It is too difficult to get Firefox 4 to look the way I like.
I have just switched back to Firefox 3.6 after struggling too difficulty to get the look and features I want out of Firefox 4, which is amazing since they are the same product.
1. First off, Firefox 4 is ugly on Windows XP. It lacks colour, and the colour it does get to the left of https websites is in start contrast now.
2. The bookmarks toolbar is huge. It is as wide as my widest link. In Firefox 3.6, it is set to a default length - as are my RSS feeds. This results in an extremely ugly bookmarks navigation. I have found no way to resolve this in about:config or elsewhere.
3. I cannot install add-ons. I am amazed I got "status-4-evar" to install, as it continually tells me I am running Firefox 3. I disabled everything I have as an add-on and an extension and it does not change.
4. A HUGE feature for me, the arrow next to back/forward. I loved this feature. It was insanely useful, especially when using multiple windows, to track which window had gone where. In conjunction with the history bar, it made Firefox into a very powerful browser. It is completely missing from Firefox 4 and I do not want to regress.
5. I do not believe Google Toolbar works. This isn't exactly a Firefox issue, and Google Toolbar is a clumsy piece of software, but I do use it.
How can these issues all be resolved in Firefox 4? Only then will I be able to use it.
All Replies (13)
- Personas for Firefox will let you add some color to your browser. Quoting that page, "Personas are easy-to-use themes that let you personalize the look of your Firefox"
- You can shorten the name of the bookmarks by context-clicking on them, selecting properties, and then changing their titles. Will that solve that issue?
- When you visit an add-on page on addons.mozilla.org, it thinks you are using 3.6? You might try to access it in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode, to ensure that all add-ons and other changes are not interfering. If they are, there may be an add-on or a preference that is the problem.
- The feature is still there, but the extra indicator is not. If you click and hold on either of the arrows, it will display the current tab's history after a brief pause. If you context-click it will immediately show.
- The Google Toolbar will probably need to be updated. Have you checked for updates to it?
1. I do not want that. I want it to look like it does in Firefox 3.6. Why must it change? There's no reason for it.
2. No, I do not want to shorten my bookmark names. Firefox 3.6 simply has a set limit to the Bookmark menu. In fact, this was considered a feature when moving from Firefox 2.0 to Firefox 3.0. Where has this feature gone? Also, shortening my bookmark names will not shorten my RSS Feed windows in the RSS Feed section of my bookmarks.
3. It thinks I am using 3.0. I disabled all add-ons.
4. I want the extra indicator. I don't care for this nonsense extra work, the arrow is part of GUI, I am not interested in hidden features. There is no reason for its removal.
5. I assume it would notice updates itself.
Also, getting the reload/stop X to move into position does not work. When I click customize, it appears where it normally belongs, and when I close customization it disappears. Although I like having both a reload and a stop. And, how do I get the RSS feed button to reappear again?
- You can install other themes besides personas. Mozilla Add-ons: Themes has a variety, which will change the look of the toolbar button icons, etc.
- Sorry, I misunderstood the issue here. I'm currently not clear why this is happening, as I believe it should limit the width as it did in 3.6. You could try with a fresh profile (see Managing Profiles for instructions on how to create a new one), to determine if the issue is with the current profile or not.
- This may be due to an incorrect user-agent. Check the article How to reset the default user agent on Firefox to see if that will fix it.
- In the future an extension may restore the down arrow next to the button, but I do not believe one exists at present.
To get the reload/stop to appear as you wish, I believe you have to add a separator, space, or something else between them. Alternatively, you can swap their order. If they appear next to each other in the normal order (refresh, stop, from left to right), the browser collapses them into a single button.
In the future an extension may restore the RSS feed button, but I do not believe one exists at present.
Why would Mozilla purposely regress their own program so much?
I've had to downgrade to 3.6 myself as well. The new interface is an eyesore and I don't like the position of the tabs now. There is no longer an info bar at the bottom of the window. Why would Mozilla do this without having an option to change it back?
There is an add-on you can get. Found it while looking around for info on this same problem.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/rss-icon-in-awesombar/
I also went back to 3.6. There were some things I like about 4.0, but I could not customize it, even those things that should have been customizable. The major factor in my decision was the position of the tabs above the nav bar. I go back and forth between tabs a lot, and often have several tabs open to different pages on the same website. Was going to give Google Chrome a try again and discovered they also have this odd arrangement now. I don't get it.
Nothing awesome about 4.0 Odd choice of words, a little dated or a lot juvenile, I don't know which.
@dastratton You can get the tabs below the navbar, just right click on any toolbar and select "tabs on top".
Hi Dastratton, You can change the navbar position with View->Toolbars->Tabs on top. You just have to uncheck and "voilà" you'll have the navbar at the correct position.
I use Status-4-Evar to bring back the old good status bar. The only thing I need now is the "bookmark all tabs" in the "bookmarks" menu. I'll give a chance to FF4 but my primary browser is still FF3.6.
I can't understand why they remove thoses features. They could at least give us the choice to bring them back whitout the installation of addons. They might wan't to mimic Chrome?
Kami
ps:Sorry for my bad english, I'll try to improve
@hobophobe
You have a corrupted user agent that identifies you as Firefox 3.0
- Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008051206 Firefox/3.0 MEGAUPLOAD 1.0
See:
Athraithe ag cor-el ar
Must be a old or relocated thread, broken and not available.
The Download box no longer posts a download, the file gets to its location but there is no status or log of it happening.
It looks that the article got archived (*) and is no longer accessible via the link that I used.
See these instead:
Athraithe ag cor-el ar