Internet Browsers: What are YOU using? (And why?) (1 Viewer)

[BobO'Link]

I've uploaded my current userChrome.css file (as a zip). It has tabs operating the way I like (they'll get ridiculously small and do not scroll - ever), expand properly to fill the tab area when some are closed, as you close tabs the ones to the right pull left and the "X" to close them are under your cursor, have slightly rounded (some call them square) edges, are below the URL bar, and a few other tweaks. They are "plain Jane" grey as I couldn't care less about colors on tabs. The current tab will be FF orange.

An earlier post of mine has links to the site where I got my mods and has information about putting color on the tabs.

 

[BobO'Link]

IceDragon updated today on a work system... The first since I installed it right after FF Quantum was released. It now uses the Quantum engine so all the old, legacy, plugins are gone. It also screwed up my custom settings and reset my start page to Yahoo! !?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!

You don't screw with my start page without asking! That. Is. Not. Cool!!!

IceDragon is history! The initial good feelings and trust I had in that platform are no more.

 

[theJman]

I've uploaded my current userChrome.css file (as a zip). It has tabs operating the way I like (they'll get ridiculously small and do not scroll - ever), expand properly to fill the tab area when some are closed, as you close tabs the ones to the right pull left and the "X" to close them are under your cursor, have slightly rounded (some call them square) edges, are below the URL bar, and a few other tweaks. They are "plain Jane" grey as I couldn't care less about colors on tabs. The current tab will be FF orange.

An earlier post of mine has links to the site where I got my mods and has information about putting color on the tabs.

Thanks, I'll take a look. I was trying to round off the tabs some because I'm not a big fan of the square look. The code I found previously doesn't work though.

 

[BobO'Link]

Thanks, I'll take a look. I was trying to round off the tabs some because I'm not a big fan of the square look. The code I found previously doesn't work though.

I'd actually call them "squarish" as they're slightly rounded on the edges. Certainly not the flat, hard square, look of Windows 10. There's a setting in the file that allows you to adjust the curve.

I believe this section of code controls the tab "roundness": It's close to the bottom of the css file - just search for "roundness" as it's the only instance of that word in the file. Change the "3px" to higher numbers to create more curve, lower to go more square.

/* tab top border roundness */
#TabsToolbar .tabs-newtab-button,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab .tab-stack,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab .tab-background,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab .tab-content {
border-top-left-radius: 3px !important;
border-top-right-radius: 3px !important;
}

There are also 2 segments at the end of the file that may have something to do with overall tab "roundness." Like the other, the "3px" is the only thing you need to change.

.tabbrowser-tab::after,
.tabbrowser-tab::before {
border-left: unset !important;
border-image: unset !important;
border-image-slice: unset !important;
border-top-left-radius: 3px !important;
border-top-right-radius: 3px !important;
}

The last one is "remmed" out (the # before a line causes it and/or the segment to not be processed) so isn't being used. The { and } symbols contain code between them - essentially, the block between those symbols are a single entity for processing so commenting out the leading line, the one in this case has a { at the end before the line break, causes the entire block, up to the next }, to be ignored.

 

[John Dirk]

I've used Chrome for years since IE is always more prone to hacking based on it's market share. I also love the Chrome Remote Desktop application. Since I use a projector with my HTPC, Remote Desktop allows me to handle basic HTPC maintenance [and disc ripping] using my tablet display instead of having to fire up the projector.

I hear and understand those that don't trust Google. Neither do I but I don't trust any of the others either. Spying and data mining are mainstream these days. I also hate dealing with Chrome's well documented problems with Adobe Flash.

I haven't tried Edge yet since I'm still using Windows 7 on all of my systems. I've heard it's the only PC based browser that can support Object Based audio so I guess my days are numbered with Chrome and Windows 7.

 

[BobO'Link]

Chrome Remote Desktop is the only part of Chrome I'll use. It's a pretty good application. I hate the browser. Other than not trusting Google, it's mostly because it can't be configured for the way I like to work. I also don't care for it syncing bookmarks, tabs, etc. across systems so I just disable that function. I know lots of people love this but I find it annoying. I use different sets of startup pages, tabs, bookmarks, and more for home and work. I absolutely do not want, nor need, them commingled.

Chrome doesn't necessarily "have problems" with Flash - it's more a hate relationship and they're doing all they can to kill its use everywhere. IMHO, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Every time you turn around there's another security hole in Flash and it's been that way since it was introduced. Google recently deprecated Flash in the browser, although you can still re-enable it if you wish. However, it won't be much longer before they'll remove that option and Flash will just no longer be available for use in Chrome. Adobe is ending support for flash in 2020. In spite of that I suspect there'll still be thousands of sites that will still use it for one reason or another - most likely citing the expense of converting to HTML5 or another playback method.

 

[John Dirk]

Chrome Remote Desktop is the only part of Chrome I'll use. It's a pretty good application. I hate the browser. Other than not trusting Google, it's mostly because it can't be configured for the way I like to work. I also don't care for it syncing bookmarks, tabs, etc. across systems so I just disable that function. I know lots of people love this but I find it annoying. I use different sets of startup pages, tabs, bookmarks, and more for home and work. I absolutely do not want, nor need, them commingled.

Chrome doesn't necessarily "have problems" with Flash - it's more a hate relationship and they're doing all they can to kill its use everywhere. IMHO, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Every time you turn around there's another security hole in Flash and it's been that way since it was introduced. Google recently deprecated Flash in the browser, although you can still re-enable it if you wish. However, it won't be much longer before they'll remove that option and Flash will just no longer be available for use in Chrome. Adobe is ending support for flash in 2020. In spite of that I suspect there'll still be thousands of sites that will still use it for one reason or another - most likely citing the expense of converting to HTML5 or another playback method.

Very informative regarding Flash. So many sites still use it, as you pointed out, which makes for a frustrating experience. I also hate the bookmarking syncing feature and have it disabled.

 

[theJman]

I hear and understand those that don't trust Google. Neither do I but I don't trust any of the others either. Spying and data mining are mainstream these days.

There are numerous browsers based on the same source code - Chromium - that have ripped out all the google-call-home junk that Chrome has, so you can have your cake and eat it too in that regard. Of course Chromium itself is one of them, as is SRWare Iron, SlimJet, Iridium, Cent and probably many others (those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head).

 

[John Dirk]

There are numerous browsers based on the same source code - Chromium - that have ripped out all the google-call-home junk that Chrome has, so you can have your cake and eat it too in that regard. Of course Chromium itself is one of them, as is SRWare Iron, SlimJet, Iridium, Cent and probably many others (those are the ones I could think of off the top of my head).

Thanks! I'll take a look.

 

[theJman]

I believe this section of code controls the tab "roundness": It's close to the bottom of the css file - just search for "roundness" as it's the only instance of that word in the file. Change the "3px" to higher numbers to create more curve, lower to go more square.

/* tab top border roundness */
#TabsToolbar .tabs-newtab-button,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab .tab-stack,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab .tab-background,
#TabsToolbar .tabbrowser-tab .tab-content {
border-top-left-radius: 3px !important;
border-top-right-radius: 3px !important;
}

There are also 2 segments at the end of the file that may have something to do with overall tab "roundness." Like the other, the "3px" is the only thing you need to change.

.tabbrowser-tab::after,
.tabbrowser-tab::before {
border-left: unset !important;
border-image: unset !important;
border-image-slice: unset !important;
border-top-left-radius: 3px !important;
border-top-right-radius: 3px !important;
}

Thanks for the code. Neither section was in my userChrome.css file so I added them both, but sadly to no avail. I tried the very end of the file first, just before the closing </html> tag. When that didn't work I moved the code just after the <head> tag, but still nothing. Each time was with 25, 50 and then 100px. Still square as they ever were. It was worth a try...

BTW, is that first section verbatim with how it looks in your file? It's completely commented out, so I'm surprised it does anything.

 

[BobO'Link]

Yes, it's commented out and is pulled directly from my file (the one I uploaded). I did a quick look through it to see what, if anything, I might have done and those sections were the only things I could find. So... I don't know just where my "slightly rounded" corners are coming from but they are not the absolutely square, Windows 10, versions I recall standard Quantum has on display. I also found what looks to be duplicated tab color sections but from different sources. I didn't strip them simply because that file works "as is" for me and I didn't feel like experimenting. That's also the file from my work system and I've not yet duplicated it for home. That'll likely happen soon since IceDragon did what they did...

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I have been using Firefox for many years, and am quite satisfied with the latest version. I also use Firefox on my Android phone and sync my bookmarks between the two. I tried Edge after getting Windows 10 and hated it. I searched for and found IE and used that until I had Firefox set up on my new PC.

 

[BobO'Link]

I have to correct a comment I made earler about a userchrome.css file command.

# does *not* "rem" out a line!!

To do that you use /* to start a comment/remmed area and */ to end the section. Everything between /* and */ is ignored.

EXAMPLE... In this section of code, the entire thing is commented (or remmed) out:

/*
* Make all the default font sizes 20 pt:
*
* * {
* font-size: 20pt !important
* }
*/

In this section the change to the font size has been uncommented and will process - notice the */ has been moved up:

/*
* Make all the default font sizes 20 pt:
*/
* {
font-size: 20pt !important
}

Sorry for any confusion!

 

[theJman]

Playing around with css a bit more I did find something that rounds off the tab edges...

.tab-background {
border-radius: 10px 10px 0px 0px !important;
border-image: none !important; }

The result is not exactly what I'm looking for but it's a start. I have found some other code snippets that I was trying to use to modify the interface further, but it seems they are hit or miss; some work, but others are completely ignored. I have noticed you have to add "!important;" to the end of some functions in order for them to work at all (many don't work even with that unfortunately). This is my first attempt at css 'programming' though, so I'm still learning the ins and outs.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I have to update my work PC to FF Quantum.

So I'll be jumping from version 56.0.2 to 63.0.1. I had stopped automatic updates before the jump to Quantum.

Howie, going back to post #66 in this thread...in which you detail the code needed to place the tabs back underneath the FF Bookmarks Toolbar and the Address bar. Any changes with that? Or is that still the way to get things done?

 

[Mike Frezon]

It almost looks as if I need to use different code to get those tabs where I want 'em (although I haven't had to change anything on my laptop at home which is up-to-date on Firefox).

https://github.com/Aris-t2/CustomCSSforFx/issues/164

 

[Mike Frezon]

So the upgrade to FF 63+ has been made...but I CANNOT find the UserChrome.css (or UserContent.css) file anywhere on my work PC.



I've got "Hidden FIles" visible.

I'm looking HERE: C:\Users\ USERNAME \AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ PROFILE FOLDER NAME \

In the Profiles folder there is only one folder named: 1orx89ri.default And that folder contains no ,css files.

 

[theJman]

By default FF does not create the chrome folder or the userchrome.css file. Check out this link.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Very helpful, Jim. Thanks!

Hopefully, I'll have time to get to try this when I'm at work tomorrow.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Back at work today.

Jim: The linked-to instructions worked perfectly...even for a newbie like me. Thanks!

Howie: I used the css text which I linked-to back in post #116. Didn't work. I used the css text you posted back in Post #66 of this thread and it worked like a charm.

Many thanks to you, too!

============================

Now I just need to "pretty up" the tabs themselves. Currently the active tab is a bright white with black text while the inactive tabs are pitch black with white text. It's kinda off-putting...but definitely workable. I wish Colorful Tabs worked with the newer Firefox.