418124 - Create a new user Profile specifically for 3.0 and import user data from an existing Profile ...

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit :: Startup and Profile System, enhancement)

Description

[the-edmeister]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13pre) Gecko/20080216 BonEcho/2.0.0.13pre
Build Identifier: Minefield / Firefox 3.0 beta 3

When Firefox 3.0 starts the installation process it should:
1. check for previous versions (check for an existing older version Profile)
2. automatically create a new Profile, specifically for 3.0
3. import the user data from the older version Profile, as it would from IE, Netscape, et al, as if this was a fresh installation of a Mozilla product

The existing Profile shouldn't be "converted" to being a 3.0 Profile, thus leaving the user no "easy way" to revert to what he was using before (Firefox 2.0.0.x, 1.5.0.x, or whatever).
 
Firefox 3.0 brings about more changes to the Profile folder & files that all previous major versions combined, going all the way back to Firefox 0.9 (when the 'new' Profile Manager came about). The user should never be left without a fail-safe method of reverting to the older version, as noobs are wont to do, as soon as they see the first thing they don't like or have trouble understanding something in the new version.

Also, what happens when the user decides to un-install 3.0 and they elect to delete the 3.0 Profile, only to lose "everything"? 
IMO, the "Remove my Minefield personal data and customizations" is misleading, inexpert users might not be aware that they will be deleting their data for their previous version due, too.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
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Comment 1

[u88484]

I seen a thread on mozillazine about this since the user thought by the relase notes saying uninstalling beta 3 would not touch his profile and the dialog asking if he would like to delete his beta 3 profile, he lost everything.  Between the release notes and dialog it sounded like a new profile was made for beta 3.

Comment 2

[Emil Ivanov]

Maybe this should be an option, when installer starts to ask for update or separate install, i have seen something similar with opera installer.

Comment 3

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

We didn't do this already, and I don't believe this has compelling value, especially with Firefox 2 reaching end of life by the end of this year.