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Category: Firefox

Firefox 4 Reload/Stop Buttons

Posted in Firefox by Adam
Posted on

Just noticed a gotcha in the new version of Firefox. The new Firefox integrates the Reload and Stop buttons into the URL bar, which looks nice and saves some space. That is, unless you move them.

Just noticed a gotcha in the new version of Firefox.  The new Firefox integrates the Reload and Stop buttons into the URL bar, which looks nice and saves some space.  That is, unless you move them.

If you Customize… your toolbars, and in doing so you move the Reload and Stop from directly after the URL bar, they will appear as normal toolbar buttons.

I believe this is because they wanted to allow users to revert to the old style without having a separate set of widgets or allowing customization of the URL bar.

To reiterate, if your reload and stop buttons aren’t part of the URL bar and you want them to be, then move them directly after the URL bar in the Customize… dialog.

Ready for Iceweasel 4?

Posted in Firefox by Adam
Posted on

Tomorrow Firefox 4 will be unleashed on an unsuspecting public, and the web will be even more awesome. Here’s my take on upgrading to the Debian equivalent, Iceweasel.

I updated to Iceweasel 4 today which is in the Debian experimental repository.  The update process was as smooth as can be expected.  A few extensions didn’t update, which required looking into why and finding alternatives.

  1. All-in-One Gestures, which I used for the scrollwheel on tabs behavior, wasn’t updated. I opted for Tab Wheel Scroll, which doesn’t have all the extra features I never used.  The author’s description even leads with, “do one thing and do it well,” so I probably should have switched to it earlier.
  2. Firebug needed updating; no big deal.
  3. CS Lite‘s author has apparently stopped updating, which is a shame. For now I’m using Cookie Monster, which is very similar to CS Lite, but I liked the former’s icon.  The latter also currently doesn’t allow repositioning its statusbar button.

I’d like to not show my Add-on bar in Iceweasel 4, since part of the redesign is to get rid of some of the extra chrome.  But for now I’m stuck with it:

  1. As mentioned, Cookie Monster won’t let you move its button.
  2. Same goes for Greasemonkey.
  3. Firebug puts one there, too, but it also allows you to have a regular toolbar button.

So, until Greasemonkey and a good Cookie tool let me move their buttons, I’ll have to see the Add-on bar.

Finally, it appears (see bugs.debian.org: 616353) that the current nVidia driver screws with Iceweasel’s rendering in several places.  So far, that’s only been an annoyance.  I can’t tell which tab is current, and I’ve seen some other rendering glitches too:

  1. The site identity is munged.
  2. I saw an advertisement stick on the screen regardless of which tab I viewed; it persisted after closing the tab that contained it, and even after I restarted the browser.  Lame.

Hopefully a new driver will be available soon, but until then I shall roll with the punches.

The good news:

  1. The browser is faster
  2. It’s prettier even if I’m still in a half-state waiting to turn on all the goodies (no bottom bar; using the one-button menu; the flawless rendering it should have).
  3. Panorama will make workflows easier to manage.
  4. It lays the groundwork for the best that’s yet to come.

Mozilla rocks, and so does glandium for the hard work he’s done in packaging their work for Debian.  And so does Debian for their hard work.  Hell, even the nVidia guys that introduced this annoying rendering bug deserve a pat on the back.

Tomorrow Firefox 4 will be unleashed on an unsuspecting public, and the web will be even more awesome.

Welcome to… Firefox 6?!

Posted in Firefox by Adam
Posted on

Firefox 4 will come out next week, but Mozilla is looking forward to several more releases this year. A lot of people are whining about browser version number hyperinflation, but that’s not what this is about. It’s about a better browser.

There’s a new Firefox development process (PMO: Mozilla Firefox Development Process (draft)).  Firefox 4 will come out next week, but Mozilla is looking forward to several more releases this year.  A lot of people are whining about browser version number hyperinflation, but that’s not what this is about.  It’s about a better browser.

The reasons for the change are several:

Web Growth

The web is growing as fast as ever.  New technologies are rolling out, and the landscape keeps changing.  This calls for more active browser development than before.  It’s not just about enhancing the workflow you’re used to, but about making the browser fit with the changes to your browsing habits as the web changes.

Better UX

More releases means more refinement in existing browser design and in new design.  As GNOME and Ubuntu prepare to release reimagined desktops, one of the big results is going to be the fallout from the shock of major changes.  Users adjust better to gradual changes in their software, as it moderates the learning curve and increases their ability to have moments of discovery.

Improved Consistency

One of the major issues with long release cycles is that some features just aren’t ready in time, but the organization is so invested that it wants to hold the release for them.  Other features aren’t ready, but they just gather dust for a year or two.  Faster releases means more features, because there’s less pressure to get that one big feature that isn’t ready.

Happy Developers

One of the best arguments for faster releases is that community contributors are happier.  The patch they just landed can actually see daylight in a reasonable timeframe.  That means they get more reinforcement from contributing and will do so more often.

Less Work

And the final reason to push for tighter loops is that it’s less work per loop.  It’s the difference between driving under an overpass and through a tunnel.  When you enter a tunnel it feels like time has stopped.  You’re just seeing the same thing over and over.  There’s no feedback.  It can even cause a feeling of despair and remorse for having ever entered the damn thing.  Will it ever end?  This tunnel… it’s eating my soul.  When you have a shorter tunnel, you can see daylight before you’re even halfway in.  It feels good.

I’m very glad to see this change in Mozilla.  It has every sign of making their browser much better, and the whole web will benefit.