Transferring profile from Windows to Linux versions

[Mæstro]

As Windows 7 approaches its end of support, and the Internet becomes a less safe place for W7 users, I am strongly considering migrating to Linux Mint as a user-friendly alternative. However, I would rather not begin from scratch with respect to my browser. Is it possible to transfer my entire profile, including extensions, UI arrangement, settings and the rest, from the Windows version into the Linux? If not, what can be salvaged in the transfer? In any case, how would I go about doing this?

[Moonchild]

Whatever you do -- don't just copy the profile across. You'll end up with issues in the various databases due to the different way Windows and Linux file system paths are stored.

To transfer most of the important stuff, I recommend you use Pale Moon Sync, that will cover history, passwords, bookmarks and potentially tabs. For your extensions, make a list of what you have and reinstall them in Linux; like with the dbs in the profile itself, extensions may need to store path information which will not translate across to your new O.S. directly.

[Moonraker]

I am sure windows 7 can still be used without updates for a few years yet.

[ron_1]

Moonraker wrote:
I am sure windows 7 can still be used without updates for a few years yet.

Not if you care about safety and security.

[Moonchild]

Off-topic:

Not if you care about safety and security.

The thing is, this "everything needs constant updates no matter how old it is" isn't actually true, and a lot of it is playing into trying to push new software/services. Many things factor into safety and security -- just because an arbitrary date passes that Microsoft has set doesn't meant that Windows 7 is suddenly insecure -- it isn't. It will still be just as secure as the day before.
Many things factor in. Most importantly, code maturity. The more mature code is, the less likely it is that new vulnerabilities will be found that need to be patched -- it's only if you are constantly changing code that there will be a constant need for (re)evaluation of attack surfaces and the need for patches for newly-introduced code and features. If you aren't, then you will reach en equilibrium that is not easily upset.

So it's quite possible that in the future, some way down the road, something critical will be found that affects Windows 7, that Microsoft won't patch (but they still might do something out-of-band if it's considered enough risk, like they've done with XP), but that's not an immediate concern the moment the EoL date passes. Of course over time, risk will increase for using it on mission-critical computers.

[Mæstro]

I am sure windows 7 can still be used without updates for a few years yet.

Off-topic:
Strangely enough, given my OP, I agree with you. I disabled Windows update in 2015 when rumours were emerging about the Windows 10 advertising campaign. Happily, I have been spared the entire barrage of heckling to get W10 for free/before W7 is unsupported. My personally relevant reason for moving to Linux is mainly because my W7 computer is well over six years old, and I had a 2016 computer with Linux installed on it sitting away in a closet; I wanted to prepare for the day when my current hardware fails, and thought gathering the facts ahead of time would be prudent, to ensure a smooth transition. Framing my reason for switching as because of the upcoming end of support seemed more immediately understandable and relevant to a general audience (there likely are many who wish to switch from W7 to Linux because of the EOL) than a detailed and ultimately irrelevant explanation of my personal conditions, so I went with that instead in OP.

Incidentally, while I was in the process of setting up that other computer for eventual transition, its hard drive lost its will to live, rendering it inoperable and my original motivation mute. I still find it strange and even amusing that despite being half my primary computer's age, and virtually unused that entire time, it still failed while this one is not even showing its age in any meaningful way.

[Isengrim]

FWIW, I have been sharing the same profile between Windows 7 and Linux Mint partitions for several years without too many noticeable issues. That said, it's unsupported, YMMV, and PM Sync is probably the better way for most users to go.

[Night Wing]

I've been dual booting 64 bit Linux Mint and 64 bit Windows 7 since 2012 when Windows 8 came along. Down at the computer shop where I volunteer at sometimes, I got to use Windows 8 and I hated using Windows 8.

I knew this was the direction Microsoft was going from then on so I decided back in late 2012 (December) to ditch Windows (and Microsoft) and moved to Linux Mint 14 (Nadia) Xfce as my daily distro (operating system) with Windows 7 as my backup operating system.

Since I have four computers (2 desktop towers, 2 laptops), each computer has at least two hard drives for it. I'm not a fan of partitioning two operating systems onto one single hard drive. That can be a disaster waiting to happen if something goes wrong which can effect both operating systems.

I always use a clean new profile for Pale Moon when I install a new version of Linux Mint. I don't transfer over my profiles for Pale Moon because profiles can get corrupted for various reasons. The only thing I transfer over is my Bookmarks. I don't mind manually re-doing my settings for Pale Moon which includes user agents for various websites such as YouTube and Weather. Ditto for extensions and themes.

When Linux Mint 19.3 (Tricia) Xfce is released before Christmas, I will install it on all four of my computers with a clean new profile for Pale Moon.