14 DAY TRIAL // There are lots of extensions on the market which allow us to improve and feel more secure when surfing the Internet. Internet browsers are various, and we will enumerate just a few of the popular ones: Internet Explorer, Opera, Maxthon, Mozilla Firefox. Defined as add-ons that bring new functionality to Firefox, extensions can come under the form of a simple button or a completely new set of features. The browser can be customized to best suit you.
FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) was built to allow you to backup and restore your installed Firefox themes and extensions. To be more precise, it saves individual .xpi or .jar (themes) files in a default directory. If something goes wrong upon the installation of another add-on, you can always go back by restoring to the last working configuration. A backup summary will be displayed in a browser page.
Once you have all your bookmarks, themes, preferences, cookies, fillforms, history, permissions, etc. in place, all you need to do is define a backup directory and have a look in FEBE's options. Select/Deselect All buttons are present for enhanced maneuverability. More features are available in Option panel. You can enable different sounds when displaying the result page. If you think it inconvenient, the checkbox allows not showing it. There are other options you can check, but the good thing is that all have an information help button so you can't get lost. All you need to do next is to perform a backup and you are good to go.
The Directory tab allows you to define or browse for the Backup destination folder which FEBE should use to save your settings. Also, you have the possibility of making timestamped directories in ISO8601 or European formats so you can be aware of the last saved session. If you want to fill your HDD space with lots of FEBE's info, there is a user-limited number of backup directories the extension can save.
The good thing about FEBE is that it gives you the possibility of saving or restoring the entire profile in one go. Stick the time-stamped folder on a pen-drive or send it to your email address and, everywhere you go, you can have the browser settings you are used with. If you want to restore a profile to a new instance of Firefox, there is an option which can save you a copy of FEBE in the same location as the backup directory.
Even if you have non-Firefox related data you want to save (i.e scripts), you can backup and restore them using the User-defined Backup option. All it takes is for you to add and define them by filling the Label, Description and Source fields. If you have any questions about what needs adding, click the information button and hints will be displayed. If more questions are arising, check the publisher's website FAQ section or the forum.
To keep your mind free from remembering to back-up from time to time, in FEBE's options menu you can define a schedule for the operation. Daily, weekly or monthly, the scheduler will save your Firefox browser configuration in a date and time stamped folder. Don't forget to hit the "Set schedule time" button to save your settings. If you are unsure of the time when the last backup was performed, you can always have a look under Backup reminder panel.
Checking the Debug Mode option will run the extension in a special debugging mode. Instead of a normal results page you will see links to FEBE's batch files, it can run in individual DOS window which pauses waiting for an "Enter" to be pressed before continuing. For a normal operation this mode should be turned off. Having a quick look through Debug's options, we can specify the temporary working folder, or open a shell where experienced users will be able to check or change permissions, list folders, display the files content, see the tree structure etc. FEBE's preferences can be reset to the default values if they become confusing or too difficult to maneuver.
FEBE is a well developed Firefox extension. The interface is not neglected and is very friendly. The options and features are well explained leaving no room for any misunderstanding. I consider it to be a good-to-have utility mainly because it saves and restores successfully your Firefox settings and preferences. It is easy to install and use, and once you define your own backup scheduler there is no more interfering with your daily routines. If you want to check for updates, you can link to the publisher's web-page from the Info menu.
The Good
FEBE has a very stylish interface with everything explained for the most unexperienced Firefox user. The customization level is pretty high for an extension. Among all other well-thought features, it lets you save a copy of the extension itself and adds it to the backup directory. This can be timestamped for better organizing. Debug mode can be enabled so details of backup can be viewed to help troubleshoot any problems.
As Firefox allows multiple profiles, FEBE can backup and restore each and everyone of them along with their specific preferences.
The Bad
The glitch I found is under the Directory tab from the Option menu. When you press the "View backup destination directory" button a new tab appears in Firefox browser but is not automatically shown on desktop, so there's a good chance to press it a couple of times before you realize what is happening. As a consequence, you will have a large number of opened tabs with the same information. Although the display windows saved their aspect ration, the scroll bar has not been added, and there minimum window size is not implemented.
The Truth
If you are a Firefox user, this extension will be of great help. What it does? It saves you the current configuration of your browser. Bookmarks, themes, other extensions, entire profile etc, everything is backed-up and can be restored. All you need to do is create and configure a backup directory, make an initial backup and set the scheduler. Great!
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
