Many Firefox extensions add their own entries to the Firefox configuration that can be accessed by typing about:config in the address bar of Firefox. It is relatively easy to backup the full Firefox user profile that includes the extension preferences but problems arise if only selected preferences from some specific extensions are needed. I’m thinking of a scenario where a user copied his profile from his main computer to his notebook and installed an extension on the main computer afterwards.
This could also be helpful if you regularly install and uninstall Firefox on the same computer or if you want to merge profiles. The OPIE – Ordered Preference Import/Export – extension provides the user with means to import and export preferences from selected Firefox extensions. Some or all of the extensions can be selected during export and they can be saved in a single file or separate files for each extension. The latter is useful for merging profiles or sending preferences of specific extensions to another computer.
The import of preferences works pretty much the same way. The only difference is that a previously exported file is selected that is imported into Firefox. The results are shown in the same window.
The files are saved with the .prefs extension so that they are better recognizable. The benefit of using OPIE instead of a full Firefox backup extension like FEBE – Firefox Environment Backup Extension – is that OPIE can selectively export and import preferences while all other extensions that backup Firefox settings can only import and export all settings.
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You can just use Mozbackup, it can keep the addon’s preferences and other stuff.
but that would mean to import the full profile. I think the main use of this extension is if you want to move the settings of one or a few extensions to another profile or computer.
True martin but I’m puzzled why you would want to import preferences from a few addons.
It could come in handy if you have installed an add-on on your main computer that required lots of configuration and want to move that add-on to your notebook including all the preferences. You may not want to move all add-ons or settings to the notebook however.