Tips and tricks for Firefox guidebook

[fishbert]

I think a list of the "about:xxx" pages would be useful. I learned of "about:config" when I was installing Firefox to a USB stick drive and I just saw "about:cache" in this thread.

How many more "about's" are there?

http://www.vorstrasse91.com/moztips/didyouknow.html#A6

[Simpsongo]

Neat site fishbert, but it's missng the most basic one... about:

So maybe there is more as well.

[Grim]

A full explanation of all the entries in about:config

From what i have learn't so far you can change most of what the extensions do in about:config

[Leiflvr]

This one convinced me to stay with FF. (optimizer)

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/M ... -9693.html

[W.Rex]

Im a fairly new user to FF 9.3 actually I started with version before. I love it and it was not hard to come to learn, however there are some things that I need to learn to better take advantage of what it can do for me. The big one for me at this point is....

When I use another application that has an update option or goto (thier home website button) I press it and it atuomaticly uses IE I have the preference set for FF to be Default Browser. but that does not stop this.
I am ready to make take the plunge and commit to FF completely, and I think I understand there are some sites that I must use another, other than FF. (for now) The big reason I switched to Firefix is, I enjoy the control I have as to what is actually allowed on my system. I cleaned up my system back when I had problems (98SE) and have been virtually worry free since.
That one bit of info would be nice to have though. How to stop IE from being used like that.

[poningru]

A full explanation of all the entries in about:config

From what i have learn't so far you can change most of what the extensions do in about:config

Once again mozdev comes through

[Lee_Dailey]

A full explanation of all the entries in about:config

From what i have learn't so far you can change most of what the extensions do in about:config

[url=http://preferential.mozdev.org/preferences.html
]Once again mozdev comes through[/url]

howdy poningru,

except for this teeny tiny problem ...
"
Last Updated: 2003-12-2
"

[*sigh ...*] i used to use their extension. was nifty, but it us not maintained.

as far as i can tell there is NO real authoritative [?] list of the about:???? options. you would think that ABOUT:ABOUT might cover that ... [*grin*] nope!

take care,
lee

[mspo10]

I´ve improved the contents of my last post. so, the result is :
CONTENTS

CHAPTER 01 OWNLOADING, INSTALLING AND UPGRADING
1.1.Download Firefox
1.2.Install for first time
1.3.Install from a existing one
1.4.Reinstall Firefox
1.5.Third party optimized Firefox
CHAPTER 02 : GENERAL QUESTIONS
2.1.Differences between Mozilla and Firefox
2.2.Can Firefox coexist with Firefox
2.3.Differences between releases and nightlies
2.4.Differences between trunk and branch
2.5.Where are my personal preferences, bookmarks, passwords stored
2.6.How do I start profile manager
2.7.What is Talkback
CHAPTER 03 : USAGE
3.1.Navigation, Searching, Improving speed and efficiency
3.2.Download Manager
3.3.Customization : Toolbar, Themes, Extensions and Stylesheet switching
3.4.Updating Firefox and Extensions
3.5.Options dialog pane
3.6.Firefox security:cookies,passwords,web pages,etc
3.7.Find toolbar feature
3.8.Keyboard Shortcuts
3.9.Mouse Shortcuts
3.10.Menu Reference
CHAPTER 04 : BOOKMARKS
4.1.How I import bookmarks from others browsers
4.2.How I alphabetize bookmarks
4.3.How I backup my bookmarks
4.4.Bookmarks toolbar
4.5.Livemarks
4.6.Favicons
CHAPTER 05 : PLUGINS
5.1.What a plugin is
5.2.How I install Java, Flash, Adobe Reader, etc
CHAPTER 06 : EXTENSIONS
6.1.Where I download them
6.2.How I install from the hard drive
6.3.How I backup my extensions
6.4.Firefox extensions types:
6.4.1. Browsing enhacements
6.4.2. Content Filtering and Bandwitch
6.4.3. Toolbar and Statusbar additions
6.4.4. Extensions enhacing Firefox Components
6.4.5. Web Developer Extensions
6.4.6. Firefox Utilities: Calendar,Mozilla Optimizer,Mozilla Backup,etc
6.4.7. Themes
CHAPTER 07 : PROFILES
7.1.How I access the profile manager
7.2.How I backup my profile manager
7.3.Create a new profile
7.4.Create a new profile without xxxxxxxx.slt
CHAPTER 08 :CONFIGURATION
8.1.The configuration files: user.js, userChrome.css and userContent.css
8.2.How I edit the configuration files. Examples
8.3.The about:plugins,about:buildconfig,about:cache
8.4.The about:config. The preferences file editor
8.5.How I tweak Firefox for better speed
8.6.Firefox directory files. What do all those files do ?
8.7.Firefox profile directory files. What do all those files do ?
The chapters 1,2 and 3 could be a Quickstart Guide
The complete chapters could be a Manual User´s Guide
With all this information well explained, it´s demonstrated Firefox is miles away from Internet Explorer

[rfrangioni77]

The first thing is to decide who the Firefox end-user is.

Is he or she a typical consumer who simply wants a browser that will install easily, run smoothly and require a minimum of tinkering (e.g., the retail-store customer who buys a bundled system, takes it home and wants it work straight out of the box)?

Is he or she a geek/expert who regards all software as something to to endlessly refine and "improve" (e.g., the typical K-Meleon user who thinks a day spent with Everest or Sandra is better than sex)?

Somebody in between?

All of the above, probably. =)

IMHO, "identifying" the typical Firefox end-user will be an exercise in futility...everyone from the most advanced geeks to the brand-new user will be using it, not to mention everyone in between. Because of that, any "guide" would have to aimed at the lowest common denominator...that brand-new user that wants to try Firefox but barely knows how to navigate Windows, much less un-set a folder as "hidden" (which, if you recall, the Firefox's default profile folder resides in a hidden-by-default folder in Windows).

Whoever is writing this guide simply must not assume that the person reading it knows as much as they do about even the most trivial things. It's gotta be dumbed-down as much as possible if it's truly going to be useful.

All MHO, of course. =)

<edit>

One other thing I'd like to add...make sure that on the first page of whatever guide we make, that the URL to this forum's search feature is in 96-point blinking hot pink text, with 72-point neon green text underneath it explaining that there's a 99% chance whatever problem the user is having has been dealt with before, and using the search feature can fix their problems. =)

Not because it's tiring to answer the same questions here, but using the search feature is an incredibly easy way to find all sorts of answers.

</edit>

[JSS3rd]

I've noticed that texturizer.net's tip about making the search window wider by editing the userChrome.css file with the following code no longer works.

/* Make the Search box flex wider
(in this case 400 pixels wide) */
#search-container {
-moz-box-flex: 400 !important;
}

Instead, changing the numeric value in the code changes the distance between the right edge of the search window and the right edge of the browser window, while leaving the search window the same size.

Also, what happened to the tip about removing the down-arrow from the search window by adding the following code to userChrome.css?

/* Remove the drop arrow in the Search bar */
.search-proxy-button-dropmarker { display:none !important;
}

The tip is no longer there, and the code no longer works.

[MechanicalMan]

I've noticed that texturizer.net's tip about making the search window wider by editing the userChrome.css file with the following code no longer works.

/* Make the Search box flex wider
(in this case 400 pixels wide) */
#search-container {
-moz-box-flex: 400 !important;
}

Instead, changing the numeric value in the code changes the distance between the right edge of the search window and the right edge of the browser window, while leaving the search window the same size.

Also, what happened to the tip about removing the down-arrow from the search window by adding the following code to userChrome.css?

/* Remove the drop arrow in the Search bar */
.search-proxy-button-dropmarker { display:none !important;
}

The tip is no longer there, and the code no longer works.

Those have changed because the search bar design has changed (for some reason). You can now set the flex with:

Code: Select all

#search-container {
  -moz-box-flex: 400 !important;
}

#searchbar {
  -moz-box-flex: 400 !important;
}

The Searchbar Dropmarker is now themed, AFAIK. I do not know the code to remove it, but you should be able to find out by looking at the Winstripe code.

[BOBBY SHEPHERD]

I guess I will have to wait for your instruction book to come out.I have been asking for help almost ever post on in this Forum and still have none.I finialy gave up and deleted Firefox from my computer as I was unable to get it to do anything but open your Homepage,IE6 would do that.I have the Coolsearch and About Blank virus in my computer and hoped Mozill would hel-p me with it,but I guess not.

[Jeff.Tet]

I think they are spyware/adware not viruses. Try spyware removal tools: Adaware, search and destroy or spysweeper.

[CyberSlug]

I suggest a section on how to optimize Firefox for dial-up connections:

* Recommended plugins:
- AdBlock and FlashBlock -- prevent images from downloading in the first place
- Show Image -- reload individual images without reloading the entire page

* Pipelining and similar user_pref tweaks

* How to effectively use tabbed browsing to elimiate your wait time

* Maybe mention an ad-blocking hosts file even though this is not a Mozilla setting

[Edward]

This may be a little basic, but sometimes basic things are awkward to figure out.

Options > Web Features > Allow web sites to install software, when checked, will block a software install link that leads off-site. For a good example, see

http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/windows.html#Flash

and click on Install. It's necessary to open the Properties box and get the REAL url as the one that's suggested in the dialogue box is, in this instance, wrong. In theory, I applaud the security provided by this feature, but in practice it may be a bit problematic unless better implemented.

Oh yes, and one day I will perhaps figure out why Flash won't run, even the about:plugins shows it as enabled. Again, probably something dumb I am doing, but if Firefox wants to make a real impact (and I love the fact that it is standards-compliant and want to see it became a major competitor to IE) it has to be made reasonably dumb-mistake proof.

I've gleaned many tips from the forums and FAQs since Firebird, but I have to say that sometimes the responses presuppose a level of knowledge about the program that I certainly don't possess.