There are Mac OS X Portable Apps here. [www.freesmug.org] Possibly give them a try too just like Windows Portable Apps from []

compuwizard123

I'm with Devan here... I suppose both programs would use the same folder for profiles and such, wouldn't it?

arturogoga

Wow, I can't believe I never thought of this sooner. I have been awfully tempted to give v3 a go for a while but resisted in fears of losing data. Thanks a lot for this!

lilas

I'm apprehensive here-It seems like FF3, whatever the location of the app itself, would use the same ancillary folders as FF2, most crucially ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox, containing profiles, extensions, and so on.

How sure are we that FF3 won't change the content or structure of that folder and its enclosed files in ways that upset our FF2 equilibria?

devan

I always do this when I first download an app. just run it from the desktop. if it does what I want it to, then I move it to the Apps folder. other wise I delete it using AppDelete

zikman

@cde: Good point, and I'll update the post!

Kevin Purdy

Why not skip the last step. You don't have to have an app in the applications folder for it to work. Maybe some of the klunkier apple apps, yea, but not anything else.

cde

This does not protect your data, as FF3 will read and manipulate your standard Firefox Profile. Please back up your profile before attempting this. It will make it easy to launch FF2 if you like.

That said, most people should not anticipate problems trying out FF3 beta. It is very good about not zorching your data, and of not crashing and wiping things out. Your mileage may vary depending on which plugins you have installed, a fair number of which are not fully updated to work with FF3 yet.

laurion

@compuwizard123: All (well, 90%) mac apps are portable. It's just your preferences that might not be :P

cde

I downloaded FF3 and it didn't change 2 one bit. I didn't follow any of the steps above. I actually had side by side installations. FF3 imported all bookmarks and features that I had set up with 2. I actually uninstalled 3 and reinstalled it to make sure nothing was screwed up. I can now choose ie, FF2 or FF3 independently.

mk3

I did exactly this a few weeks ago, then deleted the Firefox Beta. When I started using my regular FireFox, several things had changed - not for the better.

Most annoying, seemingly at random, when I move from one site to another in my browser, it gives me a message like I am leaving a secure site even if the sites in question are not. There is a checkbox in the warning box that needs to be checked to give me this warning. but unchecking it does nothing. It comes up several times a day with seemingly no pattern.

Also, some of the icons on my bookmarks changed, just seemingly traded with other bookmarks.

So, I am waiting for the real public version and not messing with the Beta until then.

JoeBriefcase

To Run both Firefox versions side by side, create a new profile using the following command
$ /Applications/Firefox\ 3.0b2.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -ProfileManager
I have a Beta Tester Profile to work that allows me to continue to enjoy my current stable Version as well as testing out the new 3.0B4.

Btw I renamed my the new firefox [ Firefox 3.0b4 ].

dotalvaro

Yeah, er, this is just wrong. No matter where Firefox 3 is, it will use the ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox location for its preference settings.

Confuscious say if you have wideread blog, test hints before excitedly posting to site, or else many Mac users going to want to apply Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field to your bowels.

Mike

I did this about two weeks ago on our schools macs. They have it locked where you can't install anything to the applications folder without administrators access. So I just installed on the desktop and have been running it from there. I like the new Firefox.

Rumel

You've got to love that crazy luscious Confuscious.

Averain

You always need to create a new profile if you are going to test the new release, otherwise you'll likely be unable to revert back, no matter which OS you are on.

To create a new profile:
firefox -profilemanager

Launch firefox with a specific profile alongside your current one:
firefox -no-remote -P Profilename

I have beta 3 running for my main profile, firefox 2 for my web dev profile, and a beta 4 profile for testing.

The How-To Geek

I don't see what FF3 has that makes it so desirable that I can't wait for it to be stable.
That said, I use my minimalist "sandbox" clone system created by SuperDuper when I mess with real betas. It's just the Mac OS and whatever else it needs to interface with my apps and data which remain on my HD.
If I mess anything up big time, I just clone over it and start again.

Jeff

Or..... do like I do and test out FF3 Beta 4 under.. dun dun dun... Vista in Fusion! :)

Actually it's going pretty well, I like the speed, the UI is neato and new. But my extensions... my beautiful extensions...

macnewb

BE WARNED - I tried to run the beta from my desktop and it blew out all of my cookies and site registrations. This really sucks - I expect better from Lifehacker.

Anyone know how I can reconstruct/salvage my FF v2 cookies? I have not deleted anything.

Thanks

ismarket

I am using both Firefox 2 and 3b. There are some small problems, as many of you suspected. It does use the same profile. The result is that you can only use one at a time, and each time you switch, it thinks it is new.
FF3 checks add-ons, and finds some it can't use. Then the default toolbar is missing the back and forward arrows. Right-click on the toolbar, Customize, Restore default Set.
Going back to FF2 is very similar, with missing buttons on the toolbar. Some bookmarks added in FF3 will not be there in FF2.
FF3 seems to be faster as promised. The interface is slightly different.

KentD