113581 - import/export stored passwords between mozilla profiles

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(SeaMonkey :: Passwords & Permissions, enhancement)

Description

[Raj Bhaskar]

It would be a very useful feature to be able to export and import a stored
password database to a new profile.  This might be needed if you create a new
profile while testing new builds, or if you just move to a new machine.  Most of
the settings can be transferred manually, but there's no way to recreate the
password database.

Thanks,
Raj.

Comment 1

[Jerome Lacoste]

I want it to. I am going to change machine and platform.
Furthermore, as you cannot share profiles on different machines, it would be
useful let's say to put this dercypted list on my palm. When I travel, I can
remember some of my passwords.

Comment 2

[Walter Haidinger]

At least an export function would be *really* useful.
The password manager doesn't show the passwords, just usernames.

Comment 3

[Grace Bush]

this is not a Profile Manager/migration issue- since no password database exists 
in 4.x
changing component

Comment 4

[Stephen P. Morse]

You can just copy the *.s file across from the old profile to the new one.  
Provided, of course, that you unencrypt it first, or that you use the same 
master password on both profiles.

Comment 5

[Raj Bhaskar]

Will this also work if the passwords weren't encrypted in the first place (ie if
there is no master password)?

Comment 6

[Stephen P. Morse]

Absolutely.

Comment 7

[Terri Preston]

Sounds good to me, marking verified

Comment 8

[Raj Bhaskar]

Just to make it clear, according to stuff on the newsgroups (n.p.m.general),
this only works if you change the name of the .s file to the new name in the new
profile.

Comment 9

[Stephen P. Morse]

Or if you copy the entire prefs.js file across as well.

Comment 10

[Ralf Hauser]

http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=110349 seems to be a duplicate of this.

Comment 11

[Ralf Hauser]

the profile directory is "C:\Documents and Settings\*loginname*\Application and
Data\Mozilla" and not one of the many profiles Directories in the subtree of
program installation.

Comment 12

[Ulrich Windl]

I don't understand why there are objections against exporting and importing user
preferences (like passwords, form data, etc.): The experienced user might locate
the relevant files anyway, and copy them to another installation. However the
risk of damaging something is probably higher than the benefit of not
implementing it.
Regarding the necessity or usefulness of such a feature: If you have multiple
computers in different administrative domains, you are probably interested in
synchronizing the personal data. Especially these days where you need a lot of
junk accounts with junk passwords, just to visit some site.
I also do not see any security implications here: The file where the settings
are stored is as secure as the file is: If the data is unencrypted, anybody with
read access and knowledge can decode the contents. If the file is encrypted in a
proper way, you'd need the password to access the data anyway.
I don't understand why at least two similar requests for enhancement were
rejected with WONTFIX.