Here's way to make firefox portable for windows and linux (native, not wine) with same profile.
First make 4 folders for Firefox on your hard drive like:
D:\FirefoxBrowser D:\FirefoxBrowser\Linux D:\FirefoxBrowser\Windows D:\FirefoxBrowser\Profile
Now let's install Firefox. Download Firefox installer for windows(exe) and linux(tar.gz) and save them. Open windows(exe) installer in 7-Zip and extract all files from core folder to FirefoxBrowser\Windows folder so firefox.exe is saved in path like:
D:\FirefoxBrowser\Windows\firefox.exe
Similarly, open linux(tar.gz) installer in 7-Zip. It is compressed twice, so open tar file again. Extract all files from firefox folder to FirefoxBrowser\Linux folder so firefox-bin is saved in path like:
D:\FirefoxBrowser\Linux\firefox-bin
In FirefoxBrowser\Profile folder, copy your current Firefox profile or create prefs.js file to use fresh profile.
Don't run firefox yet! We need to create shortcuts to run both versions for different operating systems.
For Windows, create FirefoxBrowser\Firefox.bat and save following code:
@echo off start .\Windows\Firefox.exe -profile .\Profile -no-remote
For Linux, create FirefoxBrowser\Firefox.sh and save following code (DriveLabel is volume name of D: drive):
cd /media/DriveLabel/FirefoxBrowser/Linux ./firefox -profile ../Profile/ -no-remote
That's it! Now you can use bat file for Windows and sh file for Linux to use Firefox on both OS with same profile.
Notes:
1. Make sure to install same version on both folders (Windows and Linux).
2. For Flash player support on both OS, copy libflashplayer.so and NPSWF32.DLL in plugins folder of profile.
3. For VLC plugin support on both OS, copy libvlc.dll, libvlccore.dll, npvlc.dll, libvlcplugin.so and VLC's plugins folder to plugins folder of profile. You might need VLC installed on Linux.
4. Everytime you use Firefox on different OS, all plugins (except in plugins folder) will be enabled again.
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You do that and tons of stuff is gonna breaks as you move around because paths aren't being adjusted. Not to mention those paths being royally messed up when moving from Linux to Windows since they have different ways of storing path information. Basically, you can forget being able to properly use most extensions or any custom settings that involve paths, making Firefox a pretty neutered browser.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Extensions using paths will surely break, but there are only few of those. Like Flashgot. I am using this portable version since release of v3.6 and upgrading to newer version with every new release without losing profile. Only problems I face:
1. Greasemonkey breaks when creating new script or editing existing script.
2. Plugins get enabled on OS change.
While everything else work fine. I have about 30 extensions installed.
There is an extensions DB that tons of extensions use to determine whether they work with a given version of Firefox. Our updater updates this. You're also leaving a lot of garbage behind on every PC you use because that command line switch along definitely doesn't make Firefox portable.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
sh file will break when drive and/or folder changes, but can be changed easily. I wonder what garbage does Firefox leave on PC (except LSOs due to flash)?
Hello J. Haller,
Do you know how could I make a portable player like this firefox hybrid?
Well, I'd like to make a hydrid portable with a player smplayer or vlc.
Could help me?
Your tip worked clue of making a portable hybrid firefox works very well with firefox 17, I must add yet some plugins like flash, java, download helper...
Thanks a lot
John, you mentioned interest in PortableApps for Linux in the past. If I post a proposal document with more details, would this be something you could support here?
Hi John and Glixon,
I'm awaiting too John, it's hard to find portable for Linux, the site www.portablelinuxapp.com doesn't work, but when it did the softwares were outdated.