How do I import preferences from Windows?

[kwatson512]

Newbie question.

Hi. I just installed Mint on a second HDD (sdb: 500GB).
sdb1 ext3 / 30GB
sdb2 swap 2GB
sdb3 ext3 /home 468GB

I have Windows XP on sda, and want to copy all my documents and pictures to /home. Also, I would like to import Thunderbird and Firefox preferences, bookmarks, etc. and my desktop background to Mint. Those options don't appear to be available to me.

Thanks,
Ken

[chowanec]

I'm sure one of the other, more professional Linux users can help, but I faced many of the same issues.

1) I just copied the files manually from My Documents folder on the drive that stores my "C:\" files.
2) I used http://www.foxmarks.com/ for Firefox, which is just a nice extension anyway... I got tired of trying to sync my bookmarks among the various computers at work/around the house.
3) Not sure what to do for Thunderbird.
4) Desktop background -- just copy it, or point your current background to it...?

-Chow

[Husse]

copy all my documents and pictures to /home

That's simply done by copying
Mint reads (and writes to) FAT and NTFS

I would like to import Thunderbird and Firefox preferences, bookmarks

You can use the same profile in Mint as in XP
Look up your Mozilla profiles folder in /home and copy it in case something goes wrong
Then just copy your Windows profiles into that folder - done
If you have some email in the Mint profiles they are lost, but can be retrieved from the back up you made

[kwatson512]

Okay, I've gotten all my documents and pictures. I still can't copy my Thunderbird and Firefox profiles. I found the "profile" folder in ~/etc/thunderbird, and I found my profile in the Windows partition. When I try to copy it, Mint says I don't have permission to copy to that folder.

I still haven't found the Firefox profile.

Help!

[Husse]

You only use /home for your things - like email
You tried to copy to a folder owned by root and to do that you need sudo - but please do not use that /etc/thunderbird folder!!
(note ~/etc - ~ means /home/your-username)
Sorry I should have checked before my previous answer - my profiles are not in the standard folder
The Firefox profile is in ~/.mozilla and Thunderbird in ~/.mozilla-thunderbird
The dot before the file name means it's "hidden" - in Nautilus there is an option for it in "View"
Remember to back up the present profiles before copying the Windows ones
I have done this - or rather removed the original profiles and moved the Windows profiles to my home partition. First I shared profiles between Win and Mint (there's a description on how to do it somewhere in the forum or the wiki)

[kwatson512]

I can't find a /.mozilla or /.mozilla-thunderbird folder anywhere, even though I have checked "Show Hidden Files" in the /-File Browser.

There *is* a firefox folder and a mozilla-thunderbird folder (in addition to a thunderbird folder) in the etc folder. etc and home are separate folders off the root directory.

Within the firefox folder there is a "pref" folder and "profile" folder. Similarly, the /etc folder has a pref and a profile folder. If these aren't where Firefox and Thunderbird store preferences, then where? If they are, what commands do I need to execute to have permission to write to them?

I can copy the profiles from my Windows versions of Firefox and Thunderbird to my linux desktop, but don't know how to plug them into where they are supposed to go in linux.

Why is this so hard?
Ken

[newW2]

You will find the Thunderbird profile in the .mozilla-thunderbird under home hidden files. There is a good how-to located here.

[kwatson512]

Finally! Thank you--now my Thunderbird and FIrefox are up and up! I was even able to reinstall the linux version of Lightning and copy my events.

Now for that nagging sound card driver...


Ken

[newW2]

Glad you are up and running. Now ... Sound card driver? I don't know but the more people looking ...