Backup/restore settings to/from a file

[Minigugus]

Fix #1282
Fix #1409
Fix #1427
Fix #1455
#1236

This PR is not a fix for the bug that reset containers list, it just add buttons in the Options UI of the extension in about:addons to backup and restore the containers list.

Please note that currently, only containers' colors, icons, names and site associations are saved, not cookies, which means containers' sessions are erased when importing a backup.

Moreover, this PR allows to configure containers list with JSON directly, and to share configurations across browsers easily.

All tests passed via npm run test.

EDIT 1: Now, backup and restore site associations 😉
EDIT 2: Localization messages available here: mozilla-l10n/multi-account-containers-l10n#11
EDIT 3: Add Limit to designate websites checkbox status to backup files

[renesy]

Does this also backup the association of sites to always open in a certain container?

[Minigugus]

Currently, no, but seems possible. Could be useful, I'm starting working on it Added 😉

[muhlinux]

@stoically @jonathanKingston
Please merge this

[Minigugus]

@groovecoder Up ?

[kineita]

Still waiting Firefox team merge this feature :(

[rasmus-z]

Please merge this feature! I've had to reinstall OSes etc and it's always a bummer to have to redo my multi-account containers (esp. the first time, since I just assumed it would get synced via my Firefox account). Which means that initially I tend not to use them as well as before, so I'm leaking privacy etc :/

[kocjs]

I am looking for this too, please proceed

[muhlinux]

Any news on this? Seems like a much wanted feature #1282 #1409 #1427 #1455

[qwexvf]

Any update on this?

[flodolo]

Sorry, too many open tabs 🤦🏼

I meant to close the PR in the l10n repository, not the one in the code repository. Please open a PR to add strings only after the feature has been reviewed and content agreed upon (all linked issue are really old).

[qwexvf]

Sorry, too many open tabs 🤦🏼

I meant to close the PR in the l10n repository, not the one in the code repository. Please open a PR to add strings only after the feature has been reviewed and content agreed upon (all linked issue are really old).

I see! ill hold on for the op to see if he is interested to continue working on this PR. if not ill try to implement strings!
Thanks for the reply <3 !

[Nomes77]

Since a see that @bakulf is assigned to review. It would be very pleasant for us all to implement this PR.

[Nomes77]

Can you @Minigugus also add an option to back-up whether a container is restricted to a certain websites?

[Minigugus]

Can you @Minigugus also add an option to back-up whether a container is restricted to a certain websites?

Do you mean sites associations? I'm not using this extension so I'm not aware of new features 😅

Currently sites associations are already included in the backup: https://github.com/mozilla/multi-account-containers/pull/1533/files#diff-a3f1b60bcaa9aa659bc7e5bd50fa5109ec7313b7bb363cdceeb3c70a67808ba5R273-R278

[Nomes77]

No, I mean this setting Limit to designate websites, with my red circle around it -->

[Minigugus]

No, I mean this setting Limit to designate websites, with my red circle around it

@BPower0036 Added 👍 (not tested though)

[Nomes77]

No, I mean this setting Limit to designate websites, with my red circle around it

@BPower0036 Added 👍 (not tested though)

I will test it when I have time, thanks!

[Nomes77]

I have tested it, by implementing it, see MAC-wildcard.
Exporting works great. However when you want to restore and you have isolated container it restores them, but (and there is the problem) when you open the popup, you get a blank one. Looking into the console gives the following error:

with the following code:

/* proxified-containers.js */
  // Deletes the proxy information object for a specified cookieStoreId [useful for cleaning]
  async delete(cookieStoreId) {
    // Assumes proxy is a properly formatted object
    const proxifiedContainersStore = await proxifiedContainers.retrieveAll();
    const index = proxifiedContainersStore.findIndex(i => i.cookieStoreId === cookieStoreId);
    if (index !== -1) {
      proxifiedContainersStore.splice(index, 1);
    }
    await browser.storage.local.set({
      proxifiedContainersKey: proxifiedContainersStore
    });
  }

/* backgroundLogic.js */
  async deleteContainer(userContextId, removed = false) {
    await this._closeTabs(userContextId);

    if (!removed) {
      await browser.contextualIdentities.remove(this.cookieStoreId(userContextId));
    }

    assignManager.deleteContainer(userContextId);

    // Now remove the identity->proxy association in proxifiedContainers also
    proxifiedContainers.delete(this.cookieStoreId(userContextId));

    return {done: true, userContextId};
  },

/* messageHandles.js */
    if (browser.contextualIdentities.onRemoved) {
      browser.contextualIdentities.onRemoved.addListener(({contextualIdentity}) => {
        const userContextId = backgroundLogic.getUserContextIdFromCookieStoreId(contextualIdentity.cookieStoreId);
        backgroundLogic.deleteContainer(userContextId, true);
      });
    }

[aaronkollasch]

Pretty-printing the JSON file would make it a lot easier to read and make diffs, etc.

const content = JSON.stringify(
  await browser.runtime.sendMessage({
    method: "backupIdentitiesState"
  }),
  null,
  2
);

[andrasfuchs]

@bakulf, could you take a look, please? The backup/restore feature would be a great addition!

[andrasfuchs]

@aaronkollasch, @dannycolin It looks like @bakulf doesn't have the capacity to look into this. Could someone else take over this PR to give it a chance to be merged?

[dannycolin]

@aaronkollasch, @dannycolin It looks like @bakulf doesn't have the capacity to look into this. Could someone else take over this PR to give it a chance to be merged?

I removed the reviewer because they aren't actively working on this project at the moment. I'd really like to see this feature merged but currently I don't think there's anyone with the bandwidth. This isn't a trivial patch to review.

First, if there are merge conflicts on import, we can't simply abort it. Users would see this as a bug and we're going to get a tons of angry customers, here, on GitHub. If we decide to offer a way to force the merge, we also need a way to revert back. If not, well again we'll have a bunch of angry customers knocking at the door.

Second, if Sync kicks in at the wrong time, it could overwrite the imported data thinking the remote one is still newer. At first glance, the patch doesn't seem to deal with that issue.

Finally, this absolutely needs unit tests to even have a chance to be considered as a mergeable patch since there's a major chance of data loss.

[ArthurKun21]

Second, if Sync kicks in at the wrong time, it could overwrite the imported data thinking the remote one is still newer. At first glance, the patch doesn't seem to deal with that issue.
Finally, this absolutely needs unit tests to even have a chance to be considered as a mergeable patch since there's a major chance of data loss.

This is the main reason I turn off sync last time, all of my container data is gone I have to rebuild it from scratch as well as turn off the sync again. If we could manually backup the data it would be great!

[Tech-How]

Let's see this added! Most currently available extensions have this.

[nickelslots]

please add my vote for the ability to backup/restore to/from a file.
This would be very nice.
Obviously, not an easy task for the devs. But it would be really nice to have this ability.
Thank you.

[mforkel]

+1 for adding backup and restore of the configuration