including full profile folder name) it would be a lot easier to see what you have and choose what you want.
about:profiles shows the installed Profiles.
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-14, 20:28
Actually, a portable install shouldn't even use profiles.ini in the C:\Users folder but not worth fighting over.
It doesn't use the profiles.ini in the C:\Users folder.


Gratz, you've created a Frankenbrowser, still time to make it even uglier before Halloween :twisted:

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 15:01
by Michaell
satrow wrote:
2019-10-15, 09:36

PM-Portable location\User\Palemoon\Profiles is the default portable profile folder.
Of course, but I don't necessarily put my extra profiles there.
about:profiles shows the installed Profiles.
I don't know what point you're trying to make. What else would it show? And it does show ones from previous portable installs that were in a different folder. But my main point was I've seen it incorrectly report which profile is in use or the default.
It doesn't use the profiles.ini in the C:\Users folder.
Profiles I've created with PM Portable are listed in there. And I made an edit to it manually and it was picked up in about:profiles when I restarted.
Gratz, you've created a Frankenbrowser,...
I understand since you're forum staff you have to behave that way.

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 15:44
by satrow
satrow wrote:
2019-10-15, 09:36
about:profiles shows the installed Profiles.
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-15, 15:01
I don't know what point you're trying to make. What else would it show? And it does show ones from previous portable installs that were in a different folder. But my main point was I've seen it incorrectly report which profile is in use or the default.

Profiles I've created with PM Portable are listed in there. And I made an edit to it manually and it was picked up in about:profiles when I restarted.
You're in a hole of your own making, stop digging and clean up the mess you've made, grab a fresh Portable and leave it at the defaults while you study how it's supposed to work.

Michaell wrote:
2019-10-15, 15:01
Gratz, you've created a Frankenbrowser,...
I understand since you're forum staff you have to behave that way.
Based on what evidence? Please be specific.

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 17:23
by Moonchild
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-14, 14:08
PM and Basilisk as portable installs (unsupported custom in the latter)
Oh so you were the one thinking any of us would send you a portable launcher .exe with a Basilisk icon. 8-)

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 18:05
by Michaell
Nope, wasn't me. What a wonderful place y'all have here.

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 18:06
by Moonchild
Michaell wrote:
2019-10-15, 18:05
Nope, wasn't me. What a wonderful place y'all have here.
Fantastic isn't it? Just got the occasional vermin that needs chasing off. :D

Re: What the heck has happened to Basilsk?

Posted: 2019-10-15, 18:22
by New Tobin Paradigm
Bugs are gonna get in from time to time. Can't be avoided. Just need to squash them.