Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

[mouser]

btw, anyone who tries firefox to see if they want to keep using it, should not even start to try it until they install Tab Mix Plus.

To me, this 1 extension is the make or break feature of firefox to me.  It turns a browser with poor tab support to one with amazing tab support.  (note: there are a couple other tab extensions for firefox, they may be equally good for all i know, but you NEED one of these otherwise ff sucks, imho).

So if you are a tabbed-browser fan, and have been dissapointed with plain firefox, you need to try tab mix plus, it's just packed with cool options.

[dk70]

housetier, try Multisubmit http://www.onlies.ne...ultisubmit/index.php Not fully automated but pretty cool. If you want to sync those 2 services may be you should look elsewhere

Blummy might have something for you as well http://www.blummy.com/ 100s of bookmarklets already, 1 does Furl/Del.icio.us but probably just 2 popup windows. You can modify code, make your own.

Well Firefox 2.0 has undo tab and session saving, overall better with tabs so less need for Tab Mix. Still FF wont open new tabs right next to current put throw them way back - hopeless. So Tab Control is needed http://firefox-exten...tius.com/tab+control Also "power users" will need at least 2 lines of tabs, scrolling back and forth with arrows or moving tabs to get organized is no option with perhaps 20-30 open tabs. FF 2 has been much encouraged by Tab Mix and similar tools but still they leave out important features. I think they are worried to get that Opera look (initial overkill) - think more about grandma than power user who will know how to fix problem with extension/tweaks anyway. May be...

Tab Mix Plus is almost a must on 1.5.0.x that is true. Without any tuning and having 10-20+ tabs open it is close to annoying.

Tab Mix is called Mix because it originally was answer to the installation puzzle users had to make. There were 5-10 different Tab related extensions, sometimes conflicting etc. So someone decided to melt them together and there was Tab Mix. Guy got bombed with suggestions and kind of ran out of fuel. Others took over and there was Tab Mix Plus - current team. They have added own code and still do but some of the old smaller extensions are still alive. Tab Browser Extension has always been the original http://piro.sakura.n...nsions/index.html.en Like Tab Mix Plux x5. Huge and sometimes buggy. Shows just how much can be done with Firefox. He have done that since long, goes back to 2002! That guy got to be number 1 extension coder, his other tools are also special and ahead of time. At some point Mozilla even warned against TBE, not any more I think but it really takes over Tabs from Firefox.

About Fasterfox you better disable the prefetching. Not good for all servers. He has been flamed for that many times but says any server adm. can disable prefetching. Hmm, may be best if he did. Im not sure it is enabled by default. Best to use own preset not his or at least not the most aggressive. Very good tool for this tweaking stuff though. Can restore FF defaults 100% so pretty much foolproof.

[mouser]

thanks dk70.

so do you recomment that i unload fasterfox?
i think i used tab browser extensions before and loved it, and i dont know which is better, tmp or tbe.. do you have a preference?

[dk70]

No no, but disable "Enhanced Prefetching" If you also diasale Page Load Timer there is not much reason to use it since these are the only original features. I have same settings but as entries in user.js = manual tweaking. Then you have to find settings, be sure they are correct etc. And if you delete user.js they are still active because in prefs.js - all this Fasterfox take care of. Should you uninstall then first chose Default preset, restart Firefox - then uninstall extension.

Well TBE is overkill for most but amazing. Practically all other tab extensions are inspired by it. Some say the same of TMP so... Too much of a good thing perhaps. "This extension strongly unrecommended. Tab Mix is recommended instead of this, because it is stable, light, and it covers most useful features of this." and "Virtually, now no one can update TBE codes, excluding me. Its codes are like as entwined spaghetti. Many unknown bugs are maybe there, many known problems (with unknown reasons) too." his own words, heh. He dont skip features thats for sure but not as bad as he says. An example could be sessionsaving. TMP can will not save content in forms or textareas like this Im writing in right now. TBE does that which makes it 10 times more complicated. TMP authors and the guy behind sessionsaving in FF 2.0 say so. Content is saved over and over. File monitor will show. TMP and 99 out of 100 users are happy with 99% restoration hit rate, TBE goes for 100.

Make a new clean profile if you want to test current TBE. "Current" might be a problem, I see latest is from March - may be he is preparing for FF 2.0. Usually it is updated much more often. Real use for this is probably for Seamonkey users, they can get modernized and dont have to envy Firefox. There is also Multizilla or something.

Think I mentioned TBE because the guy never really gets mentioned and obviously has been ahead of extension game for years https://addons.mozil...firefox/9480/author/ Possible those inspired by him have made "better" extensions.

[rkrause]

Zotero is an amazing new bibliographic reference manager. Calling it an "extension" doesn't do it justice. It behaves like a full-fledged application within Firefox. If you're a student, academician, researcher or writer, you really should check this out. If you've been saving for Endnote or RefWorks, you can probably spend that money on something else.

From the web site at http://www.zotero.org/
"Zotero is a free, easy-to-use research tool that helps you gather and organize resources (whether bibliography or the full text of articles), and then lets you to annotate, organize, and share the results of your research. It includes the best parts of older reference manager software (like EndNote)—the ability to store full reference information in author, title, and publication fields and to export that as formatted references—and the best parts of modern software such as del.icio.us or iTunes, like the ability to sort, tag, and search in advanced ways. Using its unique ability to sense when you are viewing a book, article, or other resource on the web, Zotero will—on many major research sites—find and automatically save the full reference information for you in the correct fields."

Note that Zotero requires Firefox 2.0.

Rick

[sri]

rkrause: Zotero sounds like the excellent ScrapBook extension. Did you get a chance to use it and see which is better?

[rkrause]

sri,
 
Zotero goes beyond Scrapbook, Google Notebook, and similar add-ons by allowing the user to capture, add, edit, import, and export (in APA, MLA, or Chicago styles) detailed bibliographic information for web sites, books, journal articles, etc.  In addition to adding your own notes (which you can do with ScrapBook and Google Notebook), Zotero also allows you to add attachments, descriptive tags, and links to related items.

It's a new beta release, so there are some bugs, but it sure looks like it's going to be a valuable tool with capabilities that go well beyond extensions that merely allow you to collect snippets and make notes.

Rick

[tinjaw]

PTTL

-housetier (September 10, 2006, 10:09 PM)

Ah! I've been meaning to write that extension for months! Thanks for helping me avoid the reinvention of the wheel.

[Dr-Leech]

My actual extensions:

-SessionSaver .2
-Resize Search Box
-del.icio.us
-FireBug
-keyconfig
-EditCSS
-UrlParams
-Greasemonkey
-gTransalate
-IETab
-ImageZoom
-Google Notebook
-X-Ray
-Uppity
-LoremIpsum Content Generator
-PDFDownload
-Layout Grid
-Next Please!
-Firefox Extension Backup Extension (FEBE)
-BugMeNot
-Update Notifier
-AdBlock Plus
-Deepest Sender
-ErrorZilla

[Mark0]

One I like very much is Aardvark Firefox extension. It's very nice to check the structure of any interesting page.

Bye!

[lanux128]

further to my post here, i would like to add Autocomplete Manager to the list. it's still in development but has lots of potential..

[Lashiec]

So if you are a tabbed-browser fan, and have been disappointed with plain Firefox, you need to try Tab Mix Plus, it's just packed with cool options.

-mouser (September 24, 2006, 11:55 AM)

I think that in two weeks, Tab Mix Plus will be a thing of the past as most of its functions are now built into Firefox 2. I've never been a great fan of this extension anyway. My favourite one (considering that I use Firefox offline, yes, I know, it's pitiful ) is Launchy, which provides a new context menu to launch different programs installed on your computer. It includes a predefined set of programs (good set by the way) and you can "instruct" the extension to some more via a XML file. This way you can rid of a lot of extensions, like IEView, IETab (embedding IE engine in a Firefox tab? Brrr!) or Image Zoom, since you can launch Internet Explorer or your favourite image viewer whenever you need to.

Oh, and it doesn't have anything to do with the Find & Run Robot rival program of the same name

[dk70]

Autocomplete is nice idea but not much development and very slow. Not for you? I would use it if not for speed problem. Myurlbar https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1722/ is lightning fast in comparison. I have removed drop down button at urlbar so cant even check but Myurl bar probably take out that feature, no drop down list. Can live with that.

Sadly they have not learned that much from Tab Mix Plus - is still needed. But now you might be able to replace it with 2-3 smaller extensions. What I do. Not so many use all features in TMP. Extensions about tabs can be terrible if not bugfree so nice for FF there is TMP, ultimate ease of use and actively developed/supported. I might still go for it but have what I need for now.

A few new ones not mentioned (I think):

Download Sort
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/25/

Toggle Search
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2552/

SwiftTabs
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/380/

Tab to Window
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2062/

GooglePedia
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2517/

[urlwolf]

Here is my list:
Enabled Extensions: [18]
- AI Roboform Toolbar for Firefox 6.9.0
- BetterSearch 1.18
- Blog This in Windows Live Writer 1.0.1
- BugMeNot 1.3
- del.icio.us Bookmarks 1.4.27
- DOM Inspector 1.8.1.2
- Fasterfox 2.0.0
- FaviconizeTab 0.9.7.2
- Firebug 1.01
- FlashGot 0.5.98.070302
- Greasemonkey 0.6.7.20070131.0
- keyconfig 20060828
- LinkedIn Companion for Firefox 3.0.0
- MR Tech Local Install 5.3.2.3
- NextPlease 0.6.6
- OpenSearchFox 0.0.0.8
- Tab Mix Plus 0.3.5.2
- Zotero 1.0.0b3.r1

Installed Themes: [1]
- Firefox (default)

[dhuser]

The extensions I use:
- Adblock Plus
- Adblock Filterset.G Updater
- Codetch (designing web pages in Firefox)
- FireFTP (FTP program in Firefox)
- IE Tab
- McAfee Site Advisor
- Palette Grabber (creates a palette based upon the colors in a web site)
- Sothink SWF Catcher
- Stumble Upon Toolbar
- Web Developer Toolbar
- WOT (site ratings)

[Ruffnekk]

My favourite and most useful is StumbleUpon 3.03, and I also use GreaseMonkey, FasterFox, Web Developer, VideoDownloader, UserAgentSwitcher, RefControl, ImageZoom, Download Embedded, DOM Inspector and of course AdBlock Plus.

[Curt]

anyone not using tab mix pro should see a psychologist immediately. 

-mouser (June 19, 2006, 04:53 PM)

TabMixPlus is heavely overrated    I never had the use of it.

My five cents, or kroner and ører (= forgive me that some descriptions are in Danish):

Applikation: Firefox 2.0.0.2 (2007021917)
Operativsystem: WINNT (x86-msvc)

Totalt antal elementer: 46

- Add to Search Bar 1.5.1
   add-to-searchbox at maltekraus.de
   http://maltekraus.de...Firefox/search-tools
   Add any search on any page to the Search Bar.

- All Customized Links 1.3
   {E2C5E80C-79B5-485a-A493-3E87E28823A5}
   http://www.vietnewsonline.com/phonglu/
   Quickly navigate to customized URLs through right-click menu

- Auto Close Download Dialog 0.1
   {0f54818a-a127-4716-9129-781461b0b3ef}
   http://scholten.arno...googlepages.com/acdd
   Closes download dialog when it is not needed

- Colorful Tabs 1.9
   {0545b830-f0aa-4d7e-8820-50a4629a56fe}
   http://varun21.googlepages.com/main.html
   Colorful Tabs colors every tab in a different color and makes them easy to distinguish while beautifying the overall appeal of the interface.

- Context Search 0.4.1
   {902D2C4A-457A-4EF9-AD43-7014562929FF}
   http://www.cusser.net
   Expands the context menu's 'Search for' item into a list of search engines.

- Converter 0.6.1
   {8B72860F-C5F8-4286-865E-D2C2DB98A9E6}
   http://converter.mozdev.org/
   Adds converter to the browser context menu.

- CustomizeGoogle 0.55
   {fce36c1e-58d8-498a-b2a5-66ad1cedebbb}
   http://www.customizegoogle.com/
   Enhance Google search results and remove ads and spam.

- CuteMenus - Crystal SVG 1.8.2.1
   {63df8e21-711c-4074-a257-b065cadc28d8}
   http://www.cutemenuproject.com/
   Tilføjer ikoner i alle menuer.

- Dansk ordbog - Danish Dictionary 1.4.58
   danish at dictionaries.addons.mozilla.org

- DOM Inspector 1.8.1.2
   inspector at mozilla.org
   http://www.mozilla.o.../projects/inspector/
   Inspects the structure and properties of a window and its contents.

- Download Statusbar 0.9.4.5.1
   {D4DD63FA-01E4-46a7-B6B1-EDAB7D6AD389}
   http://downloadstatusbar.mozdev.org/
   View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar

- DownloadHelper 2.0
   {b9db16a4-6edc-47ec-a1f4-b86292ed211d}
   http://www.downloadhelper.net
   Download videos and images from many sites

- ErrorZilla Mod 0.2
   ErrorZillaMod at jaybaldwin
   http://www.jaybaldwi....com/News.aspx?id=51
   Implements a useful error page when a website cannot be reached.

- EverNote Web Clipper 1.0.0.74
   {A5ABA0BB-F195-40d8-A5E9-0801153E6597}
   http://www.evernote.com/
   Provides a button and context menus to easily add a selection or an entire page to EverNote as a saved note

- Extended Copy Menu 1.3
   {2E18002D-DF43-4c65-9FDA-40D02F066D9E}
   http://www.ryanscook.com
   Provides the option to copy selection as plain text or html.

- Extension List Dumper 1.8.0
   extensionlistdumper at sogame.cat
   http://sogame.awardspace.com/
   Dumper en liste over alle installerede udvidelser.

- Extension Manager Extended 2.6
   Extended at spanglerco.com
   http://extended.spanglerco.com/
   Use the extension manager to view the id and the folder of an extension.

- Fasterfox 2.0.0
   {c36177c0-224a-11da-8cd6-0800200c9a66}
   http://fasterfox.mozdev.org/
   Performance and network tweaks for Firefox.

- FavLoc 1.1
   {472f4ef0-a825-11da-a746-0800200c9a66}
   http://favloc.fligtar.com
   Nemt download til ofte brugte steder.

- FirefoxView 0.31.2
   {5D558C43-550F-4b12-84AB-0D8ABDA9F975}
   http://www.iosart.co...firefox/firefoxview/
   View pages and links loaded into IE in Firefox

- Highlander 0.1
   highlander at einaregilsson.com
   http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/4086/
   There can be only one...    ...tab for each url.

- HighlightAll 1.2
   {26FD1F83-A45B-4c74-AF5A-F2EE0EE4D691}
   http://goudey70.free.fr/highlightall/
   Highlights all occurrences of the selected text

- IE View 1.3.2
   {6e84150a-d526-41f1-a480-a67d3fed910d}
   http://ieview.mozdev.org/
   Åbner sider i IE via Firefox-menuer

- IE View Lite 1.3
   {FDD8ECF0-451A-414D-8C8F-7B7F78B0ECD3}
   http://www.graysonmixon.com/extension/
   Cut down version of IE View by Paul Roub.

- Image Toolbar 0.6.4
   {A4732521-77D9-447E-A557-B279AC923F06}
   http://www.cusser.net
   Provides easy access to common image functions.

- Linkification 1.3.3
   {35106bca-6c78-48c7-ac28-56df30b51d2a}
   http://yellow5.us/firefox/linkification/
   Konverterer tekstlinks til ægte, klikbare links.

- Menu Editor 1.2.3
   {EDA7B1D7-F793-4e03-B074-E6F303317FB0}
   http://menueditor.mozdev.org/
   Customize application menus

- MouseZoom 0.3.4
   {28FAD68E-4001-48d5-B994-68069F7CFB1D}
   Zoom with the mouse.

- MR Tech Local Install 5.3.2.3
   {9669CC8F-B388-42FE-86F4-CB5E7F5A8BDC}
   http://www.mrtech.co...sions/local_install/
   Lokalt installerede powertools for alle brugere.

- Open In RegEdit 0.1.1
   openinregedit at firefox
   https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/4478/
   Select registry keys in the page and open them in the registry editor

- Popup ALT Attribute 1.3.2005092701
   {61FD08D8-A2CB-46c0-B36D-3F531AC53C12}
   http://piro.sakura.n...ul/_popupalt.html.en
   Popups alternate texts of images or others like NetscapeCommunicator(Navigator) 4.x, and show long descriptions in the multi-row tooltip.

- PopupSound 0.1.5
   {dc0fa140-3db2-73ec-e852-912722c852fa}
   http://dragtotab.mozdev.org/popupsound/
   Plays a sound when a popup window is blocked.

- Print Image 0.4
   {2990C60B-0C93-496e-90F6-176E68895AF6}
   http://www.splintered.co.uk/
   Adds "Print Image..." to the context menu.

- Restarter 1.0
   restarter at bazzargh.blogspot.com
   http://bazzargh.blogspot.com/
   Add 'restart' to file menu see bug 336050

- RichScrollbar 0.0.3.3
   {9859aa37-9d17-4558-8ddd-11042c6f3390}
   http://dafizilla.sou...ge.net/richscrollbar
   Add to scrollbars some buttons to simplify common scrolling operations

- Save Session 1.3.0.1
   savesession at noasobi.net
   http://diary.noasobi.net/
   Save Session can save the session only once.

- ScrapBook 1.2.0.8
   {53A03D43-5363-4669-8190-99061B2DEBA5}
   http://amb.vis.ne.jp/mozilla/scrapbook/
   Helps you to save Web pages and organize the collection.

- Searchbar Autosizer 1.3.4
   {655397ca-4766-496b-b7a8-3a5b176ee4c2}
   http://searchbarautosizer.mozdev.org/
   Expand the searchbox as you type

- SendStory 1.5.0.2
   {9e6b6d0a-ae69-6518-ad58-82647f969aaa}
   http://www.marblehea.../columns/dsteinbrook
   Select, right click, send!

- Show Picture 0.5
   LDshowpicture_plashcor at gmail.com
   Displays the selected image.

- Splash 1.2.2
   splash at aldreneo.com
   http://paperprogs.berlios.de/splash/
   Adds a splash screen.  Supported in Firefox, Flock, Thunderbird and Sunbird. (en-US)

- Status Buttons 1.0
   statusbuttons at clav.mozdev.org
   http://clav.mozdev.org/
   Lets you [not] put toolbar buttons in the status-bar

- Stop-or-Reload Button 0.2.2
   {61D0D7AF-4FF6-476a-B68F-6531F613A6D8}
   http://v2studio.com/k/moz/
   Turns the stop and reload buttons into a single one. When you can stop, you have a Stop button, otherwise you have a Reload button. (Like Safari)

- Switch Window Mode 0.3
   tabtoggle at pete-b.co.uk
   http://www.pete-b.co.uk/downloads
   Switches between multiple and single window mode.

- Talkback 2.0.0.2
   talkback at mozilla.org
   http://talkback.mozilla.org/
   Sends information about program crashes to Mozilla.

- United States English Dictionary 2.0.0.6
   en-US at dictionaries.addons.mozilla.org
   http://www.blogzilla.info/spellchecker/
   English United States (en-US) spellchecking dictionary

- and ViewMyCurrency at it's next update ...

[Ruffnekk]

Curt, I guess when you start Firefox you can take the dog out for a walk before it's finished loading? 

[Curt]

Curt, I guess when you start Firefox you can take the dog out for a walk before it's finished loading? 

-Ruffnekk (March 09, 2007, 09:32 AM)

It was like that when I ran Win2K 500 MHz and 320 RAM, but its not a problem to me now. But maybe thats because I have grown used to Firefox being a time consumer. IE loads a lot faster though it also has a lot of plug-ins.

[Curt]

and now also
- Launchy 4.2.0
   launchy at gemal.dk
   http://gemal.dk/mozi...html?project=launchy
   Open links and mailto's with external applications like Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Outlook etc

Thanks, Lashiec! 

[dk70]

Split Browser http://piro.sakura.n...splitbrowser.html.en has not been mentioned. Works very well and I think the only useful one of this kind.

[Lashiec]

Not at all, Curt. Theoretically, the extension also works on Firefox 2, after messing a bit with the XPI file, but in my installation it makes Firefox go nuts! Go figure. I'll try again when I assemble the new computer.

[Curt]

... Theoretically, the extension also works on Firefox 2, after messing a bit with the XPI file, but in my installation it makes Firefox go nuts! ...

-Lashiec (March 12, 2007, 08:29 AM)

I'll expect it to be your special setup, because it works without any problems at my PC with Firefox 2.0.0.2 - and without any "messing with the XPI file". Another thing is that the author could easily make this extension a lot more user-friendly. I mean: why do I have to learn to write a XML file in order to simply add more links? Not well figured out...

[Curt]

Zotero is an amazing new bibliographic reference manager.

-rkrause (October 07, 2006, 09:19 PM)

I had Zotero but got annoyed by the HUGHE icon taking up far too much valuable space.

[Dan Cohen]

I had Zotero but got annoyed by the HUGHE icon taking up far too much valuable space.

-Curt (March 12, 2007, 11:54 AM)

You can change the Zotero icon in the status bar into a much less conspicuous "z" or make it disappear altogether in the Zotero preferences (under the gear icon).