Firefox Question

[Dan Gould]

We had to wipe out our hard drive and reinstall Windows XP last night. Now we've reinstalled all the programs we use, including Firefox 3.0, as well as the software for our Logitech trackball mouse.

Here's the weird thing:

Before, when I wanted to open a link in a tab, all I had to do was click left and right simultaneously. Now, that only works for tabbed browsing in IE, and I end up triggering the trackball scrolling when I do it in Firefox.

Any ideas? I really like Firefox 3.0 so far, but if I can't easily use the tabs, what's the point? I only seem to get tabs if I right click and choose open in a new tab. Weird. And I've already gone to tools - options - tabs and chosen "new windows open in a new tab".

[Dan Gould]

It just occurred to me that the problem could be assigning the right/left click to scroll would be part of the problem, but when I changed it to "unassigned", it doesn't change the fact that left/right click doesn't bring up new tabs in Firefox.

ARGH!

[Serioza]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1122 this might help

[Dan Gould]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1122 this might help

Well, that sort of works, but the cure may be worse than the disease. That plugin has an option that makes all links open in a new tab - but sometimes you want a new tab (when you're going through a splash page like the NY Times) and other times you don't (like when you want to reply to a post here).

Thanks for the help.

[JSngry]

I'm using 5.0 now (w/no complaints whatsoever, fwiw), but before was using a 3.X iirc, and isn't there a setting in, like, Tools--->Options--->Tabs... that allows you to automatically set links to open in new tabs rather than in new windows? The way that works is that links then open in new tabs, but navigational buttons and the like stay in the same tab. Failing that, I can always right-click a link & choose tab or window.

Edited December 3, 2008 by JSngry

[Parkertown]

Dan,

I never knew you could do it the way you describe. I've always used Ctrl-Leftclick...

[Shawn]

I use CTRL+T

You can also add a new tab icon to the toolbar in Firefox if you like clicking on things. You can also make adjustments to how Firefox deals with Tabs by going to Tools/Options/Tabs.

[Parkertown]

Ctrl-T seems to only open a new, empty tab. Dan is talking about opening links in a new tab.

[Chalupa]

I'm using 5.0 now (w/no complaints whatsoever, fwiw), but before was using a 3.X iirc, and isn't there a setting in, like, Tools--->Options--->Tabs... that allows you to automatically set links to open in new tabs rather than in new windows? The way that works is that links then open in new tabs, but navigational buttons and the like stay in the same tab. Failing that, I can always right-click a link & choose tab or window.

Yes.

[Chalupa]

We had to wipe out our hard drive and reinstall Windows XP last night. Now we've reinstalled all the programs we use, including Firefox 3.0, as well as the software for our Logitech trackball mouse.

Here's the weird thing:

Before, when I wanted to open a link in a tab, all I had to do was click left and right simultaneously. Now, that only works for tabbed browsing in IE, and I end up triggering the trackball scrolling when I do it in Firefox.

Any ideas? I really like Firefox 3.0 so far, but if I can't easily use the tabs, what's the point? I only seem to get tabs if I right click and choose open in a new tab. Weird. And I've already gone to tools - options - tabs and chosen "new windows open in a new tab".

I've tried the simultaneous clicking maneuver on about 10 different computers here at work that have Firefox 3.0 installed. It doesn't work. So, I'm thinking you need to change a setting within the Logitech software.

*Edit to say that our computers use the standard Dell mouse

Edited December 3, 2008 by J.H. Deeley

[Dan Gould]

I'm using 5.0 now (w/no complaints whatsoever, fwiw), but before was using a 3.X iirc, and isn't there a setting in, like, Tools--->Options--->Tabs... that allows you to automatically set links to open in new tabs rather than in new windows? The way that works is that links then open in new tabs, but navigational buttons and the like stay in the same tab. Failing that, I can always right-click a link & choose tab or window.

How do you get Firefox 5.0 when the website only offers 3.0?

Are you from the future or something?

Anyway, I'm kind of resigned to the whole right click - open in new tab option. But I still find it odd that the simultaneous click works in IE but not in Firefox.

[seeline]

there is no FF 5.0 (yet).

Have you tried the Tab Mix Plus extension, Dan? I don't use it myself, but it keeps getting raves at sites like Lifehacker.com. fwiw, Lifehacker has a number of tutorials about customizing FF that might interest you.

Edit: I see that someone beat me to it on the extension, but you might still want to check out the Lifehacker tutorials - or try out Google Chrome, or both. I find that I'm happier with Chrome, mainly because it's faster than FF and rarely crashes on me... FF still seems to be having difficulty with certain kinds of displays, Java applets and so on. (I'm *not* really a geek, just know a few terms to throw around! )

Edited December 4, 2008 by seeline

[JSngry]

Ok, I was reading this:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.4) Gecko/2008102920 Firefox/3.0.4

DOH.

I'm using Firefox 3.0.4.

But i can still set things from the Options box...

[andybleaden]

I always use firefox and when I see a link I right click on it and select open in a new tab or a new window ( I only select tab)..I thought that was the same with everyone

[Dan Gould]

I always use firefox and when I see a link I right click on it and select open in a new tab or a new window ( I only select tab)..I thought that was the same with everyone

I'm not sure but it looks like this is a function of the rollerball mouse that I got the last time I spilled coffee and ruined the old, cheap mouse we had. I still can't figure out though why it works in IE but not Firefox, but I'm making the adjustment back to the normal way, as I've discovered another neat function of Firefox. I set up tabs with each of the sites I usually visit each morning - Hotmail, Organissimo, the Red Sox page of the Boston Globe, the NY tabloids' sports pages, the NY Times - and chose "bookmark all tabs" and labeled it "morning". Now I'm one click away from loading all of my breakfast surfing, or, at least the splash pages. Way cool.

[Quincy]

I set up tabs with each of the sites I usually visit each morning - Hotmail, Organissimo, the Red Sox page of the Boston Globe, the NY tabloids' sports pages, the NY Times - and chose "bookmark all tabs" and labeled it "morning". Now I'm one click away from loading all of my breakfast surfing, or, at least the splash pages. Way cool.

Yup. My morning tab. The little pill that starts the day. (Though I renamed mine "AM tab" to save real estate on the toolbar.) Tabbed browsers are one of the great recent inventions, right after clumping cat litter.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Quincy