Update for Firefox 2.0
If you are running Firefox 2.0, the keyconfig extension may not install because it is not listed as being compatible past 1.6.
However, there is a way around this, by installing the Nightly Test Tools extension first. The options in this extension allow you to skip compatibility checking for other extensions, so that you can install any extension in Firefox 2.0. I've tried this with keyconfig with no problem whatsoever, but be warned -- some extensions really are *not* compatible with 2.0, and if you install them, it may break your browser (you can always start it up in safe mode and remove the problematic extension).
Intro
I use Mozilla Firefox to browse the web. Like a lot of people, I used to use Internet Explorer, and ever since switching I've never looked back.
One of the few things I miss about IE is the ability to press CTRL + N and get a new window with a history identical to that of the old one. So, if you open up a page, click around to a few new ones, press CTRL + N for a new window, and then in the new window press "Back", you'd get the same page as you would if you pressed "Back" in the old window. You get the same behavior if you right-click on a link and open it in a new window.
The way Firefox ships, when you press CTRL + T, you just get a new empty tab, and when you press CTRL + N, you get a new window with your hompage.
Recently, I set out to find a solution, and with a little research and discussion in the ERT forum, I came up with a solution to emulate the IE new-window behavior, while still enabling the option to use the Firefox defaults. I've been quite happy with the results, as have several friends for whom I've set this up. In this article, I'll show you how to install and configure a combination of extensions to get the job done.
Quick Overview
Here's how I finally solved the problem. First, I installed an extension called "Tab History", which makes new tabs opened through links contain the same history as the parent tab. Next, I installed "Duplicate Tab", which allows you to clone a tab into either a new tab or window, carrying along the original tab's history.
With these two extensions installed, the functionality becomes:
| Key Combo | Result |
|---|---|
| CTRL + T | New blank tab |
| CTRL + N | New blank window |
| CTRL + SHIFT + T | Duplicate tab with history |
| CTRL + SHIFT + N | Duplicate window with history* |
*only duplicates one tab -- doesn't bring all of them to new window
This is very nice, because it lets you create new windows and tabs with and without histories with easy keyboard shortcuts. My preference was to have the keys bound oppositely, however, so that the "default" was to get a tab/window with history, and adding SHIFT would create blank ones. Especially if you're just switching from IE, this will probably feel a lot more natural to you, and may be very helpful in getting used to using the new browser. To deal with the keyboard shortcut issue, I installed an extension called Keyconfig that lets you set the key bindings however you want to.
Details on doing all of this are below. It should take about 5-10 minutes at most.
Details
The last time I helped someone do this, I took a minute to take screen shots so I could make detailed instructions...so here they are =)
Start by going to the Tab History installation page, and click on the "Install Now" link:
A window will pop up in Firefox. Click "Install Now" (You may have to wait a moment before it is active).
The extension will install, and your Extensions window will pop up:
Easy enough. Now go to the Duplicate Tab installation page and follow the same procedure for installing the extension. Next, we'll get the Keyconfig extension, which needs to be installed slightly differently. If you don't want to change the default key shortcuts, you can stop here.
Go to the Keyconfig download page, and scroll to the bottom. Right-click (CTRL + Click on Mac OS) on the "Install" link, and select "Save Link As..."
This will prompt you to save the keyconfig_20050313.1_enh.xpi file somewhere (the Desktop is easiest).
When the file is done downloading, open your Extensions window if it isn't already open, by going to Tools -> Extensions
in Firefox. Now find the keyconfig_20050313.1_enh.xpi file on your desktop, grab hold of it with the
mouse pointer, drag the file into
your Extensions window, and let go (Anywhere in the white part of the window is fine; you may have to minimize some
windows and move things around to make room for this). Just pretend you're moving the keyconfig_20050313.1_enh.xpi
file to another folder (your Extensions window) if all that didn't make sense ;-)
Another Software Installation window will pop up in Firefox. Click "Install Now" as you did before, and when the extension is done installing, quit Firefox (close all the windows) and open it up again.
Now we'll configure the key bindings. Go to Tools->Keyconfig. Find the "New Window" function under the Name column, and click on it once to select it. Press the "Disable" button to temporarily disable it. Do the same thing for the "New Tab" function right below.
Now find the "To New Window" function and select it. Then double-click in the text field where "CTRL + SHIFT + N" is written. The text will disappear. Now Type CTRL + N together, and "CTRL + N" will show up in the field. Click the Apply button. Now do the same thing for the "To New Tab" function, using CTRL + T as the shortcut.
Now go back to the "New Window" and "New Tab" functions that you disabled. For each one, click on it, and assign it a new shortcut (CTRL + SHIFT + N for "New Window" and CTRL + SHIFT + T for "New Tab"). Remember to click in the text field first, and then to click the Apply button after you enter each shortcut.
Click the OK button on the bottom right of the Extensions window. You'll see an alert that "Changes only affect new windows". Say OK to that, and restart Firefox again. When it starts up again, you'll be all set to go.
A Note To Those With The Web Developer Extension
If you have the web developer extension installed, you may run into trouble because CTRL + SHIFT + T is set by default as a shortcut to toggle the visibility of the web dev bar toolbar. You can either change or disable this by going to
tools -> web developer -> options -> options....
and then in the Keys menu, Web Developer Toolbar: either erase the T or pick another key to show/hide the bar. Alternatively, if you installed the Keyconfig extension, you can change or disable the key binding for the "Web Developer Toolbar" function.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Feel free to send questions, comments, or flames (but please, no SPAM) to info [_at_] nicholassolutions (dot) com (you may also use the contact form on our website, nicholassolutions.com). If this is your first time visiting ERT, why not stay and look around for a while? This article is just a small part of the content we have to offer.
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