Export/Import for User Settings
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As a new user looking for a replacement for Firefox, I am comparing features and facilities.
In Firefox, I can see all settings (about:config) in a single page and then use the 'save as' facility to capture the data. The saved page results in a human readable document. And since the page is rendered using HTML statements, the file can be read using an app to parse and save the data. Saving the settings in this way allows me to extract the data and to use it as state data which is kept for historical purposes. And then using Beyond Compare, I can discover any changes to the settings by comparing an old to a new version of that state data.
Will Vivaldi ever add an export facility or generate a browser page container all settings?
DJ
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Export & Import would be useful, specially to import only some settings selectively.
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yes, please implement export of user settings to a file (e.g. xml or json or binary or whatever)
syncing settings IS not exporting of settings they serve different purposes.
For example, to sync settings you need to use the same account.
One major use for exporting settings is to be able to apply them to other profiles.. obviously those profiles won't want to use the same account for syncing.
If you want to create a new profile and configure it like your previous ones, it is a real pain to manually go through each tab of the settings dialog and copy them by hand.
wait I just had an idea.
Can you use syncing with a special account to sync settings to/from.. and after you've copied the settings you can just replace that account with the actual vivaldi account for that profile?
then when you make a new profile, log in with the settings account... sync... then remove the settings account from sync ?
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@dalinar
Hi and yes. I have a second account for testing sync issues and/or use it for my second stable test install.
On my second profile I use my first account once to sync passwords and bookmarks, then I disabled it.Cheers, mib
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Ppafflick moved this topic from Vivaldi for Renault on -
Export settings as .xml or .json file would be very useful. No need to copy/paste the default folder but just share a simple file. Because Vivaldi is extremely configurable compared to others browsers, it absolutely needs this feature will in Firefox, for example, it is less needed (but present with about: config).
I my case, I would like to share my config with my friends & family members. So i don't want to sync my account with them, but juste share this file.
Anyway, be able to sync settings like keyboard shortcuts, menu config, etc.. would be very nice too. -
All the answers that involve moving a copy of Default, may be great if all we need to do is duplicate a profile on an other device.
That is far from what is needed.
A Profile includes a whole lot more than just Settings, most of which I would NOT want replicated to a new profile. We need a way to save/copy/restore (to a different profile, if we so choose), the preferences that effect browser behavior: search engine choice, keyboard shortcuts, Tab behavior options, Layout, etc., etc., But void of any browsing data: history, sessions, bookmarks, cookies, etc.
I have (17) profiles today. In most cases I want the same tab behavior, keyboard shortcuts, etc. in all, but the only way to accomplish this is to tediously compare settings pages side-by-side. A month from now, I may change a setting, which if I want to use it globally, I'd have to edit each and every profile.
Perhaps we need a Global-Settings that apply to all profiles until overridden by individual profile preferences.
And/Or, let us export ~/vivaldi/Profile_n/Preferences to a file that is safe (no user data) to restore to a different profile, giving us ability to create multiple Default-Settings we can apply to new profiles. -
Upvoted for posterity.
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creating yet an other profile today, so, yet again, tediously adjusting some 15 to 20 preferred setting to the new profile. Sure could use a Global Settings section that applies to every profile on the machine.
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Hi,
For the moment, the most "fast" and comfortable would be to edit directly the Preferences file.At the beginning would be cumbersome but then would be faster and easier to deploy.
You would also create a Template profile directly from Vivaldi, and paste it for new Profiles.
The only "problem" would be moving it to another Computer since some settings are User/Machine encrypted.
Look at the Tip to know more.
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"Off Topic Tip"
Start a Backup plan if not done so yet.
Follow the Signature's Backup | Reset.
Windows 7 (x64)
Vivaldi Backup | Reset + Extra Steps -
@Zalex108 Thanks for the suggestion. I did try that before my first post, but because of the file layout, could not even be certain the settings I was changing are in it. Trying again: I create a new profile and close it; save a bak copy of Preferences. Open the profile, make a single setting change (turn off 'show exit confirmation') and close the profile. Then load both into Meld (gui diff program) attempting to identify the string changed. There are plenty of strings changed, but none that seem to reference the changed setting. Is there a list somewhere that maps settings-names in UI to strings we can search for in Preferences? Is there a delimiter character between settings? In a text editor, this file is a single line, 20k characters long. Short of encrypting the entire file, could not be less friendly to edit.
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Use a JSON Editor.
If you are in Windows,
JSONEdit from Tomeko it's easy and convenient, small and Portable.On another OS, I can't recommend anyone.
Look at the Tip, Extra Steps there are linked.--
There's another file containing some Settings,Local State, one folder above the "Default" or Profile Path.I'll check and try to find where is located that string.
--
"Off Topic Tip"
Start a Backup plan if not done so yet.
Follow the Signature's Backup | Reset.
Windows 7 (x64)
Vivaldi Backup | Reset + Extra Steps -
Nothing about the strings AFAIK.
Most are on Vivaldi branch.
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Thank You!
re: searching Preferences: appears most settings do not exist until changed from default. So better to compare default file with customized and note what has been added.
any other Linux users: Geany can make json pretty: Edit, Format, Send-selection-to: custom-command = python -m json.tool
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@s0hughes said in Export/Import for User Settings:
Geany can make json pretty: Edit, Format, Send-selection-to: custom-command = python -m json.tool
Is this related to this PlugIn too?
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@Zalex108
maybe it was.
This page says Geany includes JSON support by default since v1.25: Geany - JSON Filetype
Only plugin I have is 'Addons - Various small addons for Geany'. -
I think it's crazy that this option isn't available yet. Sometimes I start a new profile to test stuff or when multiple people are using the same PC. But I have to configure them one by one. You should be able to at least copy settings related to tabs, addressbar and mouse for example. Of course copying cookies and passwords is probably not a good idea. But copying extensions would be cool too.
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How about adding a feature to export/import settings as JSON or XML?
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@brenji said in Export/Import for User Settings:
How about adding a feature to export/import settings as JSON or XML?
Yes, great idea! I just installed a portable/standalone version of Vivaldi 5.7, and once again I need to reconfigure everything, this is ridiculous. To clarify, I still have Vivaldi 5.6 installed, so I didn't fully upgrade yet because Vivaldi 5.7 may have certain bugs.
