I’m working on a suite of scripts that will enable me to hop Linux distros and get back to business as usual w/ minimal fuss. When I hop distros, I tend to back up my important stuff and blow everything else away so I can start with a clean slate. I have some scripts for updating my backups before the wipe and updating the system after the base install:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Followed by other commands to install my favorite apps and configure my favorite desktop settings.

One thing that I haven’t nailed down yet is restoring my Firefox add-ons through the command line. Searching the web, I’m not even sure this is feasible. I found this post from 2011 in the AskUbuntu forum, but I figure the answer might have changed since then.

I just want to remove as much friction as possible from the distro hopping process. I know I can store /home on a separate partition, but I prefer nice, clean installs followed by scripting in my config changes.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

  • folekaule@lemmy.world
    0·
    12 days ago

    I think Firefox Sync already restores your profile including add-ons, if you log into Firefox. Of course you may not want that for privacy reasons. In that case, I believe there is a way to self host a sync server, but I will have to go look for the repo for it.

      • folekaule@lemmy.world
        0·
        12 days ago

        Nothing wrong with that, and self hosting can get complex. My recommendation then is to back up the files in your Firefox profile the old fashioned way.

    • yo_scottie_oh@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      0·
      12 days ago

      Why not just keep /home on a separate partition?

      My issue is that over time, a lot of cruft builds up in there from apps I no longer use. I like things nice and clean.

      Or just backup ~/.mozilla/?

      The thought has crossed my mind. Maybe I should try this next time. Thanks for the idea.

  • Trey A@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    12 days ago

    Any particular reason you don’t just sign in? Genuine question, and you could even create a dummy account that solely holds those extensions and anything else you would want to sync.

  • kalkulat@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    11 days ago

    I install and use FF from my home folder. As a result, I can simply copy my ‘old’ firefox folder and .mozilla folder (containing the FF config files) into the new distro’s home. That way all of the features, settings, and extensions remain the same, regardless of the distro I’ve moved to.

    Inside the .mozilla/Firefox/ folder you’ll find separate folders for your profiles. The ‘about:profiles’ window lets you switch between them.If you want to experiment with one, make an archive of its folder. If you try something that doesn’t work out, you can throw the messed-up profile away and extract a fresh copy from your archive, all’s well. There are also many files INSIDE that profile folder you can toy with. Many, many options in this setup.