Immerse yourself within Firefox 3 profiles

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Long ago, the Mozilla suite has been resumed under the name of SeaMonkey but the interior profiles remained the same. The release of Firefox 3 has made a lot of changes from the files of the profile.

Above all, a little reminder. SeaMonkey, Firefox and Thunderbird store personal information such as bookmarks, the home page, e-mail, address book, extensions, themes, etc.. in a profile (although different for each of these applications). The first time you run your software, a default profile is automatically created. Each profile is stored in its own folder. It is important to know where the profile and how it works, so why not keep this item under the elbow.

1. What is the profile?
As mentioned earlier, the profile is a folder to store personal settings of the user, including extensions and themes. So often there are problems that can occur.

The profile has two characteristics:
It is not located in the software installation;
It is not removed when you uninstall the software, whether Firefox, Thunderbird or Seamonkey. It is completely unnecessary to uninstall / reinstall Firefox when a problem profile.

2. Where is the profile?


Windows 2000 and Windows XP: C: \ Documents and Settings \ <window login/pseudonyme> \ Application Data \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \ <Name profile> \ o% AppData% \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \ <Name profile> \

Windows Vista : C: \ Users \ <window login/pseudonyme> \ AppData \ Roaming \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ <Name profile> \ or C: \ Users \ <window login/pseudonyme> \ AppData \ Roaming \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ <Name Profile> \

Unix / Linux: ~ / .mozilla / firefox / <Name profile> /

Mac OS X: ~ / Library / Mozilla / Firefox / Profiles / <Name profile> / or ~ / Library / Application Support / Mozilla / Firefox / Profiles / <Name profile> /

Note: By default, the profiles are appointed ********. default where ******** represents eight random letters and numbers.

Note:% AppData% is a shortcut to the path Application Data on Windows 2000, XP and Vista. To use, simply type% AppData% in the address bar of the Explorer and hit "Enter" (you can also click Start> Run (XP) or Start> Search (Vista) then type% AppData% and click "OK").

You then arrive in the folder, which is usually C: \ Documents and Settings \ <Name d'utilisateur Windows> \ Application Data \ (XP) or C: \ Users \ <window login/pseudonyme> \ AppData \.

Important: The% AppData% is hidden by default Windows and Linux [2], you must show hidden files and folders in Explorer to view it. On Windows, via the Tools menu> Options then the View tab. [3] Under Linux, depending on your file manager: if nautilus (the one provided by Gnome) or Konqueror (that provided by KDE), the Option is present in View> Show hidden files.

Note: Firefox can handle more users and more than one profile. Examples of roads above refer to the default profile is automatically created the first launch of the application. You can manage profiles using the profile manager.

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File List in my profile?

The majority of important files is listed below. All may not be present in your profile. If you have other files that are not listed here, it is probably leftovers from Firefox 2 that are no longer used (example: formhistory.dat, history.dat, hostperm.1, etc.)..

3.1 Issues

The profile includes file itself to other files:

bookmarkbackups - contains several backups of your bookmarks in case of loss.
bookmarks-(date). json - Safeguard your daily bookmarks.

chrome - contains the files to change the look of your browser and the Web sites.
userChrome.css - This file controls the appearance of Firefox. Thanks to how its interface is written, it can be controlled through CSS.
userContent.css - This file contains the styles users. Anything you write (CSS) will be applied to all web pages you visit, in accordance with the priority rules of CSS. To be sure that your rules have priority over those specified on the site, use the rule! Important.

minidump - used by Mozilla Crash Reporter.

extensions - contains your add-ons (extensions and themes).

searchplugins - contains search engines that you have added to those by default in the search bar.

If you chose to create your profile other than the default then it will contain the following folder:

Cache - contains data cache Firefox (Temporary Internet Files). For profiles stored at the site by default, the folder for temporary files are placed elsewhere. To find one, it is necessary to type about: cache in the address bar of Firefox.

3.2 Files

The profile folder includes the following files:

Bookmarks

• places.sqlite - contains all your bookmarks and your history. The *. sqlite displayed in text mode are incomprehensible. They can be viewed as an extension with SQLite Manager but any change may make the file unusable!
  
• bookmarks.html - contains bookmarks to your profile when you use Firefox 2 or the bookmarks of Firefox a "gross plant." Its content is certainly outdated.

Privacy

• cookies.sqlite - It contains the login information (username, password encrypted, ...), the session data, preferences, and anything else that can be stored in a cookie.
  
• downloads.sqlite - stores the list of downloads that appear in the Download Manager. If this file is deleted, the list will be reset which can solve some problems with downloads.
  
• formhistory.sqlite - contains information entered into forms and the search bar.
  
• search.sqlite - contains the list of search engines in the search bar.

Passwords

• key3.db - contains the keys used to encrypt passwords and certificates stored by Firefox. It works hand in hand with signons3.txt and cert8.db.
  
• signons3.txt - contains the list of names and passwords (encrypted) sites for which you have allowed Firefox to remember passwords. It works hand in hand with key3.db.
  
• signons.sqlite - replaces the sign *. txt files from Firefox 3.1

Extensions and themes

• extensions.cache - contains a list of identification numbers of extensions and their location.
  
• extensions.ini - contains the path of files each of your extensions and each of your subjects.
  
• extensions.rdf - contains the list of extensions displayed in the manager modules.

User preferences

These files record your preferences, including those corresponding to the options panel.

• prefs.js - This saves your preferences file as your home page or the path of some other necessary files. Do not edit it because it can make Firefox unusable.
  
• permissions.sqlite - contains your preferences regarding the authorization of cookies, images, popups and installing extensions by website.
  
• user.js - if you must add custom entries in prefs.js file by hand, instead edit the file.
  
• mimeTypes.rdf - stores the information on actions to perform when downloading some files (such as open directly or save it to disk drive). These choices are those listed in the "Applications" of the options window.
  
• content-prefs.sqlite - keeps the value of defined zoom and other miscellaneous information for each site.
  
• pluginreg.dat - stores mime types associated with your plugins.
  
• urlclassifier3.sqlite - contains the list of sites on which Firefox must warn you against phishing.

Security

• cert8.db - contains information on the certificates used in Firefox (also requires key3.db).
  
• secmod.db - contains information about your security devices.
  
• blocklist.xml - is automatically downloaded a file that contains the list of extensions listed as hazardous (bad sources of crashes, etc.).

Toolbars

• localstore.rdf - saves your changes toolbars (icons displaced, etc.).

Dictionary

• persdict.dat - saves the words you add to the dictionary by default in Firefox.

Data sessions

• sessionstore.js - saves the open windows and tabs and other data on your session. This file is used to restore your previous session after you install an update or a module.

Other

• compatibility.ini - contains information about the last use of this profile: what version of Firefox, what OS, with what executables, etc..
  
• compreg.dat - a database XPCOM components.
• webappsstore.sqlite - contains data used by websites using the functionality provided by DOM Storage.
  
• xpti.dat - - a database of XPCOM interfaces.
  
• parent.lock, and lock. parentlock - This empty file that tells Firefox profile is being used and therefore the application should not try to use it. If you are sure that the process of your software is closed and your default profile continues not to open, look for this file. f there is, delete it, it means that the application has forgotten to remove after being closed.

If you have created your profile to a different location from the default then it also contains the following files:

• XPC.mfl XPC.mfasl and XUL.mfl XUL.mfasl - They record the appearance of Firefox to avoid having to recalculate every time. These files are stored in the cache folder.