Extending Firefox


Firefox is an excellent browser on many counts, but one of its coolest features is its capacity for adding features and capabilities through a system of extensions. Extensions are program enhancements that can dramatically change how you work with your browser. This framework of extensions makes Firefox not just a great browser, but a superior browser.

To experience Firefox extensions, click Tools on the menu bar and select Extensions. A window appears with a list of the extensions already in your system. On a fresh install, there is usually nothing here other than the language pack. Along the bottom of this window is a button labeled Find Updates (see Figure 10-9). This feature keeps the extensions you use up-to-date. Next to it is a Get More Extensions link, which is where we begin our journey.

Figure 10-9. The Firefox extensions window not only gives you access to installed extensions, but provides a link to many others.


When you click that link, a new browser opens to the Firefox Add-ons site. You can also visit the site directly, without going through the extension dialog, by visiting https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox. The Extensions tab is selected with some of the latest and most popular extensions front and center. You can also search based on categories from blogging to humor, navigation, search tools, news reading, and more. Some are extremely useful and designed to make your browsing more efficient. Some are just plain silly. Each extension has a description and a link to install it. If this is your first visit, click the We Recommend button for some great suggestions.

Let me show you an example by installing a totally silly extension, Anthony Howe's Bork Bork Bork!, an extension that makes your Web pages look as though they were written by The Muppet Show's Swedish Chef. After I click the Install link on the extension's description page, a window appears asking for confirmation before installing the extension (see Figure 10-10). There's also a warning about installing malicious software. To continue, click the Install Now button.

Figure 10-10. Installing your extension is just a click away.


That's it. You must restart Firefox to have the new extensions loaded. Now, when I surf to a site, I can right-click the page and select View Bork Text from the menu and in a few seconds, my page is translated into something only the Swedish Chef could understand (see Figure 10-11).

Figure 10-11. Close-up of my Web site with Borked text.


My silly example aside, there are some must-have extensions. Some of the more popular extensions include AdBlock, BugMeNot, ForecastFox, and FoxyTunes. Browse the Firefox extensions page, try a few, and come up with your own favorites. Of course, not all extensions are on the Firefox site. One of my personal favorites is Tab Preview, from Ted's Mozilla Page (see the Resources section). This handy little extension provides a thumbnail view of your tabbed pages when you pause your mouse cursor over the tab.

Firefox extensions are hugely popular and numerous programmers have contributed their own. Several sites have also appeared to review and discuss the latest extensions. Enter favorite Firefox extensions in your Google search bar and enjoy.

Figure 10-12. Tab Preview provides a handy thumbnail view of your tabbed pages.





Moving to Ubuntu Linux
Moving to Ubuntu Linux
ISBN: 032142722X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 201

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