Question

See also http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2001965

Where did my reply go and the other helpful answers? It isn't nice to simply delete replies guys

Thank you. The Status-4-Evar addon works fine.

ok i have a smillar problem. I dont mind the status bar being merged with the url bur, but I dont see the progress bar under url / tabs (like i've seen in screen shots). Ive tried running it in safe mode and still no luck. how do i get my progress bar back? without using Status-4-Evar

FF4b7

That feature has been removed because it caused performance issues (slow down and CPU usage). It may return in a future Firefox 4.x version, but not in 4.0. You can see a counter clockwise spinning throbber during the connection phase and a clockwise spinning throbber during the loading phase. That progression bar didn't give a real impression of the loading anyway, so it was deceiving and thus removed.

JustJosh: you replied in a different thread on the same topic

For some reason, Mozilla has decide it would be a great idea to copy the #1 most hated internet browser ever that they were originally formed to provide an alternative to! this means that the"progress bar" no longer exists (though, I don't see why it really matters much), and instead, when on a page that does not load instantly, the URL bar will show a "progress" of changing colors.

Pity this change wasn't documented in the release notes. That would have saved me some head scratching and google-ing!

See also:

• https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Projects/AddonUI
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/The_add-on_bar (not complete yet)

I am not a developer, and I surf on a laptop, where vertical space is at a premium.

However, I'd prefer the status bar to stay where it is, since that's where I look when I hover the mouse on a link.

I installed Firefox beta last night, and kept it running for all of 15 minutes. After that, I uninstalled it; and that's only because the status bar was gone.

The fact that the URL is now showing in the location bar is not good enough : since there's not enough space there to show it entirely, I can't see what I want to.

At least, if you want to save space, make it a customizable bar, so that those who, like me, wants it and use it, can get it back.

If you persist in this direction, I'll have to look for another browser, or stay at 3.6. For me, that's a deal breaker.

Thank you.

laubla99 , the Status-4-Evar add-on allows you to show hovered links in the add-ons bar.

The add-ons bar is more customizable than the status bar was.

"laubla99 , the Status-4-Evar add-on allows you to show hovered links in the add-ons bar. "

It may be. But why do I have to keep installing add-on to do something that Ff used to do naturally?

At the moment, my Ff has the minimal number of add-on (because FF 3.6 has a memory leak somewhere, it seems).

And I still have to restart it from time to time, because after a while, it's sluggish.

I find the situation very irritating.

Ok, you're right, it does display the URL, and I can customize it to my needs.

Still... ;-/

Bring back the status bar for people that want it. I would move to a different browser it its not reinstated. For the status of my downloads and i like to see the page loading status and for me it is really a must have

lawlor59, with the status-4-evar add-on mentioned above you can make the add-ons bar very similar to the old status bar.

Get used to it !

@ laubla99 24th 3# posts

You were mentioning the customisable toolbars, and your shortage of vertical space and the short location bar.

I myself was playing with the customisable layout and note they have tweaked it a bit since 3.6 Now if I wish for instance I can put my bookmark items on the menu bar, and close down a whole bookmarks bar worth of vertical space. Whilst I can still see my bookmarks items as long as I display what was the menu bar.

It even allows you now (4.0Beta 8) to put say the location and search bar onto the filemenu, and name and create your own toolbars. What it does not at present allow is duplication of items. No doubt this is all discussed somewhere.

Although in practice I do the opposite and use a large full width bookmarks toolbar, but it is nice to have the choice.

As previously the location bar and search bar are, by default, draggable to expand / contract whilst in use.

it feels you like you are using a slower, cheaper, ripped over, poor imitation, beiged out version of Google Chrome.. but i have an idea how they can turn all that around - ADD A SIMPLE STATUS BAR!!

THE LATEST FIREFOX 4.0 BETA 9 TAKES HIGH PERFORMANCE AND SLOW DOWN OTHER PROCESS AND SYSTEM HANGUP ALSO TAKES ITS BIG PROBLEM TO THE USER

I don't think it should be necessary to install a plug in to restore the functionality of the status bar!

Please provide an option to re-enable the status bar.

(A) I seldom have Firefox expanded to use the fullscreen, so the URL field is not always wide enough to display the URL under the mouse pointer.

(B) My eyesight is poor and I find it almost impossible to read fine print, especially if it is light gray.

You can tweak the color of the links with code in userChrome.css Add code to userChrome.css below the @namespace line.

I use this code, but you can omit "font-weight:bold;" and only specify the text color:

@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */

.urlbar-over-link-host-label,.urlbar-over-link-path-label{
 color: #000 !important;
 font-weight: bold;
}

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Editing_configuration#How_to_edit_configuration_files

I am just curious: is there an official raison d'être for removal of the status bar? Perhaps results from TestPilot? Or feedback collated from users? I have already looked at this and this but I was hoping for a more cogent justification for a fairly drastic change in the UI.

It was Not removed but replaced rather.

@ Dynamite
I am just curious: is there an official raison d'être for removal of the status bar?

IIRC the reasoning went something along the lines that

• the moving status bar was not actually accurate but resource hungry
• the new ring that changes direction was a better replacement
• if users want the status bar graphic it is available as an addon

The machine I am using today does not have the bookmarks I would need to quickly check that info, but it will have been mentioned elsewhere in this forum, although probably discussed in detail on one of the other fora, and probably easier to find if you look at posts tagged as Beta.

Status-4-Evar is not working on version 4.0 Beta 10.

jkitties06

jasilvasy,

Open the Addons Tab, then right-click the S-4-E extension and use Find Update.

@John99: thanks for your comments. From what I have read (mostly this and this), reducing Firefox's chrome and making the UI more simple/customizable are the key driving factors (although, with the add-on bar, the former is not really being achieved).

Instead of removing statusbar, they should add an option into View > Toolbars, so we can show or hide it.

They should also make all statusbar items movable, so users can drag any item into any toolbar.

That's my suggestions. Absolutely simple.

Whilst the status bar existed there was an option to show or hide it. The toolbars are fairly customisable, you can for instance; on the Beta; drag bookmark items onto the menubar.

I am not involved with firefox or its development, only an ordinary user, but I accept at face value the suggestion the status bar was resource hungry and that addons can be used in its place. ( If you use firebug and you can see exactly what is going on)

this add-on works fine so far. thanks for the info!

@ivanslf,

"They should also make all statusbar items movable, so users can drag any item into any toolbar. "

That is one of the reasons they came up with the Add-on Bar to replace the old Statusbar. The Add-on is like another toolbar - any button that is made for placement on a Toolbar can be moved to the Add-on bar instead. With the old Statusbar the user couldn't even re-arrange the order the buttons / icons appeared on the Statusbar, without installing the Organize Status Bar extension & that needed its' own dialog window to work.

Now we have to wait for extension developers to start using "Toolbar buttons" in their code, in lieu of the old Statusbar buttons, as some developers are doing with extensions that they are "claiming" are 4.0 compatible. Sure Firefox 4.0 will still display the old Statusbar buttons in the Add-on bar, but they are all "stuck together" and they can't be moved around like the Toolbar buttons can.

Also, it used to be View > Statusbar to "toggle" it on & off. Now it is View > Toolbars > Add-on Bar. Not that much of a difference in hiding / showing it.

i want the tool bar up how do i do this

View > Toolbars, then click on that toolbar so that is has a check-mark

I agree, this should at least be an option to turn it on/off. I very much prefer having a statusbar.

waterhzrd,

Have you read what was posted in this thread?

The Statusbar is gone, it ain't coming back. If you want most of the functionality from the old Statusbar, try the Status-4-Evar extension and cutomize the Add-on bar so it looks and works pretty much as the old Statusbar did.

Also, the old Statusbar could be hidden or shown with the View > Statusbar menu item, whereas the new Add-on bar is hidden or shown from the View > Toolbar > Add-on bar - a very slight change in that regard.

Edit: After further testing of the browser I have found that all of the functions of the Status Bar that I use are still in place just without the bar. Hover over a link and a popup shows you where the link will send you. Click on a link and it will keep you posted as to what page it is getting information from or sending it to.

I change my mind and don't actually need the Status Bar. Good Job!

How do I get my status bar I like to see it all the time its not on 3.6 or 4.0.12. Where is the security lock I don't see it when I go on a secure site.

@msexon1 I am using 3.6 at the moment. the 'security lock' that I think you refer to is seen in the status bar in 3.6 ,
however if you turn on your navigation bar the location bar will probably be visible, that has a 'favicon' on its left hand side: and for example on this site it will say 'mozilla.com' in blue and on mousover gives more information.

• see How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure? - may be useful if no 'padlock ' is visible

I for one like having the status bar. What irritates me is the way the URL is sort of a pop up in the lower left corner. Is very irritating to me. I for one want the status bar and this would effect if I keep using FF4 or revert back to the previous version or even in the future dump using FF altogether.

scottish2, you can use the status-4-evar extension to change where the URL appears.

TonyE

That's not the point. The point is I personally like the status bar and do not like that it is not in this version at least as of this moment.

Besides I run 3.6 just fine and 4 has tons of work to go as I had to stop using it cause the thing lagged so badly. About every other link I clicked hung the browser up for about 10-15 seconds was so irritating so just went back to 3.6 cause don't have the time to wait for links to load.

I have 2 concerns over the loss of the status bar:

1. The loss of the 'padlock' symbol indicating link encryption - this is not supported by the Status-4-Evar add-in, and appears not to be replaced by any other functionality in Ff4. The lack of this feature is indeed a no-go that will drive me to another browser once Ff3.6 ceases to be current.

2. Removing the status bar and expecting users who want it to load an add-in reflects a tech-savvy mindset. Many ordinary users would be baffled by this and that makes it a bad design choice.

This thread is probably not the best place to discuss the pros and cons of Firefox development and features, but

1. I agree the padlock is a loss - I have no idea why this was removed or where its removal was discussed - maybe someone else will provide a suitable link
   • was it becoming insecure and too easy to spoof ?
   • is the information from the How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure? more secure?
     - that does provide security information
2. I think the reasoning mentioned in this thread is that the status bar, need not be replaced by any add-on. The status bar functions are still available, except for the the progress bar, which apparently was inacurate and itself detrimental to performance

I installed Firefox 4 ... and became quickly annoyed by the "status" popup.

Then I installed the latest Status-4-Evar add-on ... which removed the popup but introduced color changes and messed up some websites.

Now I am back to FF 3.6.

JEAER

Count me as another who has uninstalled Firefox 4.0 and gone back to 3.6.16, mostly over the lack of a status bar. It's not just about seeing how far the page has loaded. It's that if I mouse over a HTMLed link (ie one where the URL has been converted to text) I expect to see the actual URL on the status bar - I often need that before I click on a link so that I can see whether it's going to take me to a site I consider genuine as opposed to a spammy one, or even a site I may have visited before. I don't see that information appearing anywhere else in Firefox 4.0.

The status bar also provided a useful break between the end of my browser window and my computer's task bar. Without it, it looks as if the browser window is running into the task bar.

I also hate the look of the various bars and icons at the top of the screen, even after customising them to my preferred order. The icons are too big, too childish-looking and just plain ugly. There were many reasons I switched to Firefox from IE, and the appearance of the browser was one of them.

If Firefox 4.0 is going to stay like this, you can keep it; I'll stick to 3.6.16 as long as it's still available.

Your typical status bar is gone, but if you watch the bottom of the address/URL bar when you click on something, you will see that there is a form of a status bar there. I had added the Add-On bar and Status-4-Eva add-on, which works great with FF 4.0. I didn't know about the URL status bar until I noticed a green line moving out of the corner of my eye. SO...the status bar is there. It's just been put in a more out-of-the-way place. If you want to see where the pages redirect, you'd have to do the Add-On bar thing, but at least now we have the option to get rid of the Add-On bar once we get used to the new status bar placement.

I can't believe I was forced to do this, but as a longtime FF user, I have uninstalled 4.0 and reinstalled 3.6, and I am seriously reconsidering IE. I tried for three days to fix things, or to get used to these UI changes, and I cannot. What a damned waste of time.

In particular, I cannot get used to that stupid little grey-on-grey popup textbox which is supposed to replace the link preview that used to helpfully appear in the status bar. I can't even predict where to look--sometimes it's on the left side, and sometimes on the right. What the hell is the reason for this unpredictability?

I will not be using 4.0 regardless of what features it touts, until this issue is satisfactorily resolved. Please don't tell me to install some addon, especially one apparently named in Ebonics. I am done experimenting. Put the status bar back the way it was. I am disappointed with this release and frankly a little infuriated.