Check out the code

To check out the code, you'll need an svn client. Download one here: http://subversion.tigris.org/.

Once you have one, go to the source tab to see the commands to issue to check out.

Set up a development profile

Life will be easier with a special Firefox profile for BrowserSync development. Here's how to set one up:

Mac/Linux:

mkdir -p p1/extensions
echo "path/to/browsersync/checkout/client/" > "p1/extensions/browserstate@google.com"

Windows:

mkdir p1
mkdir p1\extensions
echo "c:\path\to\browsersync\checkout\client\" > "p1\extensions\browserstate@google.com"

For example, if you checked out BrowserSync to c:\browsersync, the path to put in this file would be c:\browsersync\client.

Next, create a file called user.js in the profile folder, and copy the following lines into it:

user_pref("nglayout.debug.disable_xul_cache",true);
user_pref("browser.dom.window.dump.enabled",true);
user_pref("javascript.options.showInConsole",true);
user_pref("extensions.logging.enabled",true);

Development Extensions (Optional)

There are some extensions that are useful for extension developers:

Running it

To run Firefox with your development BrowserSync, start Firefox like this from the command line:

Windows

c:\program files\mozilla firefox\firefox.exe -profile p1 -no-remote -console

Mac/Linux

/path/to/firefox -profile p1 -no-remote -console

Firefox will load the extension directly from your extension directory. This means that there is no build phase to hacking on BrowserSync. Just make your changes and restart the browser.

Comment by florian....@gmail.com, Jun 26, 2008

// Extension developer's extension does not currently work cause it doesn't support secure updates which is required for 3.0 One might be able to force it to install manually maybe

Comment by eric.j...@yahoo.com, Jun 30, 2008

Florian, install the version of Extension Developer's Extension from addons.mozilla.org instead. Works fine with 3.0.

Comment by moose...@charter.net, Jun 30, 2008

EH?

Comment by bunklung, Jul 01, 2008

Is anyone tinkering with this code? Please post your results/project URL here. Weave 0.2.0 leaves a lot to be desired.

Comment by m...@pixelcort.com, Jul 01, 2008

I'm curious what Weave can learn from this code.

Comment by Joseph.caleb.katz, Jul 03, 2008

Good luck, hope someone makes something better than Weave!

While I don't think that should be hard, I know I can't do it...

Comment by timothyrreeves, Jul 10, 2008

What's wrong with Weave? I haven't tried it.

Comment by crazydelta, Jul 10, 2008

Weave is still only in version 0.2.2 and is still very much in development. I had to jump into using weave when I found out the Google Browser Sync was not supported for FF3. Weave's performance does not even match Browser Sync yet, though of course it has great potential for the future.

In the mean time, I would love to see someone port Google Browser Sync for FF3. It was solid as a rock when I was using it and would love to go back to it again.

Cheers.

Comment by brunovern.a, Jul 11, 2008

Same for me : I tried Weave 0.2.2, but it doesn't work on Mac PPC nor on 64bit. You have to compile or install special stuff. It is very slow, sometime hangs. So it is a real 0.2.2 for development and testing purpose I would say. It is a bit sad to have to start all over again. But I don't care if I use Mozilla Weave or ex-Google Sync, I will pick the first to sync passwords and cookies securely without getting in my way.

Comment by vandegoor, Jul 13, 2008

I hate it when companies develop something that users start to depend on and then suddenly discontinue it! Shame on Google. They have loads of money (earned by exploitation of us users) but just pull the plug. I have 2 laptops and 6pc's and using browsersync was a gift from heaven..... Oh well, I will check Weave I guess. Haven't updated to FF3 just because of Sync....

Comment by rathishg, Jul 16, 2008

Weave says

"We've reached our account limit, and have stopped accepting any new registrations for at least a few days."

Google ...u should have kept this alive ..

Comment by keen101, Jul 18, 2008

I never got a chance to try it, by the time i even heard it was too late. But, I'm glad google has released the code. Maybe some talented programmer can do something with it. I am mostly in need of some sort of firefox synchronizer that will sync extensions and add-ons.

Comment by petersez, Jul 19, 2008

I think that it would work if someone could make some site asking for donations and then payed a programmer to port GBS, I would donate something.