Moving firefox passwords between machines
Hi Folks, I've had an oldish firefox running for a few years one one machine, and have accumulatd a few dozen login username/passwords for various websites. I'm now doing most of my browsing using iceweasel on a new machine, and I'd like to "copy" all those passwords over to the new setup. Passwords are stored in encrypted form in a file signons.txt (old machine) or signons2.txt (new machine), and each is in a directory ~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default, where the "xxxxxxxx" is a random-looking string (different between the two) and presumably serves as an encryption key. So I can't just copy signons.txt to signons2.txt -- it doesnt work! (tried it). One way, of course, is to trek through edit>preferences>passwords in firefox on the old machine, and get them up in the browser, unencrypted, and read them off when I need them. This of course is tedious! Any suggestions for how to port the lot from firefox to iceweasel? (I had no problem simply copying my bookmarks.html from one to the other; but then that's just plain text). With thanks, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 29-May-08 Time: 10:46:45 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
On Thu, 2008-05-29 at 10:46 +0100, Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk wrote:
Passwords are stored in encrypted form in a file signons.txt (old machine) or signons2.txt (new machine), and each is in a directory ~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default, where the "xxxxxxxx" is a random-looking string (different between the two) and presumably serves as an encryption key.
So I can't just copy signons.txt to signons2.txt -- it doesnt work! (tried it).
Look at this thread..any help ? http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2767968 You will also need to move key3.db afaik
On Thu, 29 May 2008 10:46:50 +0100 (BST) (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk> allegedly wrote:
I've had an oldish firefox running for a few years one one machine, and have accumulatd a few dozen login username/passwords for various websites.
I'm now doing most of my browsing using iceweasel on a new machine, and I'd like to "copy" all those passwords over to the new setup.
Any suggestions for how to port the lot from firefox to iceweasel?
I've not tried this, but I just stumbled across it when looking for a replacement for my (now broken under 3.0) trashmail.net addon. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2848 Mick --------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a Microsoft free zone. Please do not send me Microsoft Word Documents. For some reasons, see: www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html www.goldmark.org/netrants/no-word/attach.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------
On 29-May-08 19:40:42, mbm wrote:
On Thu, 29 May 2008 10:46:50 +0100 (BST) (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk> allegedly wrote:
I've had an oldish firefox running for a few years one one machine, and have accumulatd a few dozen login username/passwords for various websites.
I'm now doing most of my browsing using iceweasel on a new machine, and I'd like to "copy" all those passwords over to the new setup.
Any suggestions for how to port the lot from firefox to iceweasel?
I've not tried this, but I just stumbled across it when looking for a replacement for my (now broken under 3.0) trashmail.net addon.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2848
Mick
I'm obliged for all the suggestions people have put up. It looks as though I should find my solution somewhere amongst those. Thanks, and best wishes to all, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 29-May-08 Time: 21:17:28 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------
(Ted Harding) wrote:
Hi Folks,
I've had an oldish firefox running for a few years one one machine, and have accumulatd a few dozen login username/passwords for various websites.
I'm now doing most of my browsing using iceweasel on a new machine, and I'd like to "copy" all those passwords over to the new setup.
Hi Ted, So it's Firefox 2.x then I take it? Well I'm not sure how Iceweasel copes with Firefox extensions but the way to go with this, if you've got a Google Account is to use Google Browser Sync. http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/browsersync/ It doesn't currently work with Firefox3 Betas which is a pain in the arse but it's fantastic for sharing passwords, cookies, browsing history, bookmarks and even actual tabs open between machines. As I say, I've not tried it on Iceweasel but I imagine it should work and if you don't have a Google account, I can hook you up with an invite. You choose a 4 digit pin number after putting your google username/password in and it's all encrypted.. Another alternative is to use Mozilla's new extension called Weave (http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/12/introducing-weave/) which does the same as Google Browser Sync , however this is only for Firefox3 Betas and above I believe and what I'm having trouble with is moving my bookmarks nicely over from Firefox 2.x to 3. The reason it's difficult is because they've slightly changed the layout behind-the-scenes of Bookmarks in the latest version of Firefox for some reason so that's why Google Browser Sync isn't compatible. I'm also fairly certain this was a Google employee's free-time project and it's been neglected of late. An awesome extension, extremely useful but it seems to have been forgotten about by whoever made it at Google :( Definitely check out Google Browser Sync and see if it works with Iceweasel. -Si
2008/5/30 Simon Elliott <alug@sionide.net>:
(Ted Harding) wrote:
Hi Folks,
I've had an oldish firefox running for a few years one one machine, and have accumulatd a few dozen login username/passwords for various websites.
I'm now doing most of my browsing using iceweasel on a new machine, and I'd like to "copy" all those passwords over to the new setup.
Hi Ted,
So it's Firefox 2.x then I take it? Well I'm not sure how Iceweasel copes with Firefox extensions but the way to go with this, if you've got a Google Account is to use Google Browser Sync. http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/browsersync/ It doesn't currently work with Firefox3 Betas which is a pain in the arse but it's fantastic for sharing passwords, cookies, browsing history, bookmarks and even actual tabs open between machines.
As I say, I've not tried it on Iceweasel but I imagine it should work and if you don't have a Google account, I can hook you up with an invite. You choose a 4 digit pin number after putting your google username/password in and it's all encrypted..
Another alternative is to use Mozilla's new extension called Weave (http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/12/introducing-weave/) which does the same as Google Browser Sync , however this is only for Firefox3 Betas and above I believe and what I'm having trouble with is moving my bookmarks nicely over from Firefox 2.x to 3. The reason it's difficult is because they've slightly changed the layout behind-the-scenes of Bookmarks in the latest version of Firefox for some reason so that's why Google Browser Sync isn't compatible. I'm also fairly certain this was a Google employee's free-time project and it's been neglected of late. An awesome extension, extremely useful but it seems to have been forgotten about by whoever made it at Google :(
Definitely check out Google Browser Sync and see if it works with Iceweasel.
-Si
I tried the google browser sync and found it rather unreliable with firefox 2 - bookmarks seemed to get jumbled up, separators inserted, about a dozen i recall in the bottom of one bookmark folder! From what i could see not one of google's good inventions. I used Foxmarks instead and found that excellent without a glitch. james
James Freer wrote:
I tried the google browser sync and found it rather unreliable with firefox 2 - bookmarks seemed to get jumbled up, separators inserted, about a dozen i recall in the bottom of one bookmark folder! From what i could see not one of google's good inventions. I used Foxmarks instead and found that excellent without a glitch.
Thanks for re-iterating your point about the bad experience you had.. But, does this Foxmarks sync saved username and passwords / browser history and stuff too? Doesn't look like it does from a quick glance at their website, only supporting bookmarks by the look of it. Also, my main objection to Foxmarks is having to register yet another account on yet another separate website in order to sync my bookmarks. Whereas I've already got a Google account, as have most people so it's all under the same username/password. Back in "the day", years ago I used to sync bookmarks between my windows machine and ubuntu laptop using an extension which uploaded the exported bookmarks.html file to sionide.net via FTP and then downloaded it every time I started the new browser because I didn't want to have to register for another account on a random third party website.. -Si
2008/5/30 Simon Elliott <alug@sionide.net>:
James Freer wrote:
I tried the google browser sync and found it rather unreliable with firefox 2 - bookmarks seemed to get jumbled up, separators inserted, about a dozen i recall in the bottom of one bookmark folder! From what i could see not one of google's good inventions. I used Foxmarks instead and found that excellent without a glitch.
Thanks for re-iterating your point about the bad experience you had..
But, does this Foxmarks sync saved username and passwords / browser history and stuff too? Doesn't look like it does from a quick glance at their website, only supporting bookmarks by the look of it.
Also, my main objection to Foxmarks is having to register yet another account on yet another separate website in order to sync my bookmarks. Whereas I've already got a Google account, as have most people so it's all under the same username/password.
Back in "the day", years ago I used to sync bookmarks between my windows machine and ubuntu laptop using an extension which uploaded the exported bookmarks.html file to sionide.net via FTP and then downloaded it every time I started the new browser because I didn't want to have to register for another account on a random third party website..
-Si
Simon In the computer world it seems somethings work for one and don't for another. Perhaps my google experience was that i had overlooked a setting somewhere? It sure messed up my bookmarks. You could well be right Foxmarks only saves the bookmarks. As for passwords i don't leave them on the machine. I have a set of passwords for different security levels e.g. banking isn't the same as a forum password... but two forums can be. I've always thought someone would hack into my machine one day. In your second paragraph you mention a method which many still use i believe. To me the bookmarks are the valuable resource. I'll give google another go when i get the time - maybe their was a glitch somewhere. james
Yo, If you do want to run extensions on newer versions of firefox/iceweasel have a look at this: http://articles.bluishcoder.co.nz/article/disable-firefox-extension-version-... Can't remember which extension it was, but one of mine refused to install under 3.x but works fine using that. Cheers, Rob. 2008/5/30 Simon Elliott <alug@sionide.net>:
(Ted Harding) wrote:
Hi Folks,
I've had an oldish firefox running for a few years one one machine, and have accumulatd a few dozen login username/passwords for various websites.
I'm now doing most of my browsing using iceweasel on a new machine, and I'd like to "copy" all those passwords over to the new setup.
Hi Ted,
So it's Firefox 2.x then I take it? Well I'm not sure how Iceweasel copes with Firefox extensions but the way to go with this, if you've got a Google Account is to use Google Browser Sync. http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/browsersync/ It doesn't currently work with Firefox3 Betas which is a pain in the arse but it's fantastic for sharing passwords, cookies, browsing history, bookmarks and even actual tabs open between machines.
As I say, I've not tried it on Iceweasel but I imagine it should work and if you don't have a Google account, I can hook you up with an invite. You choose a 4 digit pin number after putting your google username/password in and it's all encrypted..
Another alternative is to use Mozilla's new extension called Weave (http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/12/introducing-weave/) which does the same as Google Browser Sync , however this is only for Firefox3 Betas and above I believe and what I'm having trouble with is moving my bookmarks nicely over from Firefox 2.x to 3. The reason it's difficult is because they've slightly changed the layout behind-the-scenes of Bookmarks in the latest version of Firefox for some reason so that's why Google Browser Sync isn't compatible. I'm also fairly certain this was a Google employee's free-time project and it's been neglected of late. An awesome extension, extremely useful but it seems to have been forgotten about by whoever made it at Google :(
Definitely check out Google Browser Sync and see if it works with Iceweasel.
-Si
_______________________________________________ main@lists.alug.org.uk http://www.alug.org.uk/ http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above!
Rob Page wrote:
Yo,
If you do want to run extensions on newer versions of firefox/iceweasel have a look at this:
http://articles.bluishcoder.co.nz/article/disable-firefox-extension-version-...
Can't remember which extension it was, but one of mine refused to install under 3.x but works fine using that.
Do not do this, do not do this do NOT do this!! It will not work, it'll crash or worse.. As I explained previously, it's because there have been infrastructure changes in how/where bookmarks are stored in Firefox3.. So maybe with a very limited subset of extensions, this might work but not with anything which mucks around with any kind of user data. Mozilla are dead against this. The functionality is only for extension developers. http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2008/04/no_it_does_not.html "As Mark Finkle says so well <http://starkravingfinkle.org/blog/2008/04/soylent-green-is-people/>, disabling add-ons compatibility checks does not magically make your extensions compatible. Disabling this check for anything other than participating in add-ons testing and development is not a good thing. You risk your browser stability, and potentially your computer's security. Just don't do it." http://kb.mozillazine.org/Extensions.checkCompatibility Bad robrob, don't suggest silly things! I've been told off for it before so just getting my own back ;) -Si
Another alternative is to use Mozilla's new extension called Weave (http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/12/introducing-weave/) which does the same as Google Browser Sync , however this is only for Firefox3 Betas and above I believe and what I'm having trouble with is moving my bookmarks nicely over from Firefox 2.x to 3. The reason it's difficult is because they've slightly changed the layout behind-the-scenes of Bookmarks in the latest version of Firefox for some reason so that's why Google Browser Sync isn't compatible. I'm also fairly certain this was a Google employee's free-time project and it's been neglected of late. An awesome extension, extremely useful but it seems to have been forgotten about by whoever made it at Google :(
Definitely check out Google Browser Sync and see if it works with Iceweasel.
-Si
_______________________________________________ main@lists.alug.org.uk http://www.alug.org.uk/ http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above!
participants (6)
-
James Freer -
mbm -
Rob Page -
Simon Elliott -
Ted.Harding＠manchester.ac.uk -
Wayne Stallwood