Standalone? Firefox Plugin? Connector?

Jochen_Burkhardt

Hi
I am wondering about the strategy of the zotero programming dudes on behalf of the existence of the standalone version and the firefox plugin version. Also theres talk about a "connector" for the standalone version allowing it to get proper inputs via the http-bar. standalone has the advantage of not wasting RAM via browser. plugin has the advantage of being able to pull input from the web easier.


1. question: why are there two versions at all? not possible to combine the features?!
2. what is the connector supposed to be ? am i right suspecting that it is just the firefox plugin itself?
3. if so: this would mean that i just have two versions of the program (both must use different local libraries) on my computer which sync via web. wheres the "connecting-ability" then?
it would be the same to "connect" my standalone version of my desktop computer through the plugin version on my laptop.

im confused.

also why is there no proper(!) documentation on this? or did i just not find it?

Gracile

Did you read this : https://www.zotero.org/support/installation ?

1&2. Originally Zotero was a Firefox extension. Then Zotero Standalone was released. Standalone can be used with Chrome, Safari, and Opera thanks to their "connectors". Without the connector, you can't retrieve bibliographic metadata from websites automatically.

The features are almost the same (see the page above).

3. You can install and use both Zotero Firefox and Zotero Standalone on your computer (edit: but not at the same time). That's what I do. But, they should share the same local library ! (and this is the default setting when Zotero fx/standalone detects that Zotero Standalone/Firefox is already installed on your system)

Jochen_Burkhardt

Hey!
Thanks for the clarification so far!

I understood everything - apart from the last sentence. If I would understand that, my problems would be solved. How do I make Standalone and FF-Plugin share the same library ?

if someone can tell me - would make my day

Gracile

https://www.zotero.org/support/zotero_data

Check their database location (gear icon, Prefs -> "Advanced" tab -> "Files and Folders"): https://www.zotero.org/support/preferences/advanced#database_location

Be careful.

Jochen_Burkhardt

I did that already and i told the FF-Plugin to use the Standalones library.

The result was, that they were now interfering. Its not possible to run both at the same time. its either just not working or the program gives out an error message.

is this a fact to deal with or is there a way to make them run on dual ?

Gracile

No they can't run at the same time. Why do you want to open them together ? If Standalone is open, and you try to open Zotero Firefox, it will bring the Standalone window to front. Not sure about the reverse.

Jochen_Burkhardt

"Originally Zotero was a Firefox extension. Then Zotero Standalone was released. Standalone can be used with Chrome, Safari, and Opera thanks to their "connectors". Without the connector, you can't retrieve bibliographic metadata from websites automatically.

You can install and use both Zotero Firefox and Zotero Standalone on your computer (edit: but not at the same time). They should share the same local library !"

Someone put these infos somewhere to be accessible for public.
I guess I´m not the only one who wonders about the existence of two merely same programs which the developers insist to provide tp the public, hardly explaining the differences and their coexistence ...

Jochen_Burkhardt

thanks gracile :)

aurimas

There's also https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/sharing_data_directory