Pale Moon Sync service

The Pale Moon Sync service is a Sync 1.1 (Weave-based) synchronization service for Pale Moon browser users.
It allows the synchronization of data between Pale Moon browser instances using an e-mail and password as account credentials.
This service is governed by the Pale Moon Sync Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

To check on the server status, please go here: https://pmsync.palemoon.org/status/

What is Pale Moon Sync for?

  • Synchronizing data between different desktop/laptop computers.
  • Synchronizing data between desktop/laptop computers and mobile devices (e.g. tablet, phone).
    Please note we do not have a mobile browser offer, but you may be able to use a different weave-compatible client.
  • Synchronizing data between Pale Moon on different operating systems.
When talking about "synchronizing", we mean the practice of keeping data synchronized between instances of Pale Moon in active use. Although as part of the process this data is stored on the Pale Moon Sync server, storage is not its primary function.
When talking about "data", this comprises, by your choice:
  • Bookmarks
  • Open tabs
  • Browsing history
  • Form history
  • Passwords
  • Preferences (limited subset)

What is Pale Moon Sync not for?

Pale Moon Sync is a free courtesy service with no guarantees of availability.
It has not been designed with other use than synchronization in mind, therefore:
  • It's not for backing up your data to the server or restoring from it.
    Storage of your data is subject to both space and time restrictions (see below), and inactive account data may be purged at any time.
  • It's not for corporate/high-availability use. There is no SLA or up-time guarantee.
  • It's not for synchronizing data between Pale Moon and other browsers
    (although it's possible to sync with other Weave 1.1 compatible clients, the Pale Moon server is not calculated on the required capacity for additional clients. If you are a client developer and want to use the Pale Moon server in lieu of setting up your own, you must contact me to discuss details)
  • It's not for anything that would be in violation of the Terms of Service.

Limited duration of data storage

Data stored on the sync server is regularly sorted and pruned to remove inactive account data. Pale Moon Sync is not a "cloud storage" or "on-line vault" service -- it is a (near-immediate) synchronization service and any data stored on the server is at all times considered both transitional and volatile. You should not explicitly rely on your data being retained for any length of time.

Without regular pruning of inactive data, the Sync service storage requirements would exceed what we are reasonably capable of providing to you for free with the funds available to the Pale Moon project. Near-permanent storage is neither a technical goal of a synchronization server, nor within our capacity to provide for free. Once more, this is a courtesy service provided to Pale Moon users for free and its limits and capabilities reflect this. Unless you want to help fund the Sync service to levels allowing us to exceed this type of transitional use, this will not change.

You can also run your own server and manage it however you see fit with perpetual storage if our service does not suit your needs.

Technical details, encryption of data and security

A few points about the technical details of the sync service to note, also for the average user:
  • Pale Moon Sync encrypts all your data before it is sent to the server. This encrypted data can only be recovered with your personal recovery key that is stored in your browser. If you lose your recovery key, you lose access to the data on the server because it cannot be recovered/decrypted without this key.
  • Pale Moon Sync allows you to recover your sync account in case you lose your key, but any data on the server will be removed since it cannot be recovered without the key.
  • If your Pale Moon Sync account gets compromised (someone learns your login credentials), your data is still inaccessible to whomever compromised your account, because the encryption key is never stored on the sync server.
    (This is a key (no pun intended) difference with the "new" Firefox sync service (Sync 1.5, in effect from Firefox 29 onwards), where a compromised account allows the attacker to get your key and access your data)
  • If the Pale Moon Sync server were ever to be hacked, your data is still safe as well: Your account password is encrypted in the database (using one-way hashing), and your synced data is unrecoverable without the recovery key that is exclusively in your possession. The server simply does not contain the information needed to decrypt your synced data.
    Of course plenty of normal best practice steps are taken to prevent the server from being compromised.
  • Of course, all connections to the Pale Moon Sync server are encrypted using TLS, to prevent your sync account password from being stolen over insecure networks.
  • The Pale Moon Sync service uses industry-standard technologies to provide an as-robust-as-possible service to you.

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