Firefox Tweak Guide -- Is there a way to customize keyboard shortcuts?

[zridling]

Looking back at this Firefox Tweakguides topic by mouser (nod to dk70, btw) got me thinking: Is there a way to customize keyboard shortcuts in Firefox?

[attach]

[sri]

http://mozilla.dorando.at/ / https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6105
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=72994&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
http://www.pqrs.org/tekezo/firefox/extensions/functions_for_keyconfig/index.html / https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1537
http://www.howtotuts.com/2008/05/11/how-to-add-useful-keyboard-shortcuts-in-firefox-using-keyconfig/

Excellent must have add-on!

[nontroppo]

Firefox has been missing a proper keyboard customisation interface since forever, the reasons being the technical mess of where bindings are found. There is a Bugzilla bug if you want to follow the ins-and-outs:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57805

[jgpaiva]

I agree, there should be a decent way to change key bindings in ff.
I think the day they really fix it is the day I'll move from Opera to ff (unfortunatelly, I don't see that day coming anytime soon!).
Also, alowing a mouse configuration like Opera would be really cool, it makes a huge difference!

[zridling]

Thanks sri. I'm a keyboard shortcut nut and of all the programs you use, your file manager and browser ought to allow you to change the keys to the way you work. Opera has long done that and it has kept me there. But I'm wanting to master FF3 now that it's out.

[sri]

There is a difference in philosophy of Firefox and Opera. Opera tries to include a lot of features in one package by default whereas in Firefox, the user should install the features that he is interested in by way of add-ons.

Hence, modifiable keyboard shortcuts are not provided by default in Firefox and I don't think lack of them should be termed as a bug. I have set the following keyboard shortcuts in Firefox:

a - Switch to previous tab
s - Switch to next tab
z - Go back
x - Go forward
c - Close current tab

[sri]

http://surfkeys.mozdev.org/

[zridling]

I think this is even a better approach. Wow!

The modularity of Firefox is a big attraction for many. I forgot the personal organizer program that for the longest time allowed you to buy the base, and then buy additional modules as you needed them. I only ever needed one other element, so it was always far cheaper than what would have been the full/premium version. I thought it was brilliant for that type of software, but I don't think the guy made a lot of money from it.

[sri]

2 more add-ons for keyboard junkies:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/879

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1341

[tomos]

funny,
I've been using FF for what seems like years now, but only today have I really followed up on 'where's the option to change the shortcuts'.
I was using Opera again lately and had gotten used to Ctrl+Z re-opening last closed tab. Nice and easy. In FF it's Ctrl+Alt+T . . or, wait a minute, is it Ctrl+Shift+T - one of them duplicates current tab, the other does what I'm looking for but I'm damned if I can ever remember which one does which . .
anyways,
I've just installed Sri's first two suggestions so hopefully that'll sort me out

[lanux128]

since you've already installed keyconfig, you can change it to any hotkey you want, even Ctrl+Z as in Opera..

[tomos]

since you've already installed keyconfig, you can change it to any hotkey you want, even Ctrl+Z as in Opera..

yes,
I still had to restart to finish install when I last posted.
It said Ctrl+Z mightnt work due to it being used by Edit>Undo but it seems to work okay for both functions now

I'm not sure what the 'functions for keyconfig' does but I dont seem to  need it anyway - actually I think it may simply be a 'sleeping' add-on that enhances the other one.

Looking forward to changing a few more shortcuts, thanks!

[lanux128]

I'm not sure what the 'functions for keyconfig' does but I dont seem to  need it anyway - actually I think it may simply be a 'sleeping' add-on that enhances the other one.

it complements keyconfig by adding some more actions to bind with hotkeys but i don't use it due to the fact that then i have to keep track of two extensions for the same function..