Mozilla Customizations

Things I do to customize Mozilla, Firefox 2.0 (or 1.5), or Thunderbird. These use about:config where available, and preferential otherwise (i.e. Thunderbird) Thunderbird now gives access to about:config through the advanced preferences pane.

Firefox 3.0

• changes in about:config

  • browser.urlbar.clickSelectsAll = false Makes the url bar act as it did in 2.0, much less anoying!

Firefox 2.0

• changes in about:config

  • same as 1.5
  • Preferences->Security->Passwords->don't Remember passwords for sites

• add bookmarklets

  • jQuerify (users jQuery 1.2.1 from klinespeaking.net)
  • increment and decrement ++, -- (from jesse at squarefree.)

• install extensions

  • see also extentions for version 1.5
  • Firebug, Firebug home page
    • YSlow extension for Firebug
  • Html Validator: Validate your sites without sending them to the W3C. (The OS X versions are on a different site.) This is great for pages with access restrictions (basic auth, logins, firewalls), pages with different versions (e.g. form submits, dynamic error pages, ajax) and other stuff that the W3C validators can't see.
  • Adblock Plus (more modern development than Adblock)
  • adblock with Filterset.G Updater
  • the new del.icio.us bookmarking extension
  • Clear Private Data button for the toolbar.
  • Web Developer Toolbar by Chris Pederick, Web Developer Toolbar home page
  • Tab Mix Plus
  • Firesomething
  • Greasemonkey

  • todo

    • tamperdata instead of live http headers
    • Platipus?

Firefox 1.5

• customize tool bars: Remove go button and home button, and use small icons. Add icons for extensions (see below) del.icio.us, clear private data, stealther.
• Turn off saved form data and passwords
• Allow cookes to be set from originating site only and keep them until end of session (make sure to check the 'unless I have removed cookies...' box)
• Open links from other applicationss in new window
• Select new tabs opened from links. (unsure whether i really like this setting)
• Ask me where to save every downloaded file
• In windows set emacs keybindings for text fields and text areas. (It is questionable whether this works or not)
• in advanced->security do not allow ssl 2.0

• changes in about:config

  • Set keyword:url to regular google search so that it works like Mozilla. value= http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&q=
  • create and set accessibility.tabfocus to 3 all form elements, or 7 links and all form elements. (7 is default on Windows.)
  • All generated windows should be fully functional.
    • dom.diable_window_move_resize = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.close = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.directories = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.location = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.menubar = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.minimizable = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.personalbar = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.resizable = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.scrollbars = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.status = true (true is default)
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.titlebar = true
    • dom.diable_window_open_feature.toolbar = true

• install extensions

  • Stealther
  • Session Saver
  • Block annoying flash animations with Flashblock. Flashblock homepage.
  • Alternatively, use adblock which will block images, flash, iframes, and more that match patterns of your choosing.
  • Or, (not preferred) adblock plus
  • Delicious Delicacies: Restore the legend. ( homepage)
  • del.icio.us menu extension. del.icio.us installation instructions
  • Clear Private Data button for the toolbar.
  • Web Developer Toolbar by Chris Pederick
  • Do you frequently interact with certificates whose domains don't match the actual site domain? (Dreamhost has this a lot with mail servers.) Remember mismatched domains with this extension. Remember Mismatched Domains
  • FireSomething: homepage, Add-ons page. Splash provides the version for firefox 1.5.
  • LiveHttpHeaders

  • to test

    • UnPlug open embedded objects as a url
    • Adblock Filterset.G Updater
    • Someone's list of favorite firefox extensions
    • FireFoxMenuButtons

• additional Search Engine plugins

  • Wikipedia
  • IMDb
  • Weather Channel aka weather.com

Thunderbird

• forward message as inline
• use SSL secure connection and setup configuration to avoid warning when checking secure email
• do NOT compse messages in HTML format
• start reply above quoted message
• Install one of the follwing extensions: preferential or AboutConfig (This is probably not necessary.)
• set mailnew.mark_message_read.delay to true (Not needed, see next.)
• mailnews.mark_message_read.delay to something like 10 (There is actually an UI element to do this.)
• Set up custom e-mail headers e.g. Approved: by setting user_pref("mail.compose.other.header", "Comma, Seperated, List, Of, Headers");. They will appear in the To:, CC: drop down list.

• extensions

  • Freeform From and FCC on Compose allows me to choose any return address I want to send from.
  • View Headers Toggle Button and header scroll extension
  • remember mismatched domains (same as firefox)
  • synckolab to sync address book between multiple computers or copies of thunderbird

Mozilla

• Make all popup windows fully functional by setting dom.disable_* to true. except dom.disable_image_src_set?, dom.disable_window_flip(set to true), dom.disable_window_open_feature.directories
• Stop reusing active windows: user_pref("advanced.system.supportDDEExec", false);

Back to main | This has been a josh1ofX/kdumb production.