SUMO community discussions

Problems exporting bookmarks to HTML file

  • 8 Replies
  • Last reply by Standard8
  1. jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
    jscher2000 - Support Volunteer 832 posts
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    Recently, several users reported that exporting bookmarks to an HTML file fails silently:

    • Can't export bookmarks to HTML - April 8 - unexplained, user's workaround was to have Chrome import bookmarks from Firefox, export to HTML from Chrome, remove places.sqlite, then import the HTML file

    If anyone discovers a fix, please share it back to those threads if still needed.

    Recently, several users reported that exporting bookmarks to an HTML file fails silently: * [https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1212641 Can't export bookmarks] - April 6 - unresolved, user might not have tried Places repair, used my [https://www.jeffersonscher.com/res/bookbackreader.html json-to-html converter] as a workaround * [https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1212963 Can't export bookmarks to HTML] - April 8 - unexplained, user's workaround was to have Chrome import bookmarks from Firefox, export to HTML from Chrome, remove places.sqlite, then import the HTML file * [https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1213232 Cannot export Firefox bookmarks to html in Firefox 59.02] - unresolved, Browser Console shows "root is undefined" in BookmarkHTMLUtils.jsm at line 954 (but... why?), awaiting feedback on Places repair, Safe Mode, and/or Clean Reinstall If anyone discovers a fix, please share it back to those threads if still needed.
  2. Roland Tanglao
    Roland Tanglao 369 posts
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    hi jscher2000:

    is there a bug for these issue(s) around exporting bookmarks? i couldn't find one. please drop the links here if you find one.

    Seems like issues with bookmark export aren't new to Firefox 59. Am I right?

    Cheers!

    ...Roland

    hi jscher2000: is there a bug for these issue(s) around exporting bookmarks? i couldn't find one. please drop the links here if you find one. Seems like issues with bookmark export aren't new to Firefox 59. Am I right? Cheers! ...Roland
  3. Standard8
    Standard8 5 posts
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    Hi jscher2000,

    I'm going to be investigating some of this today, though my current feeling is that this could be something related to having had the xmarks add-on installed previously. We have a similar bug to the last issue you listed where we also saw that the user had lost one of their built-in folders from the database and had previously used xmarks.

    I'm not sure "Can't export bookmarks" is the same issue, I've posted a comment to try and clarify.

    "Can't export bookmarks to HTML" could however be the same, but again, I'm trying to get more info there.

    Generally with these sort of import/export issues, the best information to source the issue is error messages from the Browser Console.

    Unfortunately, the only real fix I have at this stage is for manually poking the sqlite file (or delete it & let FF create a new one, but that would loose history and possibly some bookmarks). We might be able to get something into FF 60 though its getting a bit late now. I'm thinking about this today.

    Feel free to point me at other bookmarks issues as well.

    Hi jscher2000, I'm going to be investigating some of this today, though my current feeling is that this could be something related to having had the xmarks add-on installed previously. We have a similar [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1428519 bug] to the last issue you listed where we also saw that the user had lost one of their built-in folders from the database and had previously used xmarks. I'm not sure "Can't export bookmarks" is the same issue, I've posted a comment to try and clarify. "Can't export bookmarks to HTML" could however be the same, but again, I'm trying to get more info there. Generally with these sort of import/export issues, the best information to source the issue is error messages from the Browser Console. Unfortunately, the only real fix I have at this stage is for manually poking the sqlite file (or delete it & let FF create a new one, but that would loose history and possibly some bookmarks). We might be able to get something into FF 60 though its getting a bit late now. I'm thinking about this today. Feel free to point me at other bookmarks issues as well.
  4. jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
    jscher2000 - Support Volunteer 832 posts
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    Roland Tanglao said

    is there a bug for these issue(s) around exporting bookmarks? i couldn't find one. please drop the links here if you find one.

    Sorry, I don't know!

    Seems like issues with bookmark export aren't new to Firefox 59. Am I right?

    It definitely has come up before, but the sudden spate of cases is unusual.

    Standard8 said

    I'm going to be investigating some of this today...

    Thank you. If you can collect the .jsonlz4 backups that can't be restored properly, that may help in chasing down structural problems in the user's database and reduce the privacy issues with collecting places.sqlite files. If circular references or missing roots or other issues can be identified and a solution added to the Verify Integrity tool on the Troubleshooting Information page, that would be really, really useful to support!

    ''Roland Tanglao [[#post-73819|said]]'' <blockquote> is there a bug for these issue(s) around exporting bookmarks? i couldn't find one. please drop the links here if you find one. </blockquote> Sorry, I don't know! <blockquote>Seems like issues with bookmark export aren't new to Firefox 59. Am I right? </blockquote> It definitely has come up before, but the sudden spate of cases is unusual. ''Standard8 [[#post-73820|said]]'' <blockquote> I'm going to be investigating some of this today...</blockquote> Thank you. If you can collect the .jsonlz4 backups that can't be restored properly, that may help in chasing down structural problems in the user's database and reduce the privacy issues with collecting places.sqlite files. If circular references or missing roots or other issues can be identified and a solution added to the Verify Integrity tool on the Troubleshooting Information page, that would be really, really useful to support!
  5. Standard8
    Standard8 5 posts
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    jscher2000 said

    I'm going to be investigating some of this today...

    Thank you. If you can collect the .jsonlz4 backups that can't be restored properly, that may help in chasing down structural problems in the user's database and reduce the privacy issues with collecting places.sqlite files. If circular references or missing roots or other issues can be identified and a solution added to the Verify Integrity tool on the Troubleshooting Information page, that would be really, really useful to support! </blockquote>

    Unfortunately .jsonlz4 likely isn't enough, we need to have the sqlite file itself as this is a database issue.

    As far as we know at this time, it is caused by a missing root. My guess is the xmarks add-on caused it, but Billy's latest response seems to imply that isn't the case, so it could be something else.

    In any case, the current plan is to check the roots whenever we open the database (which we do currently), and re-insert any missing ones (which we don't do currently). That should get everyone fixed again.

    Generally most "fixes" do get added to maintenance (aka verify integrity), or migration routines, but in this case, it seems to make sense to do it slightly differently.

    ''jscher2000 [[#post-73822|said]]'' <blockquote> I'm going to be investigating some of this today...</blockquote> Thank you. If you can collect the .jsonlz4 backups that can't be restored properly, that may help in chasing down structural problems in the user's database and reduce the privacy issues with collecting places.sqlite files. If circular references or missing roots or other issues can be identified and a solution added to the Verify Integrity tool on the Troubleshooting Information page, that would be really, really useful to support! </blockquote> Unfortunately .jsonlz4 likely isn't enough, we need to have the sqlite file itself as this is a database issue. As far as we know at this time, it is caused by a missing root. My guess is the xmarks add-on caused it, but Billy's latest response seems to imply that isn't the case, so it could be something else. In any case, the current plan is to check the roots whenever we open the database (which we do currently), and re-insert any missing ones (which we don't do currently). That should get everyone fixed again. Generally most "fixes" do get added to maintenance (aka verify integrity), or migration routines, but in this case, it seems to make sense to do it slightly differently.
  6. Standard8
    Standard8 5 posts
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    For people watching this and not the issues... I just had the places.sqlite database from the April 8 post that jscher2000 mentioned.

    With it I've discovered bug 1453994 which is a variant of the roots issues we've been seeing.

    It could have been caused by xmarks, though I can't say for certain. We have seen other reports of the roots related issues where the users have said that they haven't used xmarks.

    For people watching this and not the issues... I just had the places.sqlite database from the April 8 post that jscher2000 mentioned. With it I've discovered [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1453994 bug 1453994] which is a variant of the roots issues we've been seeing. It could have been caused by xmarks, though I can't say for certain. We have seen other reports of the roots related issues where the users have said that they haven't used xmarks.
  7. cor-el
    cor-el 1494 posts
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    Another possible cause we have seen over the years where root folders end up in the wrong location (Bookmarks Menu folder) is importing an HTML backup.

    Another possible cause we have seen over the years where root folders end up in the wrong location (Bookmarks Menu folder) is importing an HTML backup.
  8. jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
    jscher2000 - Support Volunteer 832 posts
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    I added a button to the Bookmark Backup Reader tool that checks for misplaced unfiled and toolbar root folders in a .jsonlz4 backup and puts them back where they belong. This should allow users who deleted a corrupted places.sqlite and cannot restore a previoius .jsonlz4 backup to restore one.

    https://www.jeffersonscher.com/res/bookbackreader.html

    I added a button to the Bookmark Backup Reader tool that checks for misplaced unfiled and toolbar root folders in a .jsonlz4 backup and puts them back where they belong. This should allow users who deleted a corrupted places.sqlite and cannot restore a previoius .jsonlz4 backup to restore one. https://www.jeffersonscher.com/res/bookbackreader.html
  9. Standard8
    Standard8 5 posts
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    Just to follow up here, Firefox 61 has two fixes to try and help issues:

    1. It will restore any missing root folders.
    2. It will fix any root folders that have an incorrect parent.

    These are the confirmed cases we've seen.

    Unfortunately they can't be uplifted to 60 due to complexity & lateness in the cycle, but the fixes are on the way...

    Just to follow up here, Firefox 61 has two fixes to try and help issues: # It will restore any missing root folders. # It will fix any root folders that have an incorrect parent. These are the confirmed cases we've seen. Unfortunately they can't be uplifted to 60 due to complexity & lateness in the cycle, but the fixes are on the way...