| openSUSE-Dokumentation Chapter 20. Browsing with Firefox / 20.6. Customizing Firefox | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 20.5. Security | 20.7. Printing from Firefox |  | |
| openSUSE-Dokumentation Chapter 20. Browsing with Firefox / 20.6. Customizing Firefox | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.5. Security | 20.7. Printing from Firefox | | |
Firefox can be customized extensively. You can not only change the way Firefox behaves by altering its preferences, but also add additional functionality by installing extensions or change the way it look and feels by installing new themes. With the Add-ons manager Firefox offers a convenient way to manage extensions, themes and plugins.
Firefox offers a wide range of configuration options available via +, see Figure 20.5, “The Preferences Window”. Each option is described in detail in the online help, which can be accessed by clicking the button.
By default, Firefox automatically restores your session—windows and tabs— only after it has crashed or after a restart when having installed an extension. However, it can be configured to restore a session every time it is started: Open the Preferences dialog as described in Section 20.6.1, “Preferences” and go to the tab. Set to .
When you have multiple windows open they will only be restored the next time when you close all of them at once with + or with Ctrl+Q. If you close the windows one by one, only the last window will be restored next time.
When browsing the Web, Firefox always keeps track of your activities by storing your browsing history, cookies, and form data as well as by caching Web sites you have visited. Collecting and storing this data makes browsing more comfortable and faster. However, when you for example use a public terminal, you might want to delete this data. Select + or press Ctrl+Shift+Del and choose which data to delete.
To automatically delete private data every time you close Firefox, open the window as described in Section 20.6.1, “Preferences” and go to the tab. Check and choose which data to delete by clicking the button.
When sending a request to a Web server, the browser always sends the information, which languages are preferred by the user. Web sites that are available in more than one language and are configured to evaluate this language parameter will display their pages in the language the browser requests. On openSUSE the preferred language is preconfigured to use the same language as the desktop. To change this setting, open the window as described in Section 20.6.1, “Preferences”, go to the tab and your preferred language.
When typing into multiple line input fields, Firefox by default spell-checks what you type. Misspelled words are underlined red. To correct a word, right-click it and choose the correct spelling from the context menu. You may also add the word to the dictionary if it is correct.
To change or add a dictionary, right-click anywhere into a multi-line input field and choose the appropriate option from the context menu. You may also disable spell-checking for this input field here. If you want to globally disable spell checking, open the window as described in Section 20.6.1, “Preferences” and go to the tab. Uncheck .
Extensions let you personalize Firefox to exactly fit your needs. With the help of extensions you can change Firefox's look and feel, enhance existing functionality (such as the download manager or tabbed browsing), or add functions such as a blog editor, Bit Torrent support or even a music player. Certain extensions also assist Web developers while others increase security by dynamically blocking active contents. More than 5000 extensions are available for Firefox. With the add-ons manager you cannot only install new extensions, but also disable, enable, or delete them. It also finds updates to installed extensions.
If you do not like the standard look and feel of Firefox, install a new theme. Themes do not change the functionality, only the appearance of the browser.
To add an extension or theme, start the add-ons manager with +. It opens with the tab either displaying a choice of recommended add-ons or the result of your last search. Use the field to search for specific add-ons. Click on an entry in the list to view a short description and a screenshot. Install the add-on by clicking or open a Web page with detailed information by clicking the link.
If you just want to browse all available add-ons or would like to use advanced search options, click . This opens the Firefox add-ons Web page. To install an extension, click on the button on the page describing the add-on.
In order to activate freshly installed extensions or themes, Firefox needs to be restarted via the button in the add-ons manager. Restarting the browser with this button ensures that the complete session will be restored.
The Add-ons Manager also offers a convenient interface to manage extensions, themes, and plugins. can be enabled, disabled or uninstalled. If an extension is configurable, its configuration options can be accessed via the button. In the tab you may a theme or activate a different theme by clicking on . Pending extension or theme installations are also listed. Select to stop the installation. Although you cannot install as a user, you may disable or enable them with the Add-ons manager.
Actions like uninstalling or disabling an add-on require a browser restart. Every time you perform such an action, the button is displayed in the add-ons manager.
