OLD EXTENSIONS ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH FIREFOX 53 – USERS MUST UPDATE
The Sheep Systems Sync Extension or Sheep Systems Menu Extension which shipped with earlier versions of our bookmarks management apps are incompatible with Firefox 53, which automatically began replacing Firefox 52 on 2017 April 18. To resolve this issue, on April 10, we published version 2.3 of our apps. To get the update, launch Smarky, Synkmark, Markster or BookMacster and click in the application menu: Check for Update. (To avoid unnpleasant surprises like this in the future, click in the applications’ menu: Preferences > Syncing and then switch on at least the checkbox Check for updates when launching.)
Upon launching version 2.3, if either of the two obsolete extensions is detected, it will be removed, and you will be prompted to replace it with our new extension…
BookMacster Sync replaces Sheep Systems Sync Extension.
BookMacster Button replaces Sheep Systems Menu Extension.
NEW EXTENSION INSTALLATION IN MORE DETAIL
In case you missed the instructions which appeared when you upgraded to version 2.3, here they are again:
• Quit Firefox if it is running.
• Read the notice which appears, Another program is attempting to install…
• IMPORTANT: Switch on checkbox Allow this installation.
• Click Continue.
• If you are using both of our extensions, repeat the last three steps.
• Quit Firefox.
• If you have multiple profiles in Firefox, repeat all the steps, launching into each of your profiles in turn.
To verify your installation, relaunch Firefox and click in the menu: Tools > Add-Ons, then Extensions. You should see BookMacster Sync and/or BookMacster Button listed. If the icons are gray indicating disabled, it probably means you did not switch on the Allow this installation checkbox before clicking Continue. Click the button to enable, relaunch again and they should be OK.
While you’re in there, verify that Sheep Systems Sync Extension and Sheep Systems Menu Extension are gone. If they are still there, click button(s) to Remove.
If something went wrong and the new extensions did not get installed, activate Synkmark, Markster or BookMacster and click in their application menu: Manage Browser Extensions…. Then in the window which appears, click the appropriate Install button(s).
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NEW AND OLD SYNC EXTENSIONS
The reason for the new extension is that Mozilla is replacing the old extension interface in Firefox is being replaced with a new interface. Sadly, the new interface does not yet support separators, tags, keywords (shortcuts), descriptions (comments) and Live Bookmarks. Therefore, when Synkmark, Markster or BookMacster import or export with Firefox while Firefox is running, changes in separators, tags, keywords and descriptions will be ignored, and Live Bookmarks will appear in Synkmark or BookMacster as regular empty folders and will not have the RSS icon. Our apps can still properly sync these features, but only when Firefox is not running.
If you are using Synkmark, or BookMacster with the default Simple Agents, Synkmark or BookMacster 2.3 will, by default, silently re-synchronize with Firefox whenever Firefox quits. If you are not using separators, tags, keywords, descriptions or Live Bookmarks in Firefox, you might want to switch this new feature off to avoid unnecessary syncing operations. To do that, click in the menu: Synkmark or BookMacster > Preferences > Syncing and switch off the new checkbox which is at the bottom.
If you are using BookMacster with Advanced Agents (instead of Simple Agents), and want separators, tags, keywords and descriptions to be synced with Firefox, you should add a Browser Quit trigger to your Import changes from Clients… agent.
The Help Book for BookMacster App Family has screenshots and more details.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NEW BUTTON AND OLD MENU EXTENSIONS
After you update, landing a new bookmark into BookMacster or Markster directly from Firefox will be done as it is in the Chrome-ish browsers. You will no longer have menu items Add Quickly and Add & Inspect (which shows the Inspector) in Firefox’ Bookmarks menu. Instead, you will see a new button in Firefox’ toolbar. To add a bookmark, you will click that new button. The Inspector will show, or not, depending on whether or not you held down the option key on your keyboard while clicking the button, and your setting in BookMacster or Markster’s Preferences > Adding.
FUTURE UPDATES
Happily, this should be the last time that an update will require your intervention. Firefox will automatically download from us and install any future updates of the our extensions without your assistance.
Regarding the issue with separators, tags, keywords, descriptions and Live Bookmarks, Mozilla (Firefox) staff have indicated an intention to support these features as they did with their old extension interface, but development has been slow because those who are authorized to make detailed decisions have limited time available. We plan to pursue this further.