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WebUse.Info Presents:
Adding Features to the Firefox Browser Program
On this page:
Firefox is a program for browsing the Web. It is like Internet
Explorer or Netscape, but it is more secure and allows for features
not available in other programs. This page points you to some of the most
useful features you can add to the program.
The instructions on this page assume that you have downloaded Firefox
already and have installed it. Click here for detailed instructions on how to do
that.
That page also explains how to import your
bookmarks/favorites from another program and how to change the
default homepage.
Adding Extensions to Firefox
Extensions or plugins are freely available online for you to download
and add to your program. In most cases this process is very simple. It
does require a few steps that are generalizable for the most part. (If
you already know how to install extensions then skip down to the next
section.)
1. Once you have found an extension of interest (you can find some by
clicking on links below), click on Install or Installation (these links
usually point to a .xpi file).
2. If you have never installed anything
from the site where the extension file is located then
a line will appear on top of your browser window saying that Firefox will
not
install anything from an unknown source.
To the right on this line is a button
that says "Edit Options". Click on that. A window will come up.
3. In that window, click on Allow and the Web site is added to the
list of sites
from which files are now allowed to be downloaded and installed to your
computer.
4. You are now back on the Web page where you started. Click on Install
again. A window will come up. Wait two seconds for the Install
button to be available for clicking.
5. Click the Install button, which installs the little program.
6. You have to quit and then restart your browser for the extension to
start working.
7. You may want to specify certain options for the extension (this is
not always applicable). You can do this by clicking on the Tools menu in
your browser and selecting Extensions. Then select (by clicking on it
once) the extension of interest and pressing the Options button on the
bottom of that window.
If at any time you want to see the list of extensions you have
downloaded, click on the Tools menu in your browser and choose Extensions.
You can also disable or uninstall extensions there by clicking on an
extension and then pressing the Disable or Uninstall button in the bottom
of the window.
Useful Firefox Extensions
If any of the extensions below seem uninteresting or too
complicated then feel free to skip them and move on to the next one.
Their
installation and use is not dependent on one and other.
Especially recommended: I have added three asterisks *** to the
extensions
that I consider an absolute must and one asterisk
* to the ones I use often.
The others are helpful as well, but are not nearly as essential.
*** ConQuery - for easy searching
Install ConQuery for easy
access to various search engines right from the Web site you are browsing.
Remember to quit your browser and restart the program when you are
done.
MyCroft - for shortcuts to specific searches
Go to MyCroft and choose
search plugins of interest. For example, click here to browse
possible Google
search plugins or here for Yahoo! search
plugins. You can also look for search plugins by type, such as
references,
shopping
or news.
Click on them for installation.
Do not feel overwhelmed. Here is an
example to help you out:
Example: Quickly find addresses present on the Web page you
are viewing. On the Mycroft
page go to the Google search plugin
list. Scroll down to near the bottom of the page under Reference.
Here you will find Google Maps. Click on the link.
Once you have quit and restarted your browser go to a page with an
address. Here is an example.
Scroll to the bottom of that page. Highlight the address "633 Clark
Street Evanston, IL 60208" with your cursor. Then right click on your
mouse. A menu will come up. Choose "Query To" and then "Google Maps".
This will open a new window with a map of the address location.
*** Tab Mix - for enhanced tab functionality
*** Favicon Picker - allows you to specify icons for links to
sites
on your bookmarks toolbar
Favicon
Picker
Depending on the size of your screen, you can have dozens of links in
your
bookmarks toolbar. (Click to enlarge image.)
*** SessionSaver - remembers what sites you were viewing when
you
quit the program last time
*** TargetAlert - shows you the types of documents to which
pages
are linking
*** Forecastfox - view the weather from your browser
* Search Keys - gives you shortcuts on search pages
* Menu Editor - change what menu items you can see under the
program's menus
* BugMeNot - for skipping registration on certain Web sites
* View Cookies - tells you what kind of files sites are placing
on
your machine permanently
* Reminderfox - add reminders to your browser
* FoxyVoice - have text on a Web page read out to you
* Signature - quickly add lines of text to forms
* WebmailCompose - quick links to mail programs when you
right-click on an email address
Copy Plain Text - copy text from a Web page without formatting
CopyURLPlus - quickly copy both the Web address of the site you
are visiting plus its title, all in one click
ScreenGrab - quickly create an image file of the page you are
browsing (the entire page, not just what you can see in the browser
window)
ImageZoom - zoom in on an image on a Web page
Google Send To Phone - send a text message to a phone from your
browser
FoxyTunes - control your music program from within your browser
Extras - Just for Fun
*** Changing the theme of your browser
You can change what your browser buttons look like by finding a theme
here.
Just download the theme and then choose an alternative. You can view the
themes you have already installed by clicking on the Tools menu and
choosing Themes.
*** Firesomething - change how the name of your program is
displayed
* EggOn - for cooking a perfect egg
You are ready to use Firefox with all sorts of
added
functionality!
If you haven't yet, be sure to review some additional features of
the program.
Questions?
Questions? Comments? Send a note to help05@webuse.info.
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