Hi,
I use both Google Chrome and Firefox on my laptops, pcs, mobile, etc. I have a Google account and I sign in to Google Chrome so that all my various data is synced across my Google Chrome devices/sessions. I also use Firefox sync in the same way.
I have now set up PortableApps on a usb stick (with GChromePortable and FFoxPortable).
As GChrome and FFox sync extensions/apps, will any extension/app that works with these automatically work in the GChrome and FFox PortableApps as well? My understanding is that the extension/apps are directly dependent on the browsers and not PortableApps (the browsers are dependent on the PortableApps environment). Is my understanding correct?
=== further details that *may* be relevant ...
I ask in particular for the GChrome extension/app, Authy (see authy.com), and the GChrome and FFox extension/app, Lastpass (see lastpass.com).
I know that Lastpass provide extension/app for both GChrome and FFox specifically for PortableApps.
Authy does *not* provide extension/app specifically for GChrome Portable. Shouldn't it "just work" as it is directly dependent on GChrome and *should* hence have no direct dependency with PortableApps?
I've done a moderate amount of testing and all *seem* to work as expected -- it's just that I've not yet convinced myself that these two critical services (lastpass and authy) will work when I might need them most -- for example, in pc/laptop at an airport on the other side of the world. Assume I've lost my smart phone that runs these apps, and that my travelling laptop is missing as well; the only thing left is my usb stick with PortableApps. If lastpass and authy now work on this airport pc through my usb stick, I'll be able to get the password (with lastpass) to a site I must critically sign in to and, as it's a two factor authenticated site, I'll also be able to get the 2FA code (with authy).
Thanks for getting this far!
Visit the Community page
Join our forums
Subscribe to our email newsletter
Subscribe with RSS
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on LinkedIn
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Mastodon
Follow us on BlueSky
Most extensions will be portable. Nearly all in Firefox. Most in Chrome. Be sure you're always logged into Chrome as it has a nasty bug where it wipes out your extensions and extension preferences as it moves PCs.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I see your comment re Chrome wiping out when you change PC's. This is exactly what happens to me, Laspass works fine, then the next PC you plug into Lastpass is gone. As I use lastpass for secure notes as well as passwords, I need it to work even when there is no internet connection. Does anyone have a solution to this? Lastpass support don't seem to understand the issue even though they have a portable version of Lastpass.
I don't think it's a bug. I think google deliberately wants to you to log into an account so they can track you, and this is all the excuse they need. It's been going on all year and they could've fixed it if they wanted to, but they don't.
Ever wonder why you can't block WebRTC using Chrome? They don't want you to, that's why.
WebRTC is a good tool used to track people's IP and that's money in google's bank. Something a lot of people using chrome aren't aware of, thanks to google's heavy marketing push to spread their browser domination of the internet. And users out there blissfully feed into it.
I predict in the next couple of years or so, you won't even be able to launch chrome without having a google account. Kinda like the way Chromebooks operate.
Chrome is spyware for advertisers, it's that simple.
I see your comment re Chrome wiping out when you change PC's. This is exactly what happens to me, Laspass works fine, then the next PC you plug into Lastpass is gone. As I use lastpass for secure notes as well as passwords, I need it to work even when there is no internet connection. Does anyone have a solution to this? Lastpass support don't seem to understand the issue even though they have a portable version of Lastpass.
The solution is don't use chrome. I know it's not an answer you want to hear, but this is a deliberate phenomena on the part of google's and I seriously doubt they are going to change it.
I would recommend Firefox or Opera or Iron in that order.
Thanks for the comments, I only use Chrome because it seamlessly mirrors my contacts, links etc.. If Firefox can do the same I will be a convert.. Some research coming up!
Your contacts are stored in the cloud with your email and just accessed via Chrome. Chrome doesn't have any kind of internal contact storage. It does sync your bookmarks, extensions, and some settings between Chrome instances. It only syncs bookmarks to Chrome on Android or iOS, though, as neither support extensions.
Firefox will sync your bookmarks between PC and mobile like Chrome does but it doesn't sync extensions between PCs. It does, however, support extensions on Android, so you can run an ad-blocker, flash click to play, etc in your mobile browser. With iOS, it doesn't support extensions, of course, due to Apple's restrictions.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Quinco, what John says is 100% true.
However, that's besides the point. I shouldn't have to log into an account in order to use my browser properly. I think that defeats part of the purpose of even having a Chrome portable app to begin with, since you could log into any gmail account from any computer and get your cloud settings stored locally temporarily while you're there in session.
I never log into anything in my browser unless it's for a certain website's access or to get my email from a webmail page. Other people use synch quite extensively and that's up to them, but for those of us out there who don't, we should have a choice as to whether we should use the browser's synch option or not.
Google doesn't give us that choice. Google's deliberately wrecking your local storage of extensions and passwords is pure evil, as far as I'm concerned. That's why I rarely use it. I have it on my PoratbleApps USB for testing purposes but I do not have it locally on my C:\ in spite of google's ads pushing me to download it all the time.
As far as synching extensions in Firefox is concerned, why bother with that when you can carry them around with you locally? You manually set them up one time in Firefox, Opera or Iron and that's it. Same with LastPass. Firefox does not break LastPass and if you want an even more stable channel, then I would recommend Firefox ESR since that is designed for enterprise and concentrates itself only with security updates without any GUI changes that the regular Firefox goes through. Firefox ESR is my main browser now and John offers the portable version of Firefox ESR here on this website.
Do yourself a favor and dump Chrome. If you are in love with Chrome's GUI interface, then try Iron. It's practically identical and you can access extensions from the Chrome Web Store, just as you can from the regular Chrome browser. And (so far) it won't break them if you switch from machine to machine like Chrome is doing.
I myself like Opera as backup. It does take privacy into account and I hear they have great synch options if you want to use them. And Opera's own webstore uses many of the plugins that Firefox and Chrome uses. There's also an extension from Opera that allows you to access google's own Chrome Web Store and use many of google's extensions from there as well and install them on Opera. It's only recently I found out you can use Chrome extensions on Opera.
You have a number of different options besides the Chrome monopoly. It's too bad more people don't use them.
Spread the word, and good luck!