Migration from WF Classic to Basilisk browser (data/profile )

Moving between browsers (from WF Classic to Basilisk) [legacy firefox]

Why?/Reasons
Notes
1) The "Profile" folder [1]
2) Logins [1]
3) Backup/Restore
4) Formfill history [1]
5) Cookies
6) Cleaning extensions(WE) [TODO]
Summary
Literature

Why?/Reasons

Waterfox Classic has been abandoned and compatibility with modern pages will not improve anymore.

Basilisk has active support, its community is still creating/maintaining XUL extensions and compatibility with modern pages has been continuously improving  (even WebComponents coming)

Notes:

-Basilisk has not the Mozilla sync feature, so sync is not an option :(

-Some data can be migrated using different methods and also maybe some steps are not required for you.

-There is not a tough research but just a trial&error process and I don't know the answer for some questions.

For example, why "Formfill history"  (formhistory.sqlite) was not applied/copied after the initial copy of the profile and 1st execution of Basilisk?.

WF classic (source)

1) The "Profile" folder [1]

1.1 Full content/folder WF profile copied to Basilisk folder [2]
1.2 Open Basilisk
Result:
OK: Addons (WE xpi removed)[3],  bookmarks, DOM storage (webappsstore.sqlite)
NOK: history, cookies, form history, masterpassword
logins ( migrated only old logins, til 2017 ) , 

[1] about:support and click on "Profile Folder"
[2] (with basilisk closed)
[3] During the load of profile Basilisk has deleted WE .xpi (data is still at \browser-extension-data\)

2) Logins [1]

2.1 copy logins.json, key3.db, key4.db to Basilisk profile folder[1]
2.2 Open Basilisk
2.3 Check logins and last update date
Result: OK
[1] (with WF and Basilisk closed)

3) Backup/Restore

3.1 Install extension FEBE (exact version, febe-8.9.3.1-fx) on WF and Basilisk
3.2 Backup History, Cookies, form fill history
3.3 restoring history can take a long time and make browser unresponsive
OK: History
NOK: Formfill history, cookies  (error "Backup file is not compatible with the ver of firefox currently running..")

4) Formfill history [1]

4.1 copy formhistory.sqlite to Basilisk profile folder
4.2 Open Basilisk and verify /verify content of sqlite file  [2] [3]

Result OK
[1] (with Basilisk closed)
[2] i.e  with "SQlite Manager" XUL extensions and, SELECT * FROM moz_formhistory
[3] SQLiteStudio for desktop is even easier than the FF extension

SQLliteStudio (portable and FOSS)

5) Cookies

5.1 Install an extension for cookies (advanced_cookie_manager-5.12-fx.xpi) on WF and Basilisk
5.2 On WF "EXPORT" and select a filename
5.3 On Basilisk "IMPORT" and filter/select previous file
5.4 Check/verify cookies
Result: OK

 

6) Cleaning extensions(WE) [TODO]

Webextensions are not loaded or messing the performance. However they are still stored in the profile and using space.

 

So, how to clean is the pending step.

Summary

Now, I think I've everything working as expected and I can definitely move from an unsupported WF with 471  out of 555 points browser to a  supported Basilisk with 477 points (html5test).

Literature

Very long time ago Basilisk was my daily driver, and I moved there from Palemoon. BTW at this time  the difference of performance (even stability) between this light-weight fork and the official firefox was huge.

Initially moving to Basilisk was offering a more modern interface, containers, partial compatibility with webextensions but the roadmap of Basilisk/UXP required the removal of some of this features.

Then I decided to move from Basilisk to Waterfox, it was a seamless movement with the exception of forcing the usage of a 64bits browser and keep other browsers with 32bits version on older computers. But I have some modern firefox features a containers or sync, plus the capacity to install recent webextensions but keeping compatibility with legacy XUL extensions.

I would say that the stability and performance of Waterfox was never as good as before, but specially during last years when the memory management became a real issue. 

Then, there was no hope for Waterfox classic, it was completely abandoned and replaced by Waterfox G.

Basilisk (target)

Future for the past (web, 32bits OS and hardware)

New Old WebBrowsers  (almost year 2021)

Do not throw away you old hardware so quickly!
If your computer is still working, you can keep it working for many tasks.

Even you can use a common menu to ease the launch of these browsers with a shared profile (the one you use in your updated computer) see Menu_Launcher4multiple_FF

In this list I will not include the official Moonchild's browsers as Palemoon as they are not compatible with WindowsXP and Basilisk soon will have only 64bits version.

Centaury v0.13 (202010)

(Compatible with:WinXP - ReactOS )
Unofficial fork of Basilisk (with UXP technology) and compatible with Mozilla Firefox 52.9
Also for a short time received the name Serpent

Mypal v28.15

(Compatible with: WinXP - ReactOS)
Unofficial fork of Palemoon (with UXP technology) and compatible with Mozilla Firefox 28
Also for a short time received the name  Oldrac and Newmoon

Serpent by roytam1

Serpent by roytam1

(Compatible with:WinXP 32 or 64 )
Unofficial fork of Basilisk (with UXP technology) and compatible with Mozilla Firefox 52.9
Version win32_20181124 has Firefox sync function
Available at msfn.org or rtfreesoft.blogspot.com
Versions 32bits, 64bits and IA32 Win32

NM28XP by roytam1 (New Moon28 for XP)

(Compatible with:WinXP 32 or 64 )
Unofficial fork of Palemoon (with UXP technology) and compatible with Mozilla Firefox 28
Time ago called PM28XP
Available at msfn.org or rtfreesoft.blogspot.com

NM27XP by roytam1 (New Moon27 for XP)

(Compatible with:WinXP 32 or 64 )
Unofficial fork of Palemoon 27 and compatible with Mozilla Firefox 27
Available at msfn.org

K-meleon/KM-Goanna by roytam1

K-meleon74-Goanna2.2. Compatible Windows2000, WinXP, [Win98+KernelEx]
K-meleon76-Goanna3.4. Compatible WinXP, Windows2000 (CPU: SSE instructions??)
http://kmeleonbrowser.org  or rtfreesoft.blogspot.com

tenfourfox vFPR9

(Compatible with: Mac PowerPC G3 and G4, and MacOSX 10.4 and 10.5)

Based in Mozilla Firefox, and compatible FF v45+updates from  Firefox ESR 60)

Menu_Launcher4multiple_FF

(Windows CMD Batch Menu)
Requires to configure paths in the batch code

Sharing /Peer to peer

Shareaza 2.7

(Compatible Winxp)
Emule/Edonkey, Torrent, GNUtella,..  ALL IN ONE

 

Regarding Web browsers (on 2018 and mainly FOSS)

webbrowsers are the new OS!

 

Firefox engine

https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/

   Firefox Developer Edition (beta version and its own profile folder)
   Waterfox 61 (Compatible with XUL legacy addons and webextensions)
   Basilisk 201804 (updated and based in FF52, targeting v55)
   Palemoon 27.x (based in pre Australis UI interface, compatible with old-legacy addons v27


for Android
  www.apkmirror.com

   Waterfox 55.2 (compatible with bb10 Android runtime, support for addons)
   html5test: 477/555
   Waterfox 56.1 (NOT compatible with bb10 Android runtime)
   Fennec F-droid 60 (proprietary parts removed from FF code)

 Webkit

for Android
Mercury (compatible with bb10 Android 4.3 runtime, super light weight, predefined useragents)
v 3.2.3 html5test: 201/555

Lightning (compatible with bb10 Android 4.3 runtime, super light weight, predefined useragents)
html5test: 201/555

 Chromium

for Android
yubrowser optimized for Snapdragon cpu (compatible with bb10 Android 4.3 runtime, too heavy, predefined useragents)
html5test: 500/555

BEOL (bb en of life) super lightweight based in cordova (compatible with bb10 Android 4.3 runtime, early beta and ultra-minimalistic)
identified as a Crosswalk webview/Chrome 53
html5test: 498/555

 

Chromium browsers as an alternative to Firefox (Opera,..)

Personally, I prefer FF and its amazing XUL add-ins but...

Sometimes it is necessary to use something different

For official Chrome.
1 Disable the crap
     Windows,  Administrative tools, Task scheduler, Updates
(it is scaring to see big companies relying in this services)


For Opera. (a cleaner chrome)
0-Download your prefer version
    ftp://ftp.opera.com/pub/
1- Import Bookmarks
    Settings, Browser, Default browser
2- Add dictionaries
    Settings, Browser, Languages
3- disable updates (add as parameter to a batch file)
    --disable-update
    (verify in about)
4- Install extension
     Download Chrome Extension
5- advanced config/experiments (a kind of about:config)
    opera://flags


To use Java with Opera, v30 is the last Opera supporting (PPAPI) Pepper Plugin API, the flavor of NPAPI (Netscape Plugin API)
Theoretically v36 recognize NPAPI plugins but they don't work :(

Extensions

Grab the .nex file and rename it to end in .crx.
Install the best extensions.
-CRX viewer (can view inside crx/nex/xpi files)
-Web Developer
-Violentmonkey (clone of grease monkey)
-Adblock


From chrome shop (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions)
-FoxyProxy Standard
-

For Chromium 
from Chromium open source project

Last version with PPAPI (flavor of NPAPI) (requires chrome://flags/#enable-npapi)
Chromium build 45.0.2416.0-win32

Differences Firefox/Chromium

• Developer tools, Network

in Chrome by default the log is not accumulative, so
Developer tools, Network, check "Preserve log"

• add-on extension

.xpi (renamed .zip with XUL) vs .crx(Chrome) .nex (Opera)

Web containing crx files:
https://www.crx4chrome.com

Internal information/configuration 
chrome://about (in Chromium, list of all chrome:// URLs)

chrome://net-internals/
 (proxy, export, events,...)
chrome://memory
chrome://dns
chrome://memory-redirect/
chrome://version/   (includes profilepath)
chrome://flags/    (similar to about:config)

for other Chrome forks replace chrome by: brave, edge, vivaldi....

Opera and Vivaldi redirect some chrome urls to their own ones

opera://config  (config tab)
opera://about
opera://extensions

about:dns
about:net-internals

Best practices with Firefox, Palemoon, Waterfox and other FF flavours

This is a just a compilation of tricks or knowledge that i consider important for a daily user of a web browser

Browsers core and user agents:

Menu Bar, old school looking and plenty of options.

I suppose that FF copied this shitty idea from IE or Chrome, at least in FF you can get rid of this.
Displaying the menu bar, not only you will have quick access to many useful functions but also you will show that you are a poweruser ;)

In Waterfox: Menu Bar, + Customize, Titlebar




Execute the 32bits version (Portable FF)
Portable version includes the option of using the 64 or 32bits version.
By default you will execute FF with FirefoxPortable.exe and it will use the 64bits version for your 64bit OS, but sometimes we can be interested in executing the 32 bits because it can be compatible with some plugins, java, etc.

Go directly to the folder with the executable

FirefoxPortable48\App\Firefox
FirefoxPortable48\App\firefox64

Note that when using above executables,  addons and configuration are stored in different folders than the default ones and  used by FirefoxPortable.exe

Access to technical information

about:config


Override Useragent for an specific webpage
entry: general.useragent.override.myURL
string: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:45.9) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/45.9




Beside the more famous about:config, we also have:


about:support

to identify your FF version and 32/64bits, check "User Agent " and notice that:
Win64; x64 =64bits
WOW64=32bits (WoW64=Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit) is a subsystem of the Windows operating system capable of running 32-bit applications.


Includes installed extensions (name, version, ID)


Browser info in files:
prefs.js
application.ini file.
Contains: Browser ID, version, Gecko or Goanna (min and max version)

Moving Configuration to another browser or profile

Portable Palemoon stores addons/extension and configuration in the folder "/User"
Just copying the complete folder or even specific extensions to another browser, another profile, restarting the browser and you will have the desired data ;)

PM portable -Default profile
\User\Palemoon\Profiles\Default\

Waterfox portable -Default profile
\WaterfoxPortable\Data\profile\

Basilisk -Default profile
 C:\Users\bloglon_user\AppData\Roaming\Moonchild Productions\Basilisk\Profiles\xxx.default\


a possible candidate folder ;)
\User\Palemoon\Profiles\Personal_more_privacy\

M. Firefox Developer edition (e.g. 61b)
own profile folder:
C:\Users\bloglon\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\0a3stydz.dev-edition-default



Profile folder compatibility between Browser and versions:

Some errors but most extensions compatible from  Palemoon 27.5.1 to Waterfox 55.2.2
-error with specific PM extensions.
   error with PM "Addons Memory Usage - Intika MoD"
-some config pointing to PM folders
   Detect from about:config, searching palemoon word
   browser.cache.disk.parent_directory



Stored Passwords:
Are stored in sqlite and json:
\Palemoon2x_64b\User\Palemoon\Profiles\Default\signons.sqlite\Palemoon2x_64b\User\Palemoon\Profiles\Default\logins.json

To recreate json file from sqlite:  about:config, signon.importedFromSqlite, reset

Using multiple profiles:
Addon: ProfileSwitcher

Some Interesting files:
prefs.js  . Same or similar data than available from about:config
Palemoon_26.x\User\Palemoon\Profiles\Default\prefs.js

Palemoon-Portable.ini ( contain command line parameters,  profiles, paths....)

Installing extension theoretically not compatible

Main concepts:

• It is risky, and it will work only when browser is compatible in the practice but the developer was too much restrictive.
• Each FF web browser as a unique identifier such as:
• Firefox {ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}
• Palemoon {8de7fcbb-c55c-4fbe-bfc5-fc555c87dbc4}
• Sea Monkey{92650c4d-4b8e-4d2a-b7eb-24ecf4f6b63a}
• Waterfox  {ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}

(extract from application.ini)

Note that for Palemoon compatibility; from addons.mozilla.org(AMO) it is recognized as:

Palemoon 26.4  as a FF 24.9
Palemoon 27.3  as a FF 27.9
Waterfox  55.2.2 as a [FF/Gecko] 55.2.2

Browser identification can be configured for specific URL
From: "about:config" page , add a key general.useragent.override.myurl
i.e. general.useragent.override.facebook.com

Download a xpi file

From version Information, we list all the versions of this extension, then clicking on "Add to firefox" button we can obtain the link to the file.

We can download with right button and "Saved Link As" or even pasting the link in other webbrowser.

Edit a non compatible xpi extension

it will save a  .xpi file (it is just a renamed zip file)
rename the .xpi to .zip (7zip can extract directly from xpi)
Extract to content to a folder


Files:
install.rdf 
contains extension identification and compatibility checks

chrome.manifest
contains technical configuration which can be common for all browser and version or can be  customized per each different web browser or version


Edit install.rdf 
to include a different version
modify min or max version
         25.0
        44.*

to add Palemoon


{8de7fcbb-c55c-4fbe-bfc5-fc555c87dbc4}
25.0
25.*




Edit chrome.manifest

• Removing application part will apply to any
• .ie. application={ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384} 

• adding a new line with missing identifier (i.e Palemoon)
• Modify appversion to apply to out browser
• appversion>=12

Firefox - Add-ons / hacking tool (updated)

First of all I am not talking about "hacking" servers, access to weak systems or anything similar, neither discuss about the meanings cracking/hacking.





Now Firefox has huge potential as tool for the web(using the available Addons), there aren't competitors in this area and the other participants in the internet browsing war: IE, Opera, Chrome or Safari aren't alternatives.

Mini Glossary:
Add-on = Extension
AMO = addons.mozilla.org



The next list has some very interesting tools which add useful features to improve the web use (for me)
Command line (works with portable versions)
Some useful parameters

 -safe-mode
 -console (start with debugging console open)
 -url
 -private-window www.google.com
And many others

Example at CLI: Palemoon-Portable.exe -safe-mode 

Or using a shortcut
Target:  "c:\Portables\WaterfoxPortable\WaterfoxPortable.exe" -safe-mode



Enter in advanced configuration mode:
about:config

Force install of not compatible addons:
"about:config"
new boolean
 "extensions.checkCompatibility.4.0"
 or
"extensions.checkCompatibility.3.6" 
"false"

(or use add-on: checkCompatibility)

Execution of multiple Firefox portable at sametime
copy \Other\Source\FirefoxPortable.ini
to root
add AllowMultipleInstances=true


Firefox power user tools/addon

//Development
Chickenfoot
Firebug
Web developer (too many useful features)
DOM Inspector

View Source Chart
JSView  (see sourcecode from external files .ie included .js)
--
SQLite Manager (open firefox and songbird/Nightingale databases)
Xpather


//Utility
Aardvark (few features for developers but easy and useful to clean webpages before print)
Hacktheweb (improved version of aadvark addon)
Print Edit (remove, select and add break pages before to print)
Mozilla Archive format (save 1 or multiple pages in 1 file, MHT or MAFF format)

//Improve interface
ChromaTabs plus
Showcase (mini image with the tabs)
Table2Clipboard (copy table elements)
ColorfulTabs 29.9
TabGroups Manager revived. (create a parent tab to classify tabs under it)
--
Form saver
Autoformer
Autofill Forms

Tabrenamizer
Configuration stored in about:config(tabrenamizer.jsonprefs)

Copy/paste to a texte editor
Convert to human readable with Plugin:
JSTool
(or JSMin, JSFormat)
Modify content
Convert back to a minimalistic text with Plugin:JSMin,JSMin
Copy/paste text in about:config
restart firefox



//Config/Hack Firefox
keyconfig (20080929)
Show the key shortcuts assigned in Firefox, you can search for duplicated (blue background) or change the keys for each addon or function.
[after install access from Tools or Ctrl-Caps-F12]
more info:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=72994&st=0&sk=t&sd=a





SpellCheck 0.3
check the entire web page,
[after install, open from:"Edit, Spell check"]



//Browser tools
Quick Locale Switcher(ver 1.7.8)
User Agent Switcher (to identify FF as other ver/browser
 (XML including browser ids to import in addon)

 //Systems/networking
Firefox throttle (up/down bandwidth)
Extended status bar (Page/kb/speed/load time) v1.5.8
DownThemAll!
Firebug 1.7.3 (Net tab.  powerful stats /kb/speed/load time per object)
Httpfox 0.8.14 (similar to Firebug/developer tools but network monitor is centralized and keep monitoring when a _blank page is open)
Proxy Selector 1.31  (select different proxy configurations)
FireSSH
FireFTP
Foxyproxy (proxy with multiple functions, configuration file is compatible with Chrome addon)
--
fireftp
fireuploader
Sunrise XP (convert to plucker format)

Firebug (Net function)

//Semantic Web
Operator(check web for microformats, RDFa and eRDF and permits interact)
Tails export (show microformats and offer export to standard file formats)




Firefox 12

Fastest Search v2.23 (support regexpr and many options)
Stylish 1.3.2
jSON handle 02.2.1

Compatible with the old Firefox  v3.6.28
Specific addons versions for FF3.6:

chickenfoot107.xpi
colorfultabs-4.6.5-fx+sm.xpi
  configuration stored in about:config(extensions.clrtabs.dpref)
web_developer-1.2.2-fx+sm.xpi
tabrenamizer-0.9.6-fx.xpi
   configuration stored in about:config(tabrenamizer.jsonprefs)

Firebug 1.7.3 
Firefinder for Firebug 1.1(works with firebug 1.7.3)
TableTools2 1.17View Source Chart 3.05
WebDeveloper 1.2.2
Xpather 1.4.5
DOM Inspector 2.0.14
JSView 2.0.5
SQLite Manager 0.6.8


 
Remove It Permanently 1.0.6.10
   configuration stored in \FirefoxPortable\Data\profile\rip_store\config.xml
Hacktheweb 1.3.20 (improved aadvark addon)
Aardvark 3.0
Print Edit 9.0


Palemoon v.26
Light fork of a previous Firefox version (previous to FF v29 and its Australis user interface)

Important info
Palemoon from v25 has not anymore the same GUID than FF


Specific palemoon addons
https://addons.palemoon.org/extensions/other/pm-commander/

https://www.palemoon.org/tabgroups.shtml
Addons Memory Usage - Intika MoD
      used through about:addons-memory

Semantic web and microformats

Semantic Web Basic info:
http://composing-the-semantic-web.blogspot.com/




Microformats Basic info:
http://microformats.org/about


Firefox and Microformats
Operator add-on. Shows and options to manage contacts, events, locations, ...


cc by 2.0

Firefox and Songbird/Nightingale config files

In the latest versions firefox has changed its configuration file format, now it is using database files.

SQLite Manager 0.4.8 (firefox AddOn to open files with SQLlite db)

firefox (when 3.08)
files_with_extension.sqlite
files_with_extension.json

Windows default path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxx

Files description.



songbird (when v1.1.2) (replaced by Nightingale)
files_with_extension.db
files_with_extension.sqlite

Windows default path
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Songbird2\Profiles\xxx

Files description.
main@library.songbirdnest.com.db
--[table: media_items (cointains the url to all the music files(local stored)
web@library.songbirdnest.com.db
--[table: media_items (cointains the url to all the music references(web stored)
playbackhistory@songbirdnest.com.db

Automate and improving the web

Actually we use some pages like a desktop programs, Webmail as mail clients, some flavour of offices, dictionaries, etc...

But this web software hasn't enough features, functions, menus, etc as the desktop option, in some cases because a free web apps has advertisements and you must see it.

But we can solve these problems and program repetitive task, modify the showed text, appearance...

I've used two tools Chickenfoot and GreaseMonkey accompanied by our dear Firefox and a bit of Javascript knowledge (useful in pages with Javascript).

Our code or actions are transparent to the web server, however our code can interact with the web app, sending forms with our values, going links, opening new windows,...
Our code need to locate the html or Javascript code to interact with it, for it we can use DOM(Document Object Model) or XPath.


Chikenfoot
Greasemonkey
Mozilla Developer Centre:Javascript

Example of Chickenfoot code and a useful real case :

CF find all the "expand" links and click'em all

Example of Javascript function used in Chickenfoot:
 

Chickenfoot have functions to locate elements in a web page, such as find() but many times we must use javascript to locate the elements, so we should the following functions:

array=ref_window.document.getElementsByClassName(buscarpor) array=ref_window.document.getElementsByName(buscarpor)

Other positive thing about Chickenfoot vs Greasemonkey is access to local files (maybe it is insecure but it is so easy and useful for me):

  include ("fileio.js") 
 if (exists(file_origen)) { 
      contenido=read(file_origen) 
 } 
else output("ERROR !!!! fichero no existe") 


How to use JQuery

include("D:\\temp\\jquery-1.7.2.js")
$ = window.$;
jQuery = window.jQuery;

 jQuery('.ppm_filter_expand').click()   
$('.ppm_filter_expand').click()    

Abandonware - tiempos pasados fueron mejores

Versión en pdf

Artículo también publicado en Guía de ocio n Asturias nº6

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