Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

Ask other users about problems encountered with portable apps or help by posting solutions to existing problems.
Message
Author
User avatar
Midas
Posts: 6705
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:09 am
Location: Sol3

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#16 Post by Midas »

JohnTHaller wrote:Our only real 'vote' in the matter is to vote by switching to another browser.
I think it's called "voting with your feet" and, as much as I value some aspects of what Google does, I voted that way a long time ago regarding this particular piece of software -- and, generally, you won't see me pushing any of their software here...

Stoik
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:25 pm

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#17 Post by Stoik »

Well, as far as having a completely and truly portable Chromium-based browser,
we do have one, Cent Browser ! My quest was just about trying to avoid a dependence on only one option.

Current (latest) Iridium, SuperBird, and Coc Coc, are also fully portable,
but that is likely only because they have not yet upgraded to Chromium 58 (where the "screw up" seems to have happened).
I expect these browsers to go down the drain in terms of total portability, the way Chromium, Iron, etc did.

I tested the FireFox 57, nightly build, that fully introduces the new FireFox (multi-tasking, web-extensions, new GUI),
and it looks and feels fantastic ! It will be the "official" version by the end of November 2017.

At the end of the year, I will dump any Chromium other than Cent Browser.
Chromium is like an irresistibly sexy girl-friend, but really "bad" - selfish, manipulative, controlling, always gets things her way.

By transitioning from old FireFox to new FireFox, I will loose a few priceless add-ons, I will shed some tears over that,
but I will still have my good old Pale Moon (version 24, 64-bit, portable) to comfort me in these sad moments of separation.

Also, maybe Pxc FireFox, WaterFox, and CyberFox will come up with ways to preserve the old add-ons
together with the new web-extensions, although at the moment that seems pretty impossible to me.
Otherwise, these "performance-enhanced" FireFox variations will become completely irrelevant with the new official FireFox.

JohnTHaller, You may want to update Your pages about the "limited portability" status of Chromium browsers,
the way PortableFreeware did with the Vivaldi browser "https://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=2869"
(I guess, an update on the rest of the Chromium family is pending) .
Just a little disclaimer - to avoid the "wrath and fury" of those charming trolls in the world of web comments.
Keep up the great work, this whole post was an effort to make the (Chromium) world more "Haller-like".

User avatar
JohnTHaller
Posts: 714
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:44 pm
Location: New York, NY
Contact:

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#18 Post by JohnTHaller »

There are detailed warnings on the Chrome Portable homepage and within the EULA page of the installer as you install it. They've been there for years since this issue first started. Personally, I advise people not to use Chrome either portable or local without logging in and syncing to Google.

If you've been using Firefox for a while and have a lot of cruft in your profile, I recommend doing a profile refresh. It preserves the main data (bookmarks, passwords, cookies, current tabs, web form fill, personal dictionaries) but resets everything else to default (all extensions removed, all extension settings, all customization, removes added search engines, user styles, etc). It's a great way to figure out how well Firefox will run on your system without starting from complete scratch. And you can backup your profile first to try it out. Or you can just grab a new copy of Firefox Portable or use the Firefox Portable 2nd Profile add-on.

Don't forget to try out the Compact Light and Compact Dark (previously in Dev only) themes that are in current Firefox stable for a more modern look.

A fresh Firefox profile + one of the new compact themes + uBlock Origin (which is e10s compatible) will feel like a new browser to most people that haven't touched it in a long time.

And for anyone that wants to check out the new Firefox landing with 57.0, it's on Nightly now and you can grab the portable version here: https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/ ... st#nightly

The theme has 3 modes (default, light, dark) and 3 density levels (standard, compact, and touch for bigger hit areas for touch screens) and is worth checking out. Using the Firefox Portable Nightly installer will grab the current versions of 32-bit and 64-bit as you install it and won't affect your other portable instances or your local one.
PortableApps.com - The open standard for portable software | Support Net Neutrality

User avatar
giulia
Posts: 531
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:09 am

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#19 Post by giulia »

hi
why don't add Iridium ,it's full portable 64 and 32bit

thanks

User avatar
webfork
Posts: 10818
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:06 pm
Location: US, Texas
Contact:

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#20 Post by webfork »

giulia wrote:why don't add Iridium ,it's full portable 64 and 32bit
Feel free :) https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#appnoshow

EDIT: oh and also it's not portable: https://www.portablefreeware.com/forums ... 462#p87462 (from a post earlier in this thread)

Stoik
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:25 pm

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#21 Post by Stoik »

Dear Giulia,

Iridium Browser is NOT "fully portable" as You claim.
Please check the software yourself (on two different PCs or devices) before asserting anything,
also read the first paragraph of this post to understand what this is all about (dah) !

It is fine to express Your general admiration for Iridium,
but this post is the wrong place for that.

So far, the only Chromium (version 59 or later) - based browser with full portability between different PCs or devices
is Cent Browser : https://www.centbrowser.com/

I wish, more would follow their example.
It seems that the Cent team tweaked something inside Chromium,
that others do not know how to do, or do not want to do.

User avatar
giulia
Posts: 531
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:09 am

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#22 Post by giulia »

Stoik wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:25 am So far, the only Chromium (version 59 or later) - based browser with full portability between different PCs or devices
is Cent Browser : https://www.centbrowser.com/
hi
now i got it
in this case even chrome portable isn't portable , but you are right , outside cent browswer ,i have tried several chrmium portable versions on different hardware they start as something is corrupt and so as a fresh install without components, passwords ,and bookmarks
thanks Stoik

Stoik
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:25 pm

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#23 Post by Stoik »

My latest testing reveals more good news :

1. JohnTHaller's portable version of the latest Opera (53.0.2907.99) if fully portable (= "lossless" transfer to another PC or device),
after not being so for a while - so they are back !

2. There are more and more fully portable (& fully transferable from PC to PC) new browsers appearing,
besides just FireFox and Cent Browser: Falkon, Otter, Basilisk.
These are engineered by smaller teams or just individuals, but diversity it good,
and they are not far behind the "big corporate" browsers in terms of their functional ability.

User avatar
Midas
Posts: 6705
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:09 am
Location: Sol3

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#24 Post by Midas »

Good news, in fact. 8)

Never been a Chrome/ium user (too many resources required) and with the way Firefox seem to be evolving (in my layman user-only appraisal), diversity is good -- in fact, we could use a great deal more.

patrickdrd
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:51 am

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#25 Post by patrickdrd »

chrome isn't portable because of this:
https://portableapps.com/node/42637

so, cookies and extensions aren't portable in fact,
the latter because the files "preferences" and "secure preferences" cannot be copied to another machine,
if you do copy them, you are signed out of sync and when you sign in again,
you'll be filled with duplicate bookmarks, folders, etc
but extensions isn't a real problem because they are synced if they are not unpacked,
for me that I have them unpacked, this is a problem,
because I have to install them again in each new installation

User avatar
Midas
Posts: 6705
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:09 am
Location: Sol3

Re: Chromium-Based Browsers - Portability Problem !

#26 Post by Midas »

Quick update: Cent Browser v5.0.1002.354 released 2023-05-21 (changelog at https://www.centbrowser.com/history.html).

It appears the project has stalled, a shame really, since they advertised native portable packages... :(

Post Reply