Firefox extensions for Minefield

[dantheman]

Mozillazine is informative but slow...

Anyone have a good list of extensions that works with Firefox Minefield?

[Fedorov]

I've been using ALL of my previous FF2 add-ons for months on the FF3 nightly builds. I just use the Nightly Tester Tools add-on to "Make Compatible"

If I need to I just hack the .xpi file of the add-on to increase the version number myself - most of my main add-ons have been updated to be FF3 compatible in the past couple of months though.

[dantheman]

Found this link to "Nightly Tester Tool" at:
http://www.oxymoronical.com/web/firefox/nightly
Will give it a shot!

Fedorov? Wasn't he an excellent player for the Red Wings?

Update: did work to get the Nightly Tester Tool but some extensions still don't work.
The other issue is, how do you install an extension from the site if you can't even download it?

[lanux128]

if i'm not mistaken, the Nightly Tester Tool is only of use if the older and incompatible version of an extension is already installed and Firefox (the new version) disabled it. to newly install an older and incompatible extension, one might have to turn off the compatibility checking within Firefox.

... For all later versions of Firefox and Thunderbird, and in SeaMonkey 2 set the preference extensions.checkCompatibility to false. Firefox and SeaMonkey users can type about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Thunderbird users can use the Config Editor.   1. Right-click -> New -> Boolean   2. Name: extensions.checkCompatibility   3. Value: false

Source: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Updating_extensions#Completely_disabling_the_compatibility_check

The other issue is, how do you install an extension from the site if you can't even download it?

@dantheman: is there any particular extension that you're looking for? maybe i have a local copy..

[dantheman]

lanux128,

I'm flabergasted! Not sure if it's a word but just overwhelmed! 
Actually, Mouse Gestures was one but i found an excellent replacement with Fire Gestures!

Bookmark Duplicate Detector has always been part of my repertoire.

[mwang]

to newly install an older and incompatible extension, one might have to turn off the compatibility checking within Firefox.

No, that won't do it either. Go to the homepage of an extension -- if it has one -- to get it if you really want it. Though less convenient, doing so would also give you a good chance to find an updated beta version for FF3 not available on addons.mozilla.org yet.

And be cautious when turning off the compatibility checker. You should at least know how to bring FF back to life should it crash at startup due to extension incompatibility. The checker is there for a reason.

[lanux128]

And be cautious when turning off the compatibility checker. You should at least know how to bring FF back to life should it crash at startup due to extension incompatibility.The checker is there for a reason.

that's why there is a built-in safe-mode and this is repeated on the release notes.

[attach=#]

[Fedorov]

Yes, played for the RedWings, well spotted

I also replaced All-In-One gestures and MouseGestures with FireGestures some time ago, nice and light and fast.

I highly recommend you try SmoothWheel - http://smoothwheel.mozdev.org/
You'll find every other web browser jerky after using this. I slowly turn my mouse wheel 1 click at a time at whatever speed I need to and this enables me to READ any page while I am scrolling. Highly recommended.

[mwang]

that's why there is a built-in safe-mode and this is repeated on the release notes.

I knew that, but I wasn't sure dantheman did and thought it might worth mentioning. Not many people read release notes, though hopefully more people here do.

[dantheman]

As was anxious to test latest FX3RC1,
i simply followed the Mozillazine thread which shows you how to set up Minefield and have it run side by side with FX2 (c'est la même chose):
1. Create new profile (without starting it);
2. Install FX3RC1 (without running it);
3. Right-click FX3RC1 icon > Properties, on the Target: line add the following:
space hyphen P space profileName

If not, just wait for the latest upgrade, i'm sure it won't be long now.

BTW, FireGestures fails to work on RC1 so, checked out MouseGestures once again and it won't work either. Went over to the creators' page and he made a beta which works! Yay!!! 
FireGestures' creator has no beta as of today.

As usual, most extensions are not available but at least i have MouseGestures and AdblockPlus and Google's Notebook!    LocationBar2 won't be necessary anymore in this version.

[mwang]

I'm using FF3 nightly (2008051806 at the moment), and the only addon on my system that fails compatibility check is AutoCopy 0.8. FireGestures 1.1 works without a glitch.

Turning off extension compatibility check then even AutoCopy works just fine.

I decided to go with nightly after getting impatient waiting for RC1, and beta 5 had an annoying bug that caused problems to Zotero. So far so good.

[dantheman]

mwang,

I finally decided to be brave and followed lanux128's tip about creating new boolean.
3 out of 23 (including themes) fail to work.
No crashes, not bad i say!

Of course, one of those three that fail to work is my fav OpenBook... 


FX3RC1 seems to chew up more on CPU than FX2 (with extensions compatibility check off, even more).

[mwang]

Of course, one of those three that fail to work is my fav OpenBook... 

I don't use OpenBook anymore. More precisely, I don't use FF's builtin bookmark system much anymore.

To be sure, FF3's bookmark system is better than FF2's. Most of what OpenBook does are now built in, e.g. But there's one notable omission -- the "remember last folder" option, which is very typical of FF3's bookmark system -- good intention, half-hearted execution. I like, e.g., the new tagging system, but its usability lags far behind what most social bookmarking sites provide.

I've therefore reluctantly moved to a social bookmarking solution for my bookmarks, while waiting for FF3's bookmark system to mature, perhaps with helps from extensions.

FX3RC1 seems to chew up more on CPU than FX2 (with extensions compatibility check off, even more).

Chewing up CPU? Hmmm, haven't noticed that so far. Though, again, I'm on nightly, not RC1.

[dantheman]

OpenBook i find offers more options to adding bookmarks, keyword field for example.

I'm using Diigo's bookmarking system but somehow still prefer FX's, especially with new tagging method and Foxmarks beta which supports this new bookmarking way. It always faster to find what your looking for now with the url field acting like LocationBar2 and more!   

With extensions checking disabled, i now have an issue with tabs interface.
The "x" to close them no longer appears and i don't feel like going through the safe mode process to find out which extension is giving the problem. Have work to do!

Update: by chance, it turns out a skin was making the "x" disappearing from the tabs.

[lanux128]

Of course, one of those three that fail to work is my fav OpenBook...

what about this version?

[dantheman]

Of course, one of those three that fail to work is my fav OpenBook...

what about this version?

Hi Lanux,

It looks like a no go.
Thanks just the same, looks like i will have to wait for next official Firefox release.
The speed enhancement to this browser makes this waiting time most bearable.

[mwang]

OpenBook i find offers more options to adding bookmarks, keyword field for example.

I think you get that with the standard Add Bookmark dialog with FF3. No?

I'm using Diigo's bookmarking system but somehow still prefer FX's, especially with new tagging method and Foxmarks beta which supports this new bookmarking way. It always faster to find what your looking for now with the url field acting like LocationBar2 and more!   

I'm also using Diigo, and I like it in general, but not sure if I'll stick with it yet. The new bookmark system of FF3 is apparently giving ruse to a horde of new extensions. Many of them are now marked as experimental. We'll see how many of them mature in the end.

With extensions checking disabled, i now have an issue with tabs interface.
The "x" to close them no longer appears and i don't feel like going through the safe mode process to find out which extension is giving the problem. Have work to do!

Update: by chance, it turns out a skin was making the "x" disappearing from the tabs.

Does your mouse have a middle button? I close tabs with it all the time. Not sure what makes it working, though: Firegesture, Tab Mix Plus, or something else.

[dantheman]

OpenBook i find offers more options to adding bookmarks, keyword field for example.

I think you get that with the standard Add Bookmark dialog with FF3. No?

I'm afraid not.

I'm using Diigo's bookmarking system but somehow still prefer FX's, especially with new tagging method and Foxmarks beta which supports this new bookmarking way. It always faster to find what your looking for now with the url field acting like LocationBar2 and more!   

I'm also using Diigo, and I like it in general, but not sure if I'll stick with it yet. The new bookmark system of FF3 is apparently giving ruse to a horde of new extensions. Many of them are now marked as experimental. We'll see how many of them mature in the end.

Oh?! It would be nice to know a little more about these novelties. 

With extensions checking disabled, i now have an issue with tabs interface.
The "x" to close them no longer appears and i don't feel like going through the safe mode process to find out which extension is giving the problem. Have work to do!

Update: by chance, it turns out a skin was making the "x" disappearing from the tabs.

Does your mouse have a middle button? I close tabs with it all the time. Not sure what makes it working, though: Firegesture, Tab Mix Plus, or something else.

Middle click to close tabs?
I like that! I recently discovered that you could open links to a new tab with middle click but this one's new for me. Thanks!

[Fedorov]

I use FireGestures and keep it VERY simple, I only use ONE gesture and that is to close a tab I've finished reading. So hold the right-mouse button down anywhere my cursor is and draw an L shape.

When surfing I find my left hand does not need to be on the keyboard so no point in hitting CTRL-W to close the tabs like I used to and no point in moving the mouse pointer onto the tab just to middle-click close it.

This way you are reducing your movements and you don't even think about it after a while until your friends/family wonder what the heck you are doing drawing L shapes in their web browsers that don't have gestures installed!

[mwang]

Oh?! It would be nice to know a little more about these novelties.

Just check the "show experimental add-ons" option when browsing extensions and you'll see them, but you have to register to use them.

[mwang]

Hi Fedorov,

I love FireGestures. In fact, a simple "Down" gesture does the same trick here (the default from the extension, I believe), even simpler than an "L" shape move.

That said, I still use middle click on a tab to close it more often, for my mouse rarely ventures far off the toolbar/tabbar area (I use wheel scrolling or auto scrolling to read in Firefox), and thus a middle click is quick. More importantly, middle clicking to close a tab is now almost standard behavior in most MDI applications (most what I use, i.e.), while few of them take mouse gestures. I certainly hope more will do.

[dantheman]

mwang, you're an ace! 

Although the "show experimental addons" was a bit tricky to find, i did make it.
Add Bookmark Here2 did the trick (no need for OpenBook). Thanks!

BTW, Mouse Gestures has been updated and seems to be doing just fine.

Now if i can find an extension for my Thunderbird contacts that syncs just fine with GMail...
We're off hunting again!

[MilesAhead]

AutoCopy
SyncPlaces
NoScript
Mr Tech
Flashgot
Secure Login

Edit:  deskCut seems to work fine also

All seem to be good.  I'm using
today's build and it seems like the only
oddball thing is my favicons keep changing
to blue dots.  But that may be Aeon theme
doing it.

[MilesAhead]

btw just curious.. has anyone done any timings with and without FasterFox? I disabled it and it doesn't seem to slow it down afaict.  Just wondering what others experiences are.

[dantheman]

Fasterfox and that other one, FireTune have never done anything noticeable (at least on my notebook with Network connection) so i wouldn't even be bothered to try it on Minefield.