15 must-have Firefox tricks

15 must-have Firefox tricks

Steven Parker on 17 January 2008 - 10:39 · 19 comments & 30905 views

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What good is a browser unless you can tweak it, hack it and bend it to your will? No good at all. The more you can hack it, the better it is.

And that means that Firefox must be a great browser. It's infinitely customizable, via editing a text file called userChrome.css, making changes via a command called about:config, and using free add-ons to extend the features of the browser.

In this article, with those techniques and others, I'll show you 15 great Firefox tricks, including how to build your own Firefox search engine, how to speed up your browsing, how to hack the interface and plenty more. So launch your favorite browser, and get ready for some great tricks.

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Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 19 additional comments

#1 noroom on 17 Jan 2008 - 11:12

Wow, I had no use for most of those tricks because there's add-ons that do the same, only better (hide menu items, hide buttons, resize the searchbar, etc). Or I already knew them (keyboard shortcuts, bookmark keywords, making your own search engine (though I do it manually)). Or are too dirty to mess with (limiting RAM usage, enabling pipelining). Or are plain silly (adding a background to the toolbar).

I was slightly disappointed.

(2 replies) #2 x9_ on 17 Jan 2008 - 12:01

*opens Opera*

#2.1 Beaux on 17 Jan 2008 - 13:14

Quote - (x9_ said @ #2)

*opens Opera*

Why wasn't it already open?

#2.2 JoeC on 17 Jan 2008 - 17:05

"What good is a browser unless you can tweak it, hack it and bend it to your will? No good at all."

I stopped reading here

#3 El Sid on 17 Jan 2008 - 12:33

Nothing I didn't already know, or have an extension for, but very useful to those that don't know the information.

#4 LipSmacker on 17 Jan 2008 - 12:48

Pipelining... isn't there a bit of controversy about that.... impatient pukes putting unnecessary load onto servers?

#5 ThePitt on 17 Jan 2008 - 14:11

del firefox. Best trick ever.

(3 replies) #6 Stup0t on 17 Jan 2008 - 14:21

I am currently using FF just to have a go at it. Is there anyway to open a new tab from a bookmark rather than having to open up a tab then open a bookmark.

Waits for the crys of "No0b"

#6.1 mprost on 17 Jan 2008 - 14:40

Quote - (Stup0t said @ #6)

I am currently using FF just to have a go at it. Is there anyway to open a new tab from a bookmark rather than having to open up a tab then open a bookmark.

install tabmixplus, it has a lot of enhancements related to tabs, including the one you mention...

Quote - (Stup0t said @ #6)

Waits for the crys of "No0b"

...noob

#6.2 Chenghow on 17 Jan 2008 - 14:47

From the menu, you can right-click on the bookmark and select "Open in New Tab". Alternatively, middle-click it.

#6.3 LipSmacker on 17 Jan 2008 - 19:07

Quote - (Chenghow said @ #6.2)

From the menu, you can right-click on the bookmark and select "Open in New Tab". Alternatively, middle-click it.

Ooooh middle-click! Thanks!

#7 Jack 0Neill on 17 Jan 2008 - 16:41

Firetune.

#8 kevinarjun on 17 Jan 2008 - 17:53

use opera...its the best...

(3 replies) #9 Xilo on 17 Jan 2008 - 19:03

Whoever uses Opera, enjoy your ad-laden websites while I sit here using Firefox with Ad-block Plus browsing the web ad-free.

#9.1 matt_hobbs05 on 17 Jan 2008 - 22:17

Pfft, enjoy your multimedia-based Internet while I sit here using Lynx via my 110 baud modem.

#9.2 Xilo on 18 Jan 2008 - 00:07

Quote - (matt_hobbs05 said @ #9.1)

Pfft, enjoy your multimedia-based Internet while I sit here using Lynx via my 110 baud modem.

Damn, wish I was as hardcore as you.

I actually use Lynx quite a bit, but a baud modem? Damn...

#9.3 shoust on 18 Jan 2008 - 11:09

You used block content? Opera's had it since 9.

Right click page > block content, click what images/flash you want to block > done.

#10 lbmouse on 17 Jan 2008 - 19:18

They forgot the most useful tweak... Adblock. Oops... computerworld.com is an ad supported site. Guess they didn't "forget" it.

#11 Jonathan Nelson on 18 Jan 2008 - 02:25

This is an old post (dec 07), good though, I had read this article when it first came out, and say that the back button, is one the best things that can be done

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15 must-have Firefox tricks

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