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Hot Topic (More than 5 Replies) Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox (Read 10327 times)
Jerry Krinock
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #10 - Apr 4th, 2018 at 11:29pm
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Hello again, Howard.

The references I made yesterday were indeed kind of sketchy – I just wanted to inform you of their existence.

This support page has the complete instructions.  You're talking about the Third Method (Revert To) and Fourth Method (Sync Snapshots) on that page.  They are separate features that use different backups.

The Third Method is for reverting to previous versions of your Synkmark.bmco document.  It has a screenshot of that Revert To ► menu item you could not find.

The Fourth Method has a link to using Sync Snapshots, which are a totally separate feature.
  

Jerry Krinock
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HowardB
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #9 - Apr 4th, 2018 at 1:28pm
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I decided to see how this works - before I need to.   I went to Library/Application Support/Bookmaster/SyncSnapshots, and saw that Chrome has two .Bookmarks files, Firefox has 4 .sqlite files, Opera & Vivaldi have 5 .Bookmarks files.   So I tried selecting all of these files & folders to: "Open the document, then choose File > Revert To > Browse All Versions."

I don't know how to open them, and can't find any "Revert To" settings.   I'm guessing I could move or delete the most current versions of the files and have Synkmark pick an older one.
  
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #8 - Apr 4th, 2018 at 12:08am
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Thank you for the follow-up, Howard.

Regarding backups: Your Synkmark.bmco file is a macOS document.  Synkmark has adopted the Document Auto Save and Versions feature which is offered by macOS.  It empowers you to roll  back to previous versions.  Here is how it works.  Also, Synkmark makes a archive copy of a browsers' bookmarks file before exporting to any browser.  These are in ~/Library/Application Support/BookMacster/SyncSnapshots.  And then there are those bookmarks.html files you're going to make, and then on a good day there is Apple's Time Machine, and if you're really a pro you're using something like Arq (which I highly recommend) to do offsite backups to Backblaze B2.  So you're covered with at least three backups, maybe more!

Regarding the Safe Sync Limit, as I explained earlier, you will need to leave it at ∞ if you want to do major bookmarks housecleaning in your browsers.  Safe Sync Limit is a feature we added about 7 years ago after dealing with a few users who had "lost all of their bookmarks".  But this was also before we had all the backups described above.  Safe Sync Limit is like a fuse or circuit breaker.  I recommend setting it back to 25, and doing major bookmarks housecleaning in Synkmark, as I explained in my earlier post Smiley
  

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HowardB
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #7 - Apr 3rd, 2018 at 11:20pm
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I don't know where Synkmark backups are anyway, so I don't know how to restore them.   I changed the Safe Sync Limit to infinity to start with.  Should I change it back?
  
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Jerry Krinock
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #6 - Apr 2nd, 2018 at 5:29pm
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HowardB wrote on Apr 2nd, 2018 at 2:08pm:
I wasn't sure whether I wanted Chrome and/or Firefox to synchronize between our computers.   It now appears that both ways are options.   With XMarks, we needed to turn them off.
Yes, that is because Xmarks operated its own web service that worked in parallel with Google's Sign in and Mozilla's Firefox Sync.  In contrast, Synkmark works in tandem with these services, bridging them together, on your Mac.  We're fundamentally different.

HowardB wrote on Apr 2nd, 2018 at 2:08pm:
The way we use our computers is that my wife uses Safari, and my Safari looks just like hers.   I only use it for such things as logging onto her Amazon Prime.   I use the other browsers, and like them available when I log onto her computer.

With this in mind, your reply indicates that the best thing for me would be to uninstall Synkmark on her computer and tell both Chrome and Firefox to synchronize themselves to both computers.

I don't anticipate organizing my bookmarks in Synkmark.   I want to do it all on my browsers.
For the initial configuration, you must get your bookmarks into Synkmark and File > Export to the browsers.

You can do major bookmarks housecleaning in your browsers if you really want to, but it is not recommended.  This post explains why.

HowardB wrote on Apr 2nd, 2018 at 2:08pm:
Before doing *anything*, I think people such as myself should save a copy of the desired bookmarks as an HTML file.
I suppose that is fair, for new users who do not yet have confidence in Synkmark.  By the way, we just happen to be completing an update to our apps, version 2.5.8, which will be able to export these old-fashioned HTML files.  It should be available tomorrow.

HowardB wrote on Apr 2nd, 2018 at 2:08pm:
Now I get to where I'm confused.   I don't use my browsers on my iPad and iPhone except for quick look-ups (usually from within ebook readers).   I just opened Chrome on my iPad and didn't see  how to delete bookmarks there.
Swipe left then tap the red button which appears.  You can only delete one folder or bookmark at a time.  Or delete in Chrome on your Mac and allow to sync.  You know, there are reasons why, I'm sure, all of the employees in Apple's iPad division still have a Mac on their desk.  Wink

HowardB wrote on Apr 2nd, 2018 at 2:08pm:
I don't think I can delete all of my bookmarks *fearlessly*.   But I have Time Machine.
You can do it fearlessly with Synkmark, even more fearlessly with the HTML export.  As far as Time Machine, well, better make sure it's working first
« Last Edit: May 23rd, 2018 at 3:07pm by Jerry Krinock »  

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HowardB
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #5 - Apr 2nd, 2018 at 2:08pm
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I wasn't sure whether I wanted Chrome and/or Firefox to synchronize between our computers.   It now appears that both ways are options.   With XMarks, we needed to turn them off. 

The way we use our computers is that my wife uses Safari, and my Safari looks just like hers.   I only use it for such things as logging onto her Amazon Prime.   I use the other browsers, and like them available when I log onto her computer.

With this in mind, your reply indicates that the best thing for me would be to uninstall Synkmark on her computer and tell both Chrome and Firefox to synchronize themselves to both computers.

I don't anticipate organizing my bookmarks in Synkmark.   I want to do it all on my browsers.

Before doing *anything*, I think people such as myself should save a copy of the desired bookmarks as an HTML file.

Now I get to where I'm confused.   I don't use my browsers on my iPad and iPhone except for quick look-ups (usually from within ebook readers).   I just opened Chrome on my iPad and didn't see  how to delete bookmarks there.   I didn't even have a Firefox account until now.

I don't think I can delete all of my bookmarks *fearlessly*.   But I have Time Machine.

I suspect some of my problems have been from testing too quickly.    Whenever I want to add Opera and Vivaldi, I guess I will delete their bookmarks and then add them to SynkMark.
  
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Jerry Krinock
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #4 - Apr 1st, 2018 at 11:24pm
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Hello, Howard.

Thank you for contacting us.  It looks like there are many steps to dig out of this, but that's because I explain in detail.  You might want to read the whole thing over first.

• Understand how to turn on and off Google's Sign in to Chrome.

• Understand how to turn on and off Mozilla's Firefox Sync.

• Understand that you can do the above on one or both Macs, and it makes a difference.

•  In Synkmark, Pause syncing.  If you have Synkmark installed on both Macs, do this on both Macs.  That is, the Syncing button in the toolbar should show a red exclamation point.

• Ensure that Xmarks is switched off or uninstalled on both Macs.  It looks like you have or had a Sync Loop going at one time.

• Import all of the bookmarks that you want into Synkmark on one of the Macs, the one that gets used most often.  I realize that's a rather general statement, but only you know where your desired bookmarks are.  If you have a question about that, please explain.  Anyhow, we'll call this your master collection

Organize your bookmarks in Synkmark.  Delete defunct bookmarks, delete duplicates, consolidate folders, sort, etc.

I recommend using both Google's Sign in to Chrome and Mozilla's Firefox Sync on both Macs.  In this case you must install or leave installed Synkmark on only one Mac.  The Mac with Synkmark I call your Bridge Mac, because it will bridge between Chrome and Firefox.  To get the most frequent syncing, this should of course be the Mac which is used most often.

(There is an alterative, which is to use either Google's Sign in to Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox Sync on both Macs, and install or leave installed Synkmark on both Macs, but that approach is more complicated to configure and has more moving parts.)

•  Sign in and switch on Sign in to Chrome and Firefox Sync on all devices.  If you've got Synkmark on both Macs, uninstall it the one that does not have your master collection.  To do that, click in the menu: Synkmark > Uninstall.

•  Delete all bookmarks from all browsers on all Macs and all phones and all tablets.  This is not unreasonable.  You have all the ones you want in Synkmark from the previous steps, your master collection, correct?Make sure of that, then fearlessly clear out all Chromes and all Firefoxes.

•  Wait 20 minutes and see if any bookmarks or folders return in either Firefox or Chrome on any device.  If any do, delete them and wait another 20 minutes.  You want to start with a perfectly clean slate.

•  Verify that Sign in to Chrome and Firefox Sync are working.  To do this, add a bookmark in Chrome, and add a bookmark in Firefox, on the Mac that has Synkmark, and see that after a few minutes, it appears in Chrome and/or Firefox on your other devices.  Then, delete the added bookmarks and verify that they disappear on the other devices.  Note that, at this point, Chrome will only sync to Chrome and Firefox will only sync to Firefox.

•  In Synkmark, click in the menu: Synkmark > Preferences > Syncing, and in the table of Browsers at the bottom, verify that you have both Firefox and Chrome listed, and all four checkboxes (Import/Export) on.

•  Still in Synkmark, click the Syncing button in the toolbar so it turns green (yellow in future versions).  A sheet will appear, prompting you to Export.  Click Export and wait for the process to complete.

•  In Synkmark, click File > Close and Quit.

•  Wait up to 20 minutes and verify that Chrome and Firefox on all devices now have all of the desired bookmarks.

You're done!  From now on, bookmarks changes in Firefox or Chrome on either device will appear in Firefox and Chrome on all devices after about 15 minutes – 5 minutes for Synkmark to do its thing and 10 minutes or so for  Sign in to Chrome or Firefox Sync.

Leave Synkmark quit except when you want to do major housecleaning or reorganization.  Invisible Synkmark Agents work in the background.
  

Jerry Krinock
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Jerry Krinock
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Re: Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Reply #3 - Apr 1st, 2018 at 6:54pm
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Hello, Howard.

Thank you for contacting us.  I've moved all three of your posts into one thread so I could see the whole picture.  Give me an hour or so to attend to some other business, and understand what is going on.  I shall be back Smiley
  

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HowardB
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Creating a master bookmark file
Reply #2 - Apr 1st, 2018 at 2:38pm
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I've had some problems with Firefox & Chrome - when I try editing them, sometimes Synkmark will reload both browsers with its copy.   But what I want is it to load Synkmark and Firefox with Chrome's copy that I just edited to the way I want.  How do I do this?
  
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HowardB
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Not understanding multiple Mac setup
Reply #1 - Apr 1st, 2018 at 2:22pm
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I don't want to use SynkMark for Safari, but share my wife's set-up with my Mac.  But I'd like to use it for my other browsers (now that XMarks is dying).   I installed SynkMark on my Mac and tried to understand the steps to sync on multiple Macs.   I turned on Chrome's setting to share bookmarks, and immediately had lots of extra bookmarks.   I turned it off and spent all morning editing down my bookmarks.    Obviously, I misunderstood what kinds of services were meant.   Does anybody have an explanation that even I can understand on how to connect these?   Thanks
  
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HowardB
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Configure Synkmark for 2 Macs, Chrome and Firefox
Apr 1st, 2018 at 5:31pm
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I am testing SynkMark.   I keep changing my Chrome bookmarks, and then the changes disappear later.   On my wife's computer, SynkMark thinks there are no bookmarks.   I want to load it with her Chrome bookmarks.   I keep getting windows on her computer giving me the option to copy that empty SynkMark bookmark file into Chrome, overwriting the bookmarks I have.  (Where are the SynkMarks).   I want to go the other way.   How do I do that?
  
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