SUSE LINUX 9.3

Chapter 11. Firefox / 11.5. Customizing Firefox
	11.4. Using the Download Manager		11.6. Printing from Firefox

11.5. Customizing Firefox

With the ability to install extensions, change themes, and add smart keywords for your online searches, Firefox can be customized extensively.

11.5.1. Extensions

Mozilla Firefox is a multifunctional application, which means you can download and install add-ons, known as extensions. For example, add a new download manager and mouse gestures. This has the advantage that Firefox itself stays small and unbloated.

To add an extension, click ‘Tools’+‘Extensions’. In the bottom-right corner, click ‘Get More Extensions’ to launch the Mozilla extensions update Web page where you can choose from a variety of available extensions. Click the extension to install then click the install link to download and install it. When you restart Firefox, the new extension is functional. You can also look at the various extensions at http://update.mozilla.org/.

Figure 11.3. Installing Firefox Extensions

11.5.2. Changing Themes

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. When installing a theme, Firefox asks for confirmation first. Allow the installation or to cancel it. After a successful installation, you can enable the new theme.

Click ‘Tools’+‘Theme’.
A new dialog appears. Click ‘Get More Themes’. If you already installed a theme, find it in the list, as in Figure 11.4, “Installing Firefox Themes”.
Figure 11.4. Installing Firefox Themes
A new window appears with the Web site https://update.mozilla.org.
Choose a theme and click ‘Install Now’.
Confirm the download and installation.
After downloading the theme, a dialog appears and informs you about your list of themes. Activate the new theme with ‘Use Theme’.
Close the window and restart Firefox.

If a theme is installed, you can always switch to a different theme without restarting by clicking ‘Tools’+‘Themes’ then ‘Use Theme’. If you do not use a theme anymore, you can delete it in the same dialog with ‘Uninstall’.

11.5.3. Adding Smart Keywords to Your Online Searches

Searching the Internet is one of the main tasks a browser can perform for you. Firefox lets you define your own smart keywords: abbreviations to use as a “command” for searching the Web. For example, if you use Wikipedia often, use a smart keyword to simplify this task:

Go to http://en.wikipedia.org.
After Firefox displays the Web page, see the search text field. Right-click it then choose ‘Add a Keyword for this Search’ from the menu that opens.
The ‘Add Bookmark’ dialog appears. In ‘Name’, name this Web page, for example, ‘Wikipedia (en)’.
For ‘Keyword’, enter your abbreviation of this Web page, for example, ‘wiki’.
With ‘Create in’, choose the location of the entry in your bookmarks section. You can put it into ‘Quick Searches’, but any other level is also appropriate.
Finalize with ‘Add’.

You have successfully generated a new keyword. Whenever you need to look into Wikipedia, you do not have to use the entire URL. Just type wiki Linux to view an entry about Linux.