Upgrade StorageZotero Connector for Firefox
A connector for Firefox??? Sounds stupid, right, since the Zotero plug-in for Firefox not only exists, but probably is the primary way that most people use Zotero. So, what's the point?
The point is "memory use". I have an relatively -- but not excessively -- large Zotero library, and in addition I participate in a number of group libraries. As a consequence, the Zotero plugin 1) slows down the startup of Firefox significantly, and 2) the Zotero plugin causes Firefox to use excessive amounts of RAM. Typically (such as right now), Firefox with Zotero uses 500-700 MB of RAM. After restarting Firefox with Zotero disabled the memory use drops to 200-300 MB (in part caused by other plug-ins).
Since I -- as probably many other Zotero users -- don't use Zotero all the time it would be better to be able to use Standalone Zotero with a connector in Firefox, in exactly the same way that one can now use Standalone Zotero with Google Chrome.
Presumably, it would be relatively simple (perhaps even trivial?) to create a connector for Firefox, using bits an pieces from the plug-in, and from other connectors.
The point is "memory use". I have an relatively -- but not excessively -- large Zotero library, and in addition I participate in a number of group libraries. As a consequence, the Zotero plugin 1) slows down the startup of Firefox significantly, and 2) the Zotero plugin causes Firefox to use excessive amounts of RAM. Typically (such as right now), Firefox with Zotero uses 500-700 MB of RAM. After restarting Firefox with Zotero disabled the memory use drops to 200-300 MB (in part caused by other plug-ins).
Since I -- as probably many other Zotero users -- don't use Zotero all the time it would be better to be able to use Standalone Zotero with a connector in Firefox, in exactly the same way that one can now use Standalone Zotero with Google Chrome.
Presumably, it would be relatively simple (perhaps even trivial?) to create a connector for Firefox, using bits an pieces from the plug-in, and from other connectors.
FWIW, Zotero doesn't load your library until you open the Zotero pane/tab, so I'm not sure what's behind your slow startup times. On my Mac, Zotero increases Firefox startup time by <100 ms, which isn't noticeable. Firefox 8 has <a href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=648125">some improvements that may speed this up. If I don't open the pane, Zotero increases Firefox memory consumption by about 5 MB. If I open the pane with my 1100 item (+attachments) library, Firefox takes an additional 25 MB.
It's worth noting that Firefox will always consume more memory as you use it, whether Zotero is enabled or not, due to inefficiencies in garbage collection. There are a few big improvements planned on this front for Firefox 7 (see the list of MemShrink bugs and this bug in particular, which should be a major win).
I've got standalone working fine, the new WinWord plugin working fine, the newest firefox Z plugin working fine. But firefox doesn't switch into connector mode when standalone is opened--it won't let me open the zotero pane, but does not show any icons in the URL bar.
ff3.6.2, win7, Zotero 3.0b1
yes, that feature (as described in more detail by Simon above) definitely exists.
I'll assume you're using FF 3.6.20 and not .2 - otherwise upgrade.
Could you provide an example of a page that isn't working (yes, even if that's "all of them") and see if you can create an error report ID.
With standalone open, the zotero translator icons don't show up, and attempting to open zotero in ff with standalone open gives me the error message "there was an error starting zotero." When I close standalone, zotero in firefox works fine again with no need for ff restart. Interestingly, if i load the pages in regular ff zotero and the URL icons show up, and *then* close zotero and open standalone, the icons that got loaded by regular zotero are still there and still work and the reference is pulled into the Z database and is visible in standalone. So the icons and translators and database are working fine, it's just that the icons don't appear with standalone open. This appears to be true with all pages. here are three that work fine with standalone closed, but not with it open:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=octopus+in+disguise&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1,5&as_sdtp=on
https://www.sciencemag.org/content/307/5717/1927.short
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15790846
I am using standalone and am not using the default firefox profile directory to store data. So that, if I install zotero plugin in firefox and use it together with the standalone, I will have two copies of my libraries in my computer.
BTW, can ZotFile be installed in the Zotero standalone rather than the firefox?
I tried to use firefox with Zotero (2.1.10 ) and Zotero Standalone (3.0b3.2 for Windows) at the same time, but got the following warning:
/
Your Zotero database is currently in use. Only one instance of Zotero using the same database may be opened simultaneously at this time. If Firefox with the Zotero extension is open, please close it and restart Zotero Standalone
/
When I ran the standalone first and then started firefox, it gave a similar warning at the icon of zotero in firefox, telling me to close the zotero standalone and rerun firefox.
Why?
It is working now. :)