Add bookmark settings save back

[skydiver]

I use a cross-browser tool to sync my bookmarks (X-Marks). I do not use Firefox sync because I want to be able to keep all three browsers in sync across 4 computers I use. Since Noscript stopped support of saving to a bookmark, it has stopped working and I have to change the Noscript preferences on each computer I use. I understand the desire to support the integral syncing using Firefox's native solution but to remove a feature that people may have been using seems counter-intuitive. I would like to see this feature added back to the feature set of Noscript.

[Tom T.]

Can you not use the NoScript Options button at the bottom, "Export", to export the settings of the most recent machine to a document? Default is *.txt, which I understand *nix can access also. Then import to the others, using Import button via LAN or flash drive, whichever is the case.

[skydiver]

I have 4 different computers that I keep in sync. To do what you suggested, I would have to remember to export from the last used computer any changes, then have to remember to import import this file via a thumb drive (if i can remember it) before I start a new browsing session. If I forget and make changes to the second computer before importing the settings, now I have two browesing session out of sync. I don't know about you but this seems completely unnecessary when there was previously a working solution to this problem.

I am not really asking for a new feature, only to re-activate a feature that was previously in the plugin. Leave it to the users to decide whether they only want to sync Firefox via the "approved" Firefox syncing tools or whether we want to use a tool that previously worked well such as X-Marks to sync all our browsers across all our machines. Granted I understand that the noscript settings save to a a bookmark don't do anything in Chrome, Safari or IE but when X-Marks syncs my bookmarks for these browsers along with Firefox, it all works together very well. I really don't want to add another tool to sync a portion of these browsers and the have to worry about two sets of bookmarks versions.

[Tom T.]

I understand. A search of this forum for "bookmark" + "sync" quickly turned up Giorgio's reply.

[skydiver]

Well this sucks...
Has anyone been able to utilize Firefox Sync alongside XMarks Sync? What what would be the potential for corruption? I do like the idea that I can run my own sync server for Firefox which was eliminated by XMarks last year.

[GµårÐïåñ]

Well this sucks...
Has anyone been able to utilize Firefox Sync alongside XMarks Sync? What what would be the potential for corruption? I do like the idea that I can run my own sync server for Firefox which was eliminated by XMarks last year.

Fx Sync sucks, it has NEVER worked for me and the support team for it doesn't care, trust me I tried. Luckily I don't use it and wouldn't use it and let Mozilla handle all my data. I was testing it so I could support users, so no loss to me.

[Tom T.]

This may not be much better than the thumb drive, but if all of the machines are Windows, one could write four DOS batch scripts with xcopy command, being sure to include the /D switch. If the machines are networked, whichever one you're on exports all, but only overwrites things that are newer than the destination machine(s), thus eliminating the question of which is most recent. Whichever one you're on is presumably newest, so with two clicks, all the others are updated. I use this for two machines.

If they're not online at the time, then yes, the export must be saved somewhere such as a thumb drive. But at least it's quick and easy to plug in the drive and run the import script without worrying about whether you're importing obsolete settings. Just an idea ...

[Thrawn]

Would DropBox do the job?

[Tom T.]

Would DropBox do the job?

IIUC, OP does not wish to use cloud or Internet-based solutions for synching anything beyond bookmarks themselves, due to the privacy risk.
Xmark's own Privacy Policy made for "interesting" reading.

I personally agree with this view. I don't even think it's anyone's business which sites I bookmark, as that gives away quite a bit about oneself.
(Including, for example, at which financial institutions one has accounts. Etc.)

The batch script-thumb drive method is really very fast, and no data ever leave my machines and drives, not even onto the LAN.
(I could have done it via LAN, but that involves cranking up both computers at once, when in fact I can only use one at a time. )

[skydiver]

I wish that noscript would offer my own server option. I realize that Firefox can sync to my own server but except for plugins and noscipt, no other settings need to be synced for me in Firefox. I love the cross browser functionality of XMarks but I miss the ability for XMarks to utilize my own server. I used to sync to an encrypted jungledisk webdav folder but gave that up when I realized that privacy is dead.

I am testing out utilizing the syncing of just addons & preferences utilizing Firefox sync but changes and additions to my noscript sites doesn't seem to be propagating to each browser. In fact it seems that when I set a white list for a site on what I consider my master browser, the change not only doesn't propagate to the other browser (ie. Firefox on an Ubuntu VM), it seems the white lists are getting reset on the master Firefox preferences. I have tries doing a force syncs in differing order such as make a change to the noscript white list on my laptop Win7 Firefox instance, do a manual Sync Now, fire up the Ubuntu VM, do a sync now in Firfox and the sites are not white listed.

[Tom T.]

NoScript settings, like many other Fx settings, are stored in prefs.js file, which contains at the top this warning:

# Mozilla User Preferences

/* Do not edit this file.
*
* If you make changes to this file while the application is running,
* the changes will be overwritten when the application exits.

So the first thought is: Ensure that the other three machines have no instances of Fx running -- can you connect them directly to your server without a browser, in the same way that I can connect to my router at 192.168.x.x and open its configuration utility without a browser?

Else, the modified files could be d/l to, say, desktop of each machine being updated, making an easy drag/drop-overwrite when next you start that machine (and before starting any instance of Fx). Or use a batch script, or *nix equivalent, to 2-click the entire overwrite process, with last-modified switch as a precaution.

You saw GµårÐïåñ's opinion of Fx sync as a whole. Apparently, he was right, alas. Sounds like it's merging or replacing, regardless of date of last change. Sorry I can't be more specific, as I've never used Fx sync. (and hardly getting any encouragement here to do so, as you can imagine.)