Syncing bookmarks among browsers

starrin · 11-24-2005, 06:48 AM

I have extensive bookmarks and Netscape 7.2 and Mozilla obviously
share them because updating one, updates both. Firefox, automatically
picked up a set when I installed it, but it has not updated since,
unless I was in FF and added a bookmark to that list. Could someone
please lead me through (or direct me to) the steps that would get
Firefox in sync with the other two.
TIA
Roy

keithy397 · 11-27-2005, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starrin

I have extensive bookmarks and Netscape 7.2 and Mozilla obviously
share them because updating one, updates both. Firefox, automatically
picked up a set when I installed it, but it has not updated since,
unless I was in FF and added a bookmark to that list.

Firefox only picks up the bookmarks on installation, it doesn't maintain a 'live' link unless you change some preferences.

Quote:

Originally Posted by starrin

Could someone
please lead me through (or direct me to) the steps that would get
Firefox in sync with the other two.
TIA
Roy

This is relatively easy provided both browsers are compatible.

Firstly, exactly with what browsers do you want to synch the bookmarks files? Is it just Netscape and Firefox? If this is so we'll need to find the location of the Netscape bookmarks file (usually Documents & Settings-> *User Name*-> Application Data-> ?Mozilla/Netscape-> Profiles-> *User Profile* - or something similar) and whether there is a 'user.js' file in your Netscape profile folder. I know next to nothing about Netscape, but I believe it is built on the same platform as Firefox.

If you can provide that info, we'll get cracking!

**shuuhen** · 11-27-2005, 12:04 PM

In Mozilla or Netscape, open your bookmark manager and look under the 'Tools' menu. There should be an export option that will let you export your bookmarks as HTML. Import should be right by Export if you want to import from Firefox.

In Firefox, open your bookmark manager and look under the File menu. Import and Export should be right by each other. Like with Mozilla and Netscape, you should be able to import and export in HTML.

starrin · 11-28-2005, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuuhen

In Mozilla or Netscape, open your bookmark manager and look under the 'Tools' menu. There should be an export option that will let you export your bookmarks as HTML. Import should be right by Export if you want to import from Firefox.

Thank you. I exported my bookmark.html from Netscape 7.2 to Firefox.
Though it will become self evident, can you tell me if changes to my netscape bookmarks will be automatically included in my firefox listing? That interchange occurs between netscape and mozilla right now, regardless of which one I use to enter the new bookmark. If not. can you tell me how to effect that kind of set-up? Essentially I want one set of bookmarks to serve all 3 browsers (netscape/mozilla/firefox).

In Firefox, open your bookmark manager and look under the File menu. Import and Export should be right by each other. Like with Mozilla and Netscape, you should be able to import and export in HTML.

Whatever the reason, I could not work it from this end. Probably had the wrong file. But, I could shove it in as described above and that worked.
Thanks

keithy397 · 12-02-2005, 04:14 PM

Based on starrin's enquiries I decided to write this for all to read:-

If you have multiple profiles in Firefox and/or run Netscape, Mozilla Suite Browser (Navigator), K-Meleon or any other Gecko based browsers, in Windows you can link all of them to one single bookmarks file. When you do this, whatever changes you make from any other profile or Gecko based Browser, takes place in the selected bookmarks file and are reproduced to every other profile/browser. In other words you could make a change in a Firefox Profile, open Netscape and you'll have exactly the same bookmarks as you had in the Firefox profile. In order to achieve this you simply place in the other profiles a user.js file containing the path to the bookmarks.html file you want to use.

Let me make an example - Profile 1 will be the 'main' bookmarks file and Profile 2 (and any others) will be where you place the user.js file.

To create the file simply open Notepad and 'Save As' user.js - now move (or cut/copy & paste) the file to Prolile 2's profile folder. To open the file, you open it with Notepad, right click and select 'open with'. The icon for the file looks like a gold coloured scroll of paper. Now you place the path to the bookmarks file for Profile 1, and it should look like this:-

// relocate Bookmarks.html file:
user_pref("browser.bookmarks.file", "C:\\Documents and Settings\\*Your User Name*\\Application Data\\Mozilla\\Firefox\\Profiles\\xxxxxxxx.Profile1\\bookmarks.html");

Note - the x's are a random string created by Firefox, followed by your profile name or default/default.user if you haven't created another profile. It is necessary to include that random string in the path.

Now Profile 2 will use that path to read the bookmarks file in Profile 1. To reproduce this to other profiles in Firefox, or to Netscape etc, just copy the user.js file into the other profile folders. If at any time you no longer want your bookmarks centralised, just remove the user.pref from the user.js file.

I have been using this method for ages and it works great. One thing I would strongly suggest is that you install the Bookmark Backup extension into the profile of the shared bookmarks file. This extension backs up the bookmarks file to a folder of your choice (use a folder away from Firefox) every time you close that profile and it saves them in folders named with days of the week. If anything were to happen to your profile, you have the benefit of knowing your bookmarks are safe.

11-24-2005, 06:48 AM	#1 (permalink)
starrin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tidewater, VA Posts: 6 OS: XP	Syncing bookmarks among browsers I have extensive bookmarks and Netscape 7.2 and Mozilla obviously share them because updating one, updates both. Firefox, automatically picked up a set when I installed it, but it has not updated since, unless I was in FF and added a bookmark to that list. Could someone please lead me through (or direct me to) the steps that would get Firefox in sync with the other two. TIA Roy

12-02-2005, 04:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
keithy397 Alternative Computing Team Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Anglesey, North Wales Posts: 400 OS: w2k pro	Based on starrin's enquiries I decided to write this for all to read:- If you have multiple profiles in Firefox and/or run Netscape, Mozilla Suite Browser (Navigator), K-Meleon or any other Gecko based browsers, in Windows you can link all of them to one single bookmarks file. When you do this, whatever changes you make from any other profile or Gecko based Browser, takes place in the selected bookmarks file and are reproduced to every other profile/browser. In other words you could make a change in a Firefox Profile, open Netscape and you'll have exactly the same bookmarks as you had in the Firefox profile. In order to achieve this you simply place in the other profiles a user.js file containing the path to the bookmarks.html file you want to use. Let me make an example - Profile 1 will be the 'main' bookmarks file and Profile 2 (and any others) will be where you place the user.js file. To create the file simply open Notepad and 'Save As' user.js - now move (or cut/copy & paste) the file to Prolile 2's profile folder. To open the file, you open it with Notepad, right click and select 'open with'. The icon for the file looks like a gold coloured scroll of paper. Now you place the path to the bookmarks file for Profile 1, and it should look like this:- // relocate Bookmarks.html file: user_pref("browser.bookmarks.file", "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Your User Name\\Application Data\\Mozilla\\Firefox\\Profiles\\xxxxxxxx.Profile1\\bookmarks.html"); Note - the x's are a random string created by Firefox, followed by your profile name or default/default.user if you haven't created another profile. It is necessary to include that random string in the path. Now Profile 2 will use that path to read the bookmarks file in Profile 1. To reproduce this to other profiles in Firefox, or to Netscape etc, just copy the user.js file into the other profile folders. If at any time you no longer want your bookmarks centralised, just remove the user.pref from the user.js file. I have been using this method for ages and it works great. One thing I would strongly suggest is that you install the Bookmark Backup extension into the profile of the shared bookmarks file. This extension backs up the bookmarks file to a folder of your choice (use a folder away from Firefox) every time you close that profile and it saves them in folders named with days of the week. If anything were to happen to your profile, you have the benefit of knowing your bookmarks are safe. __________________ Cheers, Remember to clear Firefox cache regularly Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Offline Storage > Clear Now

11-27-2005, 12:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
shuuhen Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 763 OS: Mac OS 9.1, Mac OS X 10.5.5, WinXP Pro, FreeBSD 6.0, Gentoo Linux	In Mozilla or Netscape, open your bookmark manager and look under the 'Tools' menu. There should be an export option that will let you export your bookmarks as HTML. Import should be right by Export if you want to import from Firefox. In Firefox, open your bookmark manager and look under the File menu. Import and Export should be right by each other. Like with Mozilla and Netscape, you should be able to import and export in HTML.