Fun With Firefox

Not only does the new 0.9 version of Firefox rock the house, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Mozilla's proud to have slimmed down the new download size to only 4.7 mb for Windows, but the truth is, this uncomplicated browser can be as fancy as your little heart desires.

The secret? Firefox extensions. With Firefox 0.9's new Extension Manager (Tools>Extensions), it's never been easier to keep track of your customizations. Plus, you won't pay a cent for any of them!!

Here are some of my faves:

1. IE View- adds an option to context menu to view in IE if something looks funky in FF
2. Googlebar- Like IE's Google Toolbar, but better
3. Adblock- Tired of ads on your favorite sites? Kill 'em with this tool. Slightly buggy on 0.9, but still worth it.

Want even more helpful extensions? Visit Texturizer.net's page for almost 200 fun ones. Keep in mind that some extensions may have been created before FF 0.9, so note the release date and any accompanying documentation before proceeding.

Also worth mentioning: After each extension install, you'll need to close all open FF windows and relaunch the browser to enable the extension. At one point I installed about 5 cool extensions before restarting my browser, and ended up being unable to launch FF because it was eternally "finishing installing extensions." After some cursing and a couple system restarts, I ended up having to launch FF in safe mode (Start>Programs>Mozilla Firefox>Safe Mode) and uninstalling all my extensions to get past the freeze-up and start over. Keep it simple and add 'em one by one, with a FF restart each time, to prevent such chaos for yourself.

Now that I'm totally converted to the Mozilla side, I'm obsessed with Firefox extensions. Please share your favorites in the comments section below... the more we all know, the more power we have.

:)
sarah

Comments

[Brian]

I've been with Mozilla since back in the days when Firefox was called Firebird. Ah, yes, it feels good to know that I don't have to rely on IE. ('cept for windows updates, i guess, lol)

[Steve Sizemore]

IE View 0.7 allows you to quickly switch back to IE from inside of Firefox. This is great for the few pages that do not render correctly in firefox.

[Jen]

Ahh, this is a great list! Thank you so much Sarah! I love the Calendar! That's was the only thing missing with their mozilla mail program.

[Dave]

I have to say that one of my favorite things about Firefox is the search box at the top right where you can multiple search engines. I have Google, Google Images, Google News, Yahoo, Amazon, Ebay, A9, IMDB, Suprnova.

They are lots to choose from, and they are very easy to add!

[Dave]

I forget to say, to add them you can just use the drop down arrow in the search box, and choose Add Engines or you can go to mycroft.mozdev.org

[mabz]

This isn't really an extension, but I found it to be really helpful. Check out your "Bookmarks" menu and go to "Quick Searches" and click on the bookmark entitled "Using Firefox Quick Searches." Likewise, I found that you can add attach your own most-used bookmarks directly to the toolbar for even easier access.

[MikeH]

I need to upgrade firefox on my linux box.

[Greg]

Single Bestest Firefox Extension: Sage, which adds a dandy fine RSS/Atom reader to Firefox (you can find it at sage.mozdev.org...).

[Adam]

ok i'm using FF right now but, my site and other site i visit have music on them and FF doesn't seem to play it. i was wondering if there was a plug-in or maybe the IE veiwer might be able to fix it for me. u was hoping maybe you could say somthing on tomorrow's show if you have time. i'll check back here and see if somone can help me.

[Matt H]

Here's a cleaner way to fix that 'installing extensions' freeze bug that'll preserve all your existing extensions/themes/etc:

1) In the extensions directory for your profile (usually c:\documents and settings\username\application data\mozilla\firefox\profiles\default.xxx\extensions), find the 'extensions.rdf' file and open it with your favorite text editor (*note: wordpad works better than the standard windows notepad, due to the file's character encoding).

2) Find each line in the file that reads:

em:toBeInstalled="true"

and change "true" to "false".

3) Save the file, and start up Firefox again (it should work this time).

4) Go to the extensions manager, uninstall the problematic extensions (they're the ones that only list the extension's name, no detail info underneath), and re-install them one at a time, restarting the browser in between each one.

[Matt H]

Oh yeah - and here are my favorite can't-live-without-em firefox extensions :) -

- Adblock (natcherly)- Configuration Mania (gives easy access to a bunch of fun hidden Firefox preferences that you would normally have to edit configuration files to change)- Single Window (makes any link that would normally open in a new window open in a new tab instead, unless launched by a javascript command)- MiniT (lets you change the order of tabs via drag & drop)- TabX (puts an 'X' icon on each individual tab to close it, instead of just the one *waay* at the end of the tab row)- Undoclosetab (self-explanatory - very handy if you accidentally close a tab and have no idea what the URL for the page was or how you got to it before)

MiniT, TabX and Configuration Mania aren't on the official list yet, but are at the texturizer.net site and work perfectly w/ 0.9. Undoclosetab is on the official list, but as of this post the version there is an old one (20040529) and doesn't install correctly on 0.9, I'd recommend getting the newer version (20040615) at the texturizer.net site instead.

[Alex]

I'm a big fan of the DictionarySearch extension. It allows you to look up words very quickly in a new tab by right-clicking on them.

[Bill]

I have Thus far installed in .9

Chatzilla 0.9.64aPopupcount 0.2.5Download Manager Tweak 0.4.3Adblock .5

And the Dom inspector that came with it.

I also have

Newegg searchAstalavista SearchAmazon DVD SearchAmazone Book Search.

[Stephen]

But what we really need is an equivalent to IESpell

[DaveC]

The Synchronize Bookmarks is a MUST HAVE for people that use FF in more than one spot (Home and Work in my case).

[Jon]

There's also an extension (not sure of the exact name) that adds functionality in to right click and save images to your clipboard. I did this all the time in IE and I was glad to see you could now do it in Firefox.

[Eric]

Love these extensions. So far, using MiniTab, GoogleBar, undoclosetab, TabX, and Configuration Mania. Heading back to texturizer to find more.

How did I ever use IE?

[John Major]

I just upgraded to the new version of firefox on both my Fedora Core 2 and Windows XP computers. I must say that it is my favorite brower by far, there are so many great plugins, options and themes that it can be made to suit anyones needs. I love how it works exactly the same on both platforms and the extensions also function on both.

[MikeH]

I hope fedora.us has a firefox binary so I can upgrade it through apt-get.

[Rick James Biotch!]

Wanna hear something odd? I uninstalled the previous ver of FF and installed the new one. Now I don't see anywhere to install extensions or themes. Nothing in Options ...

Thank god for IE ;)

[Bill Davidson]

Many extensions from 0.7 and 0.8 are broken by 0.9 and no 0.9 compatible version exists. Notably Calendar, Live HTTP Headers and Autoform. I use these often so I had to back out 0.9 and reinstall 0.8.

Check out this list for 0.9 compatible extensions:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=79512

[Mike da Man]

Avant browser is the best

[Trevelyan]

I guess no ones used Avant, an add on for IE, because it wrecks firefox in every way you can think of.

[Spike]

I can't seem to get the IE View to work. When ever I go to the link you gave on your front page, and I click the install now link, it ends up coming with a blank white page. All the other people above seemed to get it. Do you know what is going on? Thanks!

-Spike

[Stuart Urbahns]

FIREFOX IS AWESOME :) I really enjoy using it over IE. Firefox is the next best thing to the internet as WinAMP was to MP3s.

Thank you SARAH for the tips! Great article

[O. C. Henshawi]

If you are going to use Firefox, might as well get the most out of it. I stronlgy suggest you take a look at MOOX builds. This developer makes builds that are optimized for specific CPU architectures to gain the maximum performance possible from them. Additionally, MOOX adds in patches to the source to make the builds even more stable than the official nightlies. Check MOOX's builds out here: http://moox.ws/tech/mozilla

[Adam]

Firefox's new theme is blah. 5 buttons and a url bar? It is boring.

[roth377]

I'm suprised no one's mentioned "tabbrowser extension". To me, that's the only extension that should actually be built INTO Firefox (I feel it's that vital). It gives you a MUCH better "tabbed browsing" experience.

Also, I have adblock,sort bookmarks (yea!), and you should REALLY try the IJunior Candy Theme.

Yeah, there's a few weird quirks with FireFox, but it seems to be much improved over .8 . I normally used MyIE2, but this may be my new fav.

My 2 cents

[Light & Dark]

There is, in fact, a spellchecker extension for FireFox, but it's not adapted for 0.9 yet.

Unfortunately, neither is my absolute favourite extension: EditCSS. This puppy, when invoked by either a right click context menu or keyboard shortcut, opens a sidebar which contains the CSS for the site you are looking at. You can then make changes to the CSS and see it reflected immediately in the display of the page.

Great for learning about CSS, and if you're designing your own page, you have a live preview of all your changes in real time. When you're satisfied with the result, you simply copy and paste from the sidebar into a text file, and upload that as your site's style sheet.

There's also an automatic bookmark backup extension that comes in very handy if FireFox accidentally fouls up your bookmark file, as I have had several of the previous versions do on occasion.

Paul

[Matt]

Anyone know what the extension was so you could get user/passes for like nytimes, etc..?

[Digiital]

BugMeNot For the NYTimes and othershttp://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/#bugmenot

[phoenix]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love FireSomething!http://www.cosmicat.com/extensions/firesomething/

It takes the word "FireFox" in all of your browser windows and changes them to other word combinations based on a list of words in the extension. You can even add your own and customize it yourself! Right now I'm surfing on "Mozilla SuperSpider." My favorite was "Mozilla LightningPony."

It was made because the dev team keeps changing the freekin name. ;) Regardless, Firefox really is the holy grail of browsers-I haven't tried another one yet that can hold a candle to it.

[Sandy]

Warning: The Launchy extension is buggy. Do not install it. If you do, you will have to do as Sarah advised. Launch Firefox-SafeMode and remove Launchy. Then restart Firefox. Thanks for the tip Sarah, I would have a real problem if I hadn't stopped here first.

[Zach]

Firesomething is the best extension that's out there. why go to the new G4TechTV website to get a laugh when all you need to do is look at the title bar. download it and throw in your favorite nonsense words and you'll come up with the strangest and the funniest (my fav is Mozilla Thundergecko) names out there. too cool.

right now i'm surfing on this cool new browser called This Friggin Starbunny. tic.

[Tyndale]

I still prefer Opera to all other browsers, but that is only me speaking about what I need, want and use in a browser. To each one's own.

[Joe]

Hi!

I downloaded Firefox and Thunderbird on your recommendations and I have to say I can't be more pleased--THANK YOU! The only time I run IE now is for Windows Update.

I've been downloading extensions slowly--right now I'm running Adblock and Deepest Sender and love both of them.

Open source is definitely the way to go!

Thanks again!

[Troy]

User Agent Switcher:

Another great extension to complete your Firefox experience is User Agent Switcher by Chris Pederick. The User Agent Switcher extension for Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla adds a menu to switch the user agent of the browser.

This will allow you to enter all of those pesky web sites that require you to use Internet Explorer to enter.

[MikeH]

I hope these extensions work with linux.

[JD]

I'm having trouble installing it. I can get them in my extensions list. After that I rstarted Firefox, even my computer and they won't install, all I can say is, WTF?!

[Mark J. Nelson]

Hi, i like the bugmenot feature a lot. one problem, i cant right click. that includes right clicking on pictures to copy or save. even text. i can only right click on the tool bar or in text boxes but not on the actual page. can you please send me an email and help me out? (anyone?)

[AdamStac]

[QUOTE]I've been with Mozilla since back in the days when Firefox was called Firebird. Ah, yes, it feels good to know that I don't have to rely on IE. ('cept for windows updates, i guess, lol)[QUOTE]

Yes I feel the same way! I love FF, and HATE IE, and only use it for updates to XP. I heard about it from TSS. My first post here Sarah, thanks for the great blog to read!

[Erik]

anyone find a spell checker for Firefox .9?? One that works like IE Spell??

[Dave]

Check out Tab Browser Extensions - http://white.sakura.ne.jp/~piro/

Probably the best extension for Firefox hands down.

All-In-One-Gestures is also really cool - in that you can move your mouse around and create different functions - for example, left dragging with the right button held down will go back a page... dragging right will go forward.. and you can customize everything.. VERY cool.

[dallas]

Hey Matt H. Thank you very much for your advice on the extensions. I got extension happy and downloaded all at onece. Firefox then encountered an error everytime I tryed to use it, so basically it was froze up, with your advice I can now use my Favorite Browser again. Check out Matt H. tips on the extension bug works like a charm.

[Lantz Robinson]

i saw on screen savers that sarah went to a place were you had to input a username and pass word and she did somthing were she had fire fox generate a user name and pass word...can anyone tell me how to do this???

[A Visitor]

I had the same problem with extensions: adding too many at one time gives a perpetual "finishing installation." You add them one-by-one as you suggested, but I just couldn't be bothered to do that almost 20 times just to get the functionality that's already built into my beloved Opera (and at only 3.4 mb) ;)

[Panda]

Dude, I'm totally loving Firefox already!! XD It keeps saying that the 'Operation has timed out' when I try to get to texturizer's extension page :( Oh well, I will defeat that.

Happy Surfing, yo' ;)

[Kingtut]

I have been using Mozilla 1.6 for a few months & it is great, just upgraded to 1.7. Is FireFox part of the Mozilla Suite or can I install FireFox on top of Mozilla?

[Joe]

With Firefox .09 as the default I can't use OE email shortcuts (ie: click on url link in email)Once I make IE the default browser shortcuts work again. Anyone else have this issue?

[Steve Sizemore]

Single Window 1.0