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Sync is working between desktop browsers (bookmarks+history) but only syncing history to android. Need bookmarks!!!

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  • 6 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Paul Isaac

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Sync is working perfectly between FF 36.0 and Dev Ed 37.0a2 on Windows 7 and 36.0 on Windows 8.1 for Bookmarks + History It's refusing to sync anything except History to FF 36.0 on Android 5.0.2 (Nexus7) and FF 36.0 on Android 4.4.4 (Moto G)

It's probably been quite a few weeks since it was successful with the bookmarks too. I've purged lots of bookmarks to reduce numbers (currently @ 4918 ish) and removed ALL bookmarks from both android browsers. Previously, I've disconnected the devices from Sync - even reinstalled FF on them but the problem persists. Since that's no longer making a difference, I'd like to find an *actual* solution :)

Previously, it worked without issue (mostly) but now does nothing - no stall, hang or delays when syncing - it would seem (judging by the speed of the UI when syncing) that the data simply isn't being sent (or requested) from the server.

The synced bookmarks (desktop) still show *old* data in the Mobile Bookmarks folder from when they used to sync. This isn't updated when anything is added on either Android device (one bookmark on each as a test).

I've enabled desktop sync logs as suggested in other similar posts, and managed to get remote debugging of the Moto G up and running, and managed to get it logging (adb logcat) to the console. Tapped for Sync and it looks like I've got something of use.

Is it possible to provide the logs via PM or e-mail?

Would "reading list" items be tipping the bookmarks over the 5000 limit? (They're also not syncing, but I assume they're a BM "category".) Or a combination of pending unsynced items (from the other device) added to existing items hit the same limit? When the limit is hit, is *all* bookmark syncing simply aborted? (Seems to be a current symptom... i.e. no attempt made - see below)

"Interesting" looking bits logcat: I/FxAccounts( XXXX ) : firefox :: BrowserRepoSession :: Unable to extract bookmark from cursor. Record GUID MVNVrWILD_-T, parent null/-3 I/FxAccounts( XXXX ) : firefox :: ServerSyncStage :: Stage bookmarks received 0 and sent 9 records in 1.72 seconds.

Thanks for your time - keep up the good work!

Cheers, Paul

Sync is working perfectly between FF 36.0 and Dev Ed 37.0a2 on Windows 7 and 36.0 on Windows 8.1 for Bookmarks + History It's refusing to sync anything except History to FF 36.0 on Android 5.0.2 (Nexus7) and FF 36.0 on Android 4.4.4 (Moto G) It's probably been quite a few weeks since it was successful with the bookmarks too. I've purged lots of bookmarks to reduce numbers (currently @ 4918 ish) and removed ALL bookmarks from both android browsers. Previously, I've disconnected the devices from Sync - even reinstalled FF on them but the problem persists. Since that's no longer making a difference, I'd like to find an *actual* solution :) Previously, it worked without issue (mostly) but now does nothing - no stall, hang or delays when syncing - it would seem (judging by the speed of the UI when syncing) that the data simply isn't being sent (or requested) from the server. The synced bookmarks (desktop) still show *old* data in the Mobile Bookmarks folder from when they used to sync. This isn't updated when anything is added on either Android device (one bookmark on each as a test). I've enabled desktop sync logs as suggested in other similar posts, and managed to get remote debugging of the Moto G up and running, and managed to get it logging (adb logcat) to the console. Tapped for Sync and it looks like I've got something of use. Is it possible to provide the logs via PM or e-mail? Would "reading list" items be tipping the bookmarks over the 5000 limit? (They're also not syncing, but I assume they're a BM "category".) Or a combination of pending unsynced items (from the other device) added to existing items hit the same limit? When the limit is hit, is *all* bookmark syncing simply aborted? (Seems to be a current symptom... i.e. no attempt made - see below) "Interesting" looking bits logcat: I/FxAccounts( XXXX ) : firefox :: BrowserRepoSession :: Unable to extract bookmark from cursor. Record GUID MVNVrWILD_-T, parent null/-3 I/FxAccounts( XXXX ) : firefox :: ServerSyncStage :: Stage bookmarks received 0 and sent 9 records in 1.72 seconds. Thanks for your time - keep up the good work! Cheers, Paul

Chosen solution

Hi, I made some progress with this, after the Moto G started Syncing and the Nexus 7 didn't.

Win7: I checked total number of bookmarks by doing a Find for "http" in the Library - it was under 4000. I then checked against the total listed in Health Report and it was 10,000+ (?!?!)

MotoG sync mentioned quota being exceeded, but didn't specify the *actual* threshold. "Too many items to sync safely. Skipping." How many too many? Is it a secret? (Seen different caps cited at different times on here.)

Would the Nexus7 have a different threshold to the MotoG? Is it RAM and/or CPU based?

Win7: I then noticed that all the bookmarks I'd been deleting (in swathes) were reappearing under "unsorted bookmarks", not being deleted.

It was after all the deletions (deleted AGAIN from "unsorted" that the Moto G started syncing when the Nexus 7 was still refusing. I disconnected FF accounts and uninstalled FF from both.

I then trashed my (online) FF account, backed up the master list to JSON and deleted all BMs. I then synced the (empty) BMs of Win7 and Win 8 machines - and the Win 8 bookmarks started showing *several instances* of "Bookmarks Toolbar, Bookmarks Menu, Recently Bookmarked, etc". I think they were also nested somehow.

In the end, I trashed all the places.sqlite files on both Win machines and started from scratch with a JSON backup. The Library was then too slow to use, (hanging constantly) so I used "Vacuum Places" and "Places Maintenance" add-ons which worked wonders. Instantly snappy, usable and accurate Library panel.

There was a definite corruption, in terms of deleted items just recategorising, and what appeared to be 6000+ invisible bookmarks (presumably duplicates or an undo history or *something*).

Could I suggest:

Tell the user WITHOUT remote debugging: A) That there's a quota (for Android or all platforms???) B) That they've gone over it (Silent *unacknowledged* failure from a UI/UX point of view is a BAD joke. No end-user should have to remotely debug a browser to find out a basic limit exists, and then have to trawl forums to be told what number that is. An alert() would do. Even a telegram. )

Maybe sync the items *within* the threshold rather than aborting the *whole* process? Without any form of user-notification, it appears to be a broken feature, not a validly working one.

Buy/acquire/merge the 2 x places-wrangling add-ons into FF as a single-click maintenance feature to run when the Library becomes corrupt or slow (or run it weekly) - which must be a common enough issue for people to *build* the add-ons in the first place. Treat it like Folder Compacting in Thunderbird?

<rant> It took me 5 minutes to import my Bookmarks into Chrome and sync them to both devices, and it took ages and serious effort to remotely debug two Androids and two Windoze installs to just *diagnose* this - when some *very* basic notifications to the user would have solved half the problem. If I wanted something that's 90% maintenance and 10% usage, I'd use Linux.... :) FF and Mozilla are too important to the eco-system to fail, and with an issue like this, it's really easy to lose non-techies to Chrome (etc). </rant>

...also, honestly, thanks for FireFox and all the work to keep it going! It's truly great when it works :D

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Hey Paul,

Sure, you can pm the logs if need be, I would share them with a Sync engineer if there was any big issues. However the limit I believe would be mentioned in the logs if it was hitting the limit.

Is Auto-Sync enabled on the Mobile device as well?

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Chosen Solution

Hi, I made some progress with this, after the Moto G started Syncing and the Nexus 7 didn't.

Win7: I checked total number of bookmarks by doing a Find for "http" in the Library - it was under 4000. I then checked against the total listed in Health Report and it was 10,000+ (?!?!)

MotoG sync mentioned quota being exceeded, but didn't specify the *actual* threshold. "Too many items to sync safely. Skipping." How many too many? Is it a secret? (Seen different caps cited at different times on here.)

Would the Nexus7 have a different threshold to the MotoG? Is it RAM and/or CPU based?

Win7: I then noticed that all the bookmarks I'd been deleting (in swathes) were reappearing under "unsorted bookmarks", not being deleted.

It was after all the deletions (deleted AGAIN from "unsorted" that the Moto G started syncing when the Nexus 7 was still refusing. I disconnected FF accounts and uninstalled FF from both.

I then trashed my (online) FF account, backed up the master list to JSON and deleted all BMs. I then synced the (empty) BMs of Win7 and Win 8 machines - and the Win 8 bookmarks started showing *several instances* of "Bookmarks Toolbar, Bookmarks Menu, Recently Bookmarked, etc". I think they were also nested somehow.

In the end, I trashed all the places.sqlite files on both Win machines and started from scratch with a JSON backup. The Library was then too slow to use, (hanging constantly) so I used "Vacuum Places" and "Places Maintenance" add-ons which worked wonders. Instantly snappy, usable and accurate Library panel.

There was a definite corruption, in terms of deleted items just recategorising, and what appeared to be 6000+ invisible bookmarks (presumably duplicates or an undo history or *something*).

Could I suggest:

Tell the user WITHOUT remote debugging: A) That there's a quota (for Android or all platforms???) B) That they've gone over it (Silent *unacknowledged* failure from a UI/UX point of view is a BAD joke. No end-user should have to remotely debug a browser to find out a basic limit exists, and then have to trawl forums to be told what number that is. An alert() would do. Even a telegram. )

Maybe sync the items *within* the threshold rather than aborting the *whole* process? Without any form of user-notification, it appears to be a broken feature, not a validly working one.

Buy/acquire/merge the 2 x places-wrangling add-ons into FF as a single-click maintenance feature to run when the Library becomes corrupt or slow (or run it weekly) - which must be a common enough issue for people to *build* the add-ons in the first place. Treat it like Folder Compacting in Thunderbird?

<rant> It took me 5 minutes to import my Bookmarks into Chrome and sync them to both devices, and it took ages and serious effort to remotely debug two Androids and two Windoze installs to just *diagnose* this - when some *very* basic notifications to the user would have solved half the problem. If I wanted something that's 90% maintenance and 10% usage, I'd use Linux.... :) FF and Mozilla are too important to the eco-system to fail, and with an issue like this, it's really easy to lose non-techies to Chrome (etc). </rant>

...also, honestly, thanks for FireFox and all the work to keep it going! It's truly great when it works :D