Data directory not moved after 5.0 upgrade

This discussion was created from comments split from: I just insalled zotero 5.0 and My Library is empty.
  • I updated to Zotero 5.0 and my library is still within the firefox folder.
    1. What can and should I do to keep it unaffected from any firefox update?
    I am working on Ubuntu 16.04LTS and my Firefox is 56.0 (64-Bit).
    I tried to install Zotero via the terminal, following the specific instructions for Linux users, but the terminal told me that zotero-standalone was not available, but that it was referenced by another package.
    So I downloaded the tarball (to my downloads folder), unziped it, and clicked on the 'zotero' icon inside that directory. The program opens without any problem and displays my Zotero content. It has also created a hidden zotero directory inside my home directory, which contains some files, among them a storage.squilte, but my pdf files are still located within the Mozilla folder (/.mozilla/firefox/724tns7k.default/zotero/storage).
    Can and should I move them?
    2. Connected to the question where (and if) to move these files: Is there a way to include an icon in the launcher? Where should I move which files to make that work?
    Thanks for any qualified reply!
  • Make sure you've replaced Zotero 4.0 for Firefox with the Zotero Connector. If Zotero for Firefox is still installed and you open Firefox before Zotero, Zotero 5.0 won't be able to migrate your data directory at startup. You shouldn't need to move the data directory manually unless Zotero tells you so (because it hit an error when trying).
    I tried to install Zotero via the terminal, following the specific instructions for Linux users, but the terminal told me that zotero-standalone was not available, but that it was referenced by another package.
    Not sure what this is a reference to. Our instructions only cover the tarball.
    Is there a way to include an icon in the launcher? Where should I move which files to make that work?
    That's also explained in our instructions.
  • Hi,
    Thank you for your reply!
    I definitely installed the connector before downloading Zotero 5.0, but I cannot recall for sure, whether I closed the firefox window with the installation instructions. (I did not remove/de-install anything because that was not part of the instructions.)
    Zotero is able to locate the data directory, but as I said I am worried of problems because part of the structure, including the pds remains in the .mozilla directory.
    ad "our instructions":
    a) I tried to follow the "Specific Instructions for Debian GNU/Linux", but when I typed "sudo apt-get install zotero-standalone" into the terminal the result was negative saying that zotero-standalone was not available (from the repository). So I downloaded the tarball, unzipped it and launched it by clicking on the zotero file/icon inside the directory.
    b) I am very grateful to everyone, who uses his/her time to make zotero happen. As a complete layperson it often takes me several hours of startpaging (almost every word) to understand how to carry out installation instructions. I also understand that in many instances instructions simply cannot cater for everyone's needs (level of knowledge, different system requirements etc.).
    So please no offense at my questions:
    You write:
    "Alternatively, on Ubuntu-based distros, move the directory to a location of your choice, run the bundled set_launcher_icon script to update the included “Zotero” desktop file with the full path to the bundled Zotero icon, and then double-click “Zotero” directly or symlink zotero.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/ to add it to your launcher."
    1) Can I do this even if I have already downloaded the tarball to my "Downloads directory", unzipped it and launched it?
    2) Which directory/folder should/can I move from "/home/.mozilla/firefox/724tns7k.default/zotero": the .../zotero directory as a whole or any specific directories or files that it contains?
    3) How can I merge this folder from the mozilla directory with the /home/.zotero directory that was created and where can/should I move the home/Downloads/Zotero_linux-x86_64 to or merge them with the /home/.zotero directory?
    4) Are there any other programs that must not run other than Zotero and Mozilla the moment I move these directories? Or anything regarding the sequence of moving these folders?
    5) Where do I get the (bundled) set_launcher_icon script from?
    6) (I suppose the next step, once I have it, is to paste it into the terminal to run it? Somewhere into the command(s) I insert the full path to the Zotero icon on my computer so in my case this would be home/Downloads/Zotero_linux-x86_64/zotero) So once I copy paste the script into the terminal, which other steps do I have to complete?
    8) "...or symlink..." this means that I have a choice between two different ways... is the choice between either running the script or symlinking? Or which steps does this choice refer to and which steps do I have to do in any case?
    9) I have found the command "ln -s target source" to create symbolic links
    (http://ubuntuhak.blogspot.com.tr/2013/04/symbolic-links-in-ubuntu.html). But if I establish my desktop as the target (and the home/Downloads/Zotero_linux-x86_64 as the source) will only create an icon on my desktop and will not include the icon into my launcher, or will it?
    Thank you for your reply, sorry for all the detailed questions!

  • I tried to follow the "Specific Instructions for Debian GNU/Linux", but when I typed "sudo apt-get install zotero-standalone" into the terminal the result was negative saying that zotero-standalone was not available (from the repository).
    Oh, sorry, somebody edited that page to add that — that shouldn't have been there. We can only vouch for the tarball. I've removed that section and locked down the page. (For what it's worth, it was referring to a Debian package that someone recently updated that probably doesn't work on Ubuntu, if that's what you're using.)
  • Thanks! No I am using the tarball version. But my directories are still spread over three different locations and I do not know whether the files in the /.mozilla directory will not be removed once I update firefox.
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