Your web browsing environment in 2025 - self-hosted Firefox sync?

[Roman Schmidt]

I'm using xBrowserSync for syncing the bookmarks, it supports Chrome, FF, and even has an Android app.
It seems secure to me, but of course I can't really tell, I'm not a pen tester.

For password management I use sysutils/password-store which I think is the best thing since the invention of sliced bread.
It uses git with gpg encrypted files, so you can just sync it with git pull / push, in my case I use a Raspi4 to centrally host the git repos.

There are many 3rd party tools and extensions for it, I use the browserpass-extension in particular, which lets you fill in password files with the click of a button. A bit tricky to set it up but it works if you follow the instructions in the README.md.
If you name your password entries correctly, it automatically shows the corresponding password record for the webpage you're currently on. (i.e. pass www/google.com/happyuser1)

 

[GlitchyDot]

For me the most important thing to sync is the "search engines", aka keywords. I am currently struggling exporting them out of Chrome and back into Firefox. It used to be trivial because they were included in a HTML dump of your bookmarks.

Is this your search history right ? Or this is something i never heard of ?
P.s. what does FF do when you start and ask to import from other browser ? Only bookmarks,password not a whole history, cookie thing ?

 

[cracauer@]

Is this your search history right ? Or this is something i never heard of ?
P.s. what does FF do when you start and ask to import from other browser ? Only bookmarks,password not a whole history, cookie thing ?

Keyword searches are characters that you put in the beginning of the URL field and that you feed with strings where %s is replaced with your search terms.

FF used to but no longer imports these keyword searches when starting for the first time.

 

[ShelLuser]

Well, I'm a bit late to the party but, oh well...

May I ask what everybody is doing for syncing their bookmarks and "search engines" (aka keywords), passwords and so on? I used to be full-on Google with Chrome and its sync, but Chrome has stopped to be a viable browser this month.

I ended up using 2 browsers for this. My preferred browser in general is Opera, been using it for a very long time and it just works for me, so... easy. I don't know how I ended up with it, but here we are.

But when it comes to syncing... then that's a whole different ballgame because I actually read privacy disclaimers and statements. Note that I'm not saying that Opera is "bad" or stuff like that, just that I have other preferences. Because when it comes to full syncing then I rely on Edge, for the sole reason that I already rely on Microsoft's OneDrive to keep all my data "cloud accessible", so using Edge was simply the most logical next step.

There's actually a little more to it than that... because I also never liked Opera mobile, but Edge pretty much worked.

Passwords otoh that's a whole different story. That's basically a combination of Edge + 2FA and a customized password 'solution' using OneNote and a bit of scripting. I steer clear from known password managers because while they may be very easy to use they'd also be a #1 target if your account somehow got compromised. So I basically set up my own solutions for that.

A bit unconventional perhaps, but it works and on all platforms.

 

[yjqg6666]

There are many 3rd party tools and extensions for it, I use the browserpass-extension in particular, which lets you fill in password files with the click of a button. A bit tricky to set it up but it works if you follow the instructions in the README.md.
If you name your password entries correctly, it automatically shows the corresponding password record for the webpage you're currently on. (i.e. pass www/google.com/happyuser1)

I use i3wm, the "password-store/contrib/dmenu/passmenu" can be well integrated with i3wm. Bind a key to the script to launch, "bindsym $mod+p exec /code/c/password-store/contrib/dmenu/passmenu". Press mod+p, type some to search, enter to select, then the password is on the clipboard, just paste anywhere you want.

 

[rbranco]

Nextcloud has a bookmarks app. I have not tried it yet:

Bookmarks - Apps - App Store - Nextcloud

The Nextcloud App Store - Upload your apps and install new apps onto your Nextcloud

apps.nextcloud.com

Edit: For passwords I use security/keepassxc. I store the kdbx file in Nextcloud, and use Keepassdx on my phone.

This is my current setup. The KeepassXC browser extension protects against phishing. The database is encrypted by a combination of passphrase, a file with random bits I copy to every device, and a yubikey.

 

[delta0]

I have yet to find a solution that fits my threat profile while being convenient for both my home and mobile scenarios.

 

[USerID]

I rely on Edge, for the sole reason that I already rely on Microsoft's OneDrive to keep all my data "cloud accessible", so using Edge was simply the most logical next step.

I thought it was subtle English banter or trolling.

 

[ShelLuser]

I thought it was subtle English banter or trolling.

First, you're misquoting me because as I said above I rely on Edge for specific purposes.

Second, what's wrong with my comment and/or Edge in the first place?

 

[USerID]

Yes, everything is logical with you. And everything is built in a beautiful row. And for a narrow task.
You did not understand the essence. Nonsense.
Azure is not bad, cheap prices, everything for the user, everything for the beloved user.
With love, care.
Your Microsoft.

 

[USerID]

Your web browsing environment in 2025.​

This is something I try not to do if possible.
If my environment forces me to use everything on my smartphone,
then I leave such an employer or environment.
I am not going to live the rest of my life in garbage synchronizations.
Tomorrow life will force me to synchronize with AI.
To hell with this kind of synchronization with AI.

This concept should probably already be in Wikipedia, but it is not there.
I do not use synchronization to synchronize garbage.
Although I admit that I make a copy of my browser with garbage, only
in the traditional way via tar (~/.tor project, ~/.mozilla).
So that when I install the OS again, I don't have to create my entire garbage "environment", which suits me.
I pack the "garbage can" into the most compressed archive and encrypt it with gpg.
I send the packed "garbage can" to a local HDD.
I can only keep it on MEGA in gpg. I don't rule out that MEGA is just another bunch of guys who are leaking my data somewhere else.
Microsoft goes to hell first and foremost.

Synchronization and multiple work points are an individual lifestyle.
This is not for me.
Amen.