Rebuilding TBE's featureset with other plugins, II

[roth377]

But even with these extensions you do not have the same functions as with TBE.

I've tried all different options to replace TBE.
I've tried to write my own userChrome.css to have the same functions and tried it in combination
with Tab Clicking Options and Session Saver and other combinations
but all combinations I've tried where slower together then TBE is so I decided to reinstall TBE.

I've been undergoing the same test, and have completely different results from you. I've been off TBE for about a month now, and have nothing but great results.

I'm sorry you're not having as much luck, so I have to ask what's not working for you, and what's missing? Also, what are you attempting to gain with modifiying userChrome? I was able to get a good working scrollbar up and running, but then decided I liked the setup I have right now (using -moz-appearance and making active tab a progresschunk and the inactive tabs a button...looks awesome...)

The ONLY thing that I REALLY miss is the ability to have tab labels when opened via bookmarks reflect the name of the bookmark instead of the html title. That's IT.

[roth377]

Should also note that I IMMEDIATELY noticed a speed improvement.

I think it should also be noted that (what finally got me to switch away from TBE) is that Firefox w/ TBE constantly hung at closing (meaning that it never really closed and just keep itself in memory, screwing up other instances of opening and such).

I don't want to diss the author of TBE and his accomplishments, but I am finding out that there were too many bugs in TBE for me to go back to.

[Nothkirk]

There are two big reasons I'm looking more and more at replacing TBE (both seemingly bugs in the extension):

1. My "block popups" setting keeps turning itself off, and from the surfing I've done through the forums, this is almost certainly being caused by TBE.

2. After I updated to the latest version of TBE, the Firefox homepage icon (in the upper right-hand corner of the browser), and the links to "Get More Extensions" and "Get More Themes" (in their respective windows) all stopped working suddenly. You can click them all you want, nothing happens.

This second one isn't the end of the world, but it is pretty annoying, and the first problem is starting to really become a hassle. So as much as I like TBE, I'm really starting to wonder if I can get all the functionality I'm looking for from other extensions. I agree with you that there's pretty much no way you're going to get all of TBE's functions using other extensions (for example, numerous people have complained that the progress bar in the tab bar isn't available elsewhere), but if I can get all the options that I really need and use a lot, I'm thinking it might be worth it to switch. At the same time, if I see that Piro has resolved the issues with TBE that I've found, I can very much see myself going back to it.

[roth377]

1. My "block popups" setting keeps turning itself off, and from the surfing I've done through the forums, this is almost certainly being caused by TBE.

It is. Another "clincher" in getting me to try other extensions.

2. After I updated to the latest version of TBE, the Firefox homepage icon (in the upper right-hand corner of the browser), and the links to "Get More Extensions" and "Get More Themes" (in their respective windows) all stopped working suddenly. You can click them all you want, nothing happens.

I did have problems with this as well. I really like how TBP handles this.

So as much as I like TBE, I'm really starting to wonder if I can get all the functionality I'm looking for from other extensions. I agree with you that there's pretty much no way you're going to get all of TBE's functions using other extensions (for example, numerous people have complained that the progress bar in the tab bar isn't available elsewhere), but if I can get all the options that I really need and use a lot, I'm thinking it might be worth it to switch. At the same time, if I see that Piro has resolved the issues with TBE that I've found, I can very much see myself going back to it.

The thing I've found out myself, as well as hearing on this forum (in other threads in addition to this one), is that Piro has a great idea of what some user's are wanting out of tabbed browsing. And for the longest time, I thought it was so great that it deserved to be included in Firefox's executable. But the implementation he used to gain such features (or at least the way HE did it), was just too much. There's too many internal functions he replaced or bypassed, and it started to simply break Firefox all to often. As other's have said, I think he's just trying to do TOO much.

For me, I've gotten most of the functions I want, and the ones I don't have, I'll live without until somebody makes an extension.

[Nothkirk]

So I uninstalled TBE, and after installing the following extensions, I've pretty much duplicated all of the functions in TBE that I really liked (except the progress bar, which I can live without):

Focus Last Tab Selected
MiniT+
SessionSaver
Tabbrowser Preferences
undoclosetab

SessionSaver is absolutely great, and MiniT+ is a must-have for me (since it's the only extension I've found that lets you open bookmarks in a new tab, the one feature the Tabbrowser Preferences is sadly lacking). I'll have to play around for awhile to see if I notice any functionality that I miss, but so far I'm thinking I won't be going back to TBE any time soon.

[reevuur]

But even with these extensions you do not have the same functions as with TBE.

I've tried all different options to replace TBE.
I've tried to write my own userChrome.css to have the same functions and tried it in combination
with Tab Clicking Options and Session Saver and other combinations
but all combinations I've tried where slower together then TBE is so I decided to reinstall TBE.

I've been undergoing the same test, and have completely different results from you. I've been off TBE for about a month now, and have nothing but great results.

I'm sorry you're not having as much luck, so I have to ask what's not working for you, and what's missing? Also, what are you attempting to gain with modifiying userChrome? I was able to get a good working scrollbar up and running, but then decided I liked the setup I have right now (using -moz-appearance and making active tab a progresschunk and the inactive tabs a button...looks awesome...)

The ONLY thing that I REALLY miss is the ability to have tab labels when opened via bookmarks reflect the name of the bookmark instead of the html title. That's IT.

There is no other extension to put the tabbar at the bottom.
There is no other extension to change size of the tabs.
I did this with userCrome but it slowed down my PC.

I noted not much difference with or without TBE (concerning PC speed).
What OS are you using? What's your processor speed?
May'be TBE is behavious different depending on the kind of PC?
(I'am using xp pro - 1600 mhz.)

[Kitefighter]

I kicked TBE a couple of days ago and this is what I use now:

• Tabbrowser Preferences 1.1.1
• undoclosetab 20041125.2
• miniT (drag+indicator) 0.4
• Duplicate Tab 0.3.2
• SessionSaver 0.2.1

Like some others I slightly miss the progress meter in tabs, but that would be a nice-to-have, not a killer-feature.

What is really a drawback is SessionSaver:
I don't need it to recover sessions after a crash, it's more about restarting when work is interrupted.
So I liked the "one-click-and-the-session-is-saved" approach from TBE. SessionSaver has this one-click-thingy, too, but it only saves one session and calls it "default". A second click on this button and the previous session is gone.
And if I want to save a second session I have to go over Tools - SessionSaver - New, type in a name and click OK; five steps to save a session are way too much.

TBE saved sessions seperately and directly and named them itself (with the option to rename it afterwards). That's what I miss most...

Besides, how do you delete a session in SessionSaver?

[roth377]

There is no other extension to put the tabbar at the bottom.
There is no other extension to change size of the tabs.
I did this with userCrome but it slowed down my PC.

I noted not much difference with or without TBE (concerning PC speed).
What OS are you using? What's your processor speed?
May'be TBE is behavious different depending on the kind of PC?
(I'am using xp pro - 1600 mhz.)

I've never heard of userChrome editing slowing down one's computer... How bad is it? The reason I ask is because the call to do those things you mentioned via userChrome should be a LOT more easier for the program to handle than TBE. I'm really perplexed by this. I've never noticed a slowdown with any chrome mod's I've made (on a computer the same as yours). Of course, I'm not FF expert, so who knows?

The ONE thing I would suggest (if not already done) is don't simply disable/delete TBE. I really don't think that's enough. I started over with a FRESH profile (complete delete of profile and build a new one). Of course I had saved all my bookmarks and such, so it wasn't a big problem to get back and running. I'm not sure if that could be the cause of your difficulties, but that could be a reason. If this all applies to you, it might also be the cause of not noticing a speed difference.

My computer(s)? I use FF at both work and home.
One is a 1.7 GhZ 256 MB RAM WinXP Pro
Other is a 3 GhZ 512 MB RAM WinXP Pro

I saw a good speed increase on both machines once I started a new profile without TBE. TBE was never SLOW for me, but I certainly see some difference.

Perhaps you could post your .css?

[Nothkirk]

There is no other extension to put the tabbar at the bottom.

Actually, Tabbrowser Preferences has an option to put the tab bar at the bottom (I haven't tried it out because I like the tabs at the top, but the option is there).

[tonymec]

Besides, how do you delete a session in SessionSaver?

To delete a SessionSaver session, open the about:config page (by typing about:config in the URL bar) and scroll down to the lines starting with "sessionsaver.". There are several lines per session. Delete the lines corresponding to the session(s) you don't want; and if there is a session count, reduce it by the number of sessions you removed.

I know it's a hack, but it's all I found.

[roth377]

Besides, how do you delete a session in SessionSaver?

To delete a SessionSaver session, open the about:config page (by typing about:config in the URL bar) and scroll down to the lines starting with "sessionsaver.". There are several lines per session. Delete the lines corresponding to the session(s) you don't want; and if there is a session count, reduce it by the number of sessions you removed.

I know it's a hack, but it's all I found.

There's also this <a href='http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/more-info.php/sessionsaver#c52'>(Click me)</a>

[Kitefighter]

Thanks, this works as advertised. To all who are too lazy to follow the link here's a summary:
In about:config, type the string "sessionsaver.static" and reset the lines
• sessionsaver.static.<sessionname>.session0
• sessionsaver.static.<sessionname>.zorder
by right-clicking and choosing "Reset"

Looks quite simple, maybe this could be implemented in a future version?
Is SessionSaver still beeing developed? rue - calling Dr. rue?

[DigitalGambler]

I just dumped TBE and WOW!!! I didn't know how many problems it was causing. I rebuilt all my functionality with the multiple extensions listed throughout this thread and it has sped up FF considerably, as well as making it "feel" more responsive. Glad I found this thread.

[sulien]

I use the latest TBE and the only problem I experience is the popup blocker doesn't work.

Can someone explain to me why the developers for 1.0 and 1.7.3 simply don't include these features in the core?

[NickJH]

Code: Select all

/* Change Tab Colors */
/* Change color of active tab */
tab[selected="true"] {background-color: rgb(222,218,210) !important; color: black !important;}
/* Change color of normal tabs */
tab {background-color: rgb(200,196,188) !important; color: gray !important;}
/* Tab while loading */
tab[busy] {color:gray !important;}

I've created a userChrome.css and put the above in it, but nothing happens with TBE enabled or disabled. I read somewhere Win98 does not load this file. I use WinME. Does this have the same problem? If so, is there a work round?

[edit]
I think I've fixed it. The position of the userChrome.css is different in new and old profiles.
[/edit]