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I have version 4.0.1 on Linux (Ubuntu 11.4), and the "Import and Backup" button is missing in the "Library" pane, so I am unable to restore my bookmarks. How can I fix this?

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  • 46 have this problem
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  • Last reply by edziffel

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I am using an older computer as a dual-boot machine, with XP Pro and Ubuntu 11.4 both running independently on it. On the Windows side, I have Firefox all set up with my bookmarks, which I restored from a backup made on my primary computer. On the Linux side, there is no button available to do this. I have looked up the Help for this, and followed the directions, but the "Library" pane simply does not have any buttons showing, where it should say "Organize, Views, Import and Backup". The buttons are completely missing.

I am using an older computer as a dual-boot machine, with XP Pro and Ubuntu 11.4 both running independently on it. On the Windows side, I have Firefox all set up with my bookmarks, which I restored from a backup made on my primary computer. On the Linux side, there is no button available to do this. I have looked up the Help for this, and followed the directions, but the "Library" pane simply does not have any buttons showing, where it should say "Organize, Views, Import and Backup". The buttons are completely missing.

All Replies (10)

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Ubuntu 11.04 displays window menus in the control bar at the top of the screen

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I already found those hidden menus at the top, this is what I was looking at. Under the Bookmarks menu, you click "show all bookmarks", and it gives you that "Library" pane. There are supposed to be three buttons available at the top, one of which is "Import and Backup". The Firefox I'm running in Windows gives me these buttons, but the one in Ubuntu has no buttons whatsoever. How else to restore my bookmarks?

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Ubuntu may have moved those three button as well to that control bar.

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Nope, I've looked there. Under "File", there is an "Import" button, but that is only for moving bookmarks over from another browser, not restoring from a backup.

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Click on Bookmarks/Show All Bookmarks then move your mouse to the left upper corner toward Firefox Web Browser. You'll get pop up menu (Organize, Views and Import and Backup).

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For want of a better term, I too have experienced the ´menu outside of the window' problem (MOTW). Let me say that my own opinion is that it sucks BIG TIME. From a UI perspective you have a menu that appears on the top bar in a relative position and obscures, or partially obscures, the window title. Take the ¨Firefox Web Browser"title as an example while I explain the ´Import Bookmarks´ issue.

To import your bookmarks there are a couple of ways.

1. IF you have the latest FF and have common bookmarks on A.N. Other machine and you have not used the ´Sync´ option then you can use this to synchronize the bookmarks FROM the old machine TO the new one. It is REALLY easy...

2. For the ´missing import´ problem, this too is easy (but truly nonsensical). Other implementations for k/b shortcuts have Shft+Ctrl+B... HOWEVER, the k/b shortcut is now Shft+Ctrl+O.... thanks for that... NOT. Regardless of this quirk

3. Use your mouse and move it to the top bar and the FF menu will appear. Select Bookmarks.

4. Select Show All Bookmarks.

5. Now move your cursor back up to the top bar (Control Bar for want of a better term).

6. There you will find the Import and Backup option. Notice how the title changes from the web page title to "Firefox Web Browser" and, when you move the pointer to the Control Bar the menu partially obscures the title so you get "Firefox V" showing. On other windows this is particularly annoying/distracting/not good UI design... this is REALLY annoying.

Add to this the fact that the FF bookmark implementation is now different between 11.04 and (say) Windows 7 (not sure on the Mac). Great consistency.

A pigs ear as far as I am concerned...

My main complaints re 11.04 are the increased mouse movement required on a screen, despite my switching the close/min/max buttons to the commonly placed top right for all of my window, FF has its buttons on the left and I can find no way to change this, the stupid side bar which pops up (or not) at the most inopportune moments (e.g. dragging and dropping), the stupid side bar that does not consistently appear when you move the mouse pointer to the hot zone, the stupid side bar taking up desk space (overlaying), the stupid side bar 'Apps available for download', the stupid side bar with no Back option so you have to either select the DDmenu or click outside of the window THEN go back to the side bar to select something else, the stupid sidebar in BLACK, and of course, not forgetting... the stupid side bar.

Incidentally, the ONLY way I know to change the auto-hide behaviour is to do this:

1. Open "Software Center" (minor whinge: some of us spell 'center' as "centre").

2. Search for 'CCSM' (CompizConfig Settings Manager).

3. Two results are returned 'Advanced Desktop Effects Settings'. Choose this and install (the other one does NOT work!!!).

4. The installed program can be found under Applications/All Applications/Themes and Tweaks/See more results (notice the extra mouse clicks to get there BTW).

5. When the Compiz program loads, select 'Desktop' and then click on the BUTTON (bad interface!) underneath the words "Ubuntu Unity Plug-in".

6. Select the ddlb next to 'Hide Launcher' and choose 'Never'. That's it...

Modified by HotPepperman

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I have found the import ETC but there is still no way to copy the bookmarks from FF in windows to FF in Ubuntu I have the latest BU from FF windows version but it is in a .json format how do I change this to html so I can add it to FF Ubuntu

This is the BU from FF Windows 

bookmarks-2011-10-23.json

P.S. I am running FF version 7.01 but the problem seems the same

Modified by georgeg4

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Thank you for explaining this! Hidden under the popup menu, who'da thunk to look there!

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Yes, it was there where you said it was. However, this arrangement is beyond stupid. How are people supposed to find these tabs? What is wrong with just putting them out where they are easy to see? I would add that even now that I know where they are supposed to be I find them difficult to locate. I've just spent over an hour trying to do something that should have taken 5 minutes, just because of this stupid "hidden" button idea.

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Just updating to Ubuntu 12.04 Lts. Default browser FF 12.0. Oh yeah tons of fun. I've built websites in less time that it took me to figure out how to restor my bookmarks.

Hey Mozilla: either document it in some orderly way or issue a use at your own risk warning during the overhaul. Other wise, people will be justified in thinking you suck: you just don't knowing slam everyone like it doesn't matter.

To be fair they are trying to have a fully HTML 5 compliant browser. Who knows what the final product will look like. And doing it fast is the right call. Just issue the warning and give some options.

Bottom line: Maybe it will a really good idea to turn off the updates until version 30.9 or so and let someone else have all the fun.