Firefox Extensions

Extensions are small add-ons that add new features to Firefox. Anything from a handy toolbar button to a completely new function. Extensions allow you to customize Firefox to fit your personal needs.

There are two extension menus over in the right-hand column. The first lists extensions that I recommend you try. The second is my own Swiss Army collection. :-) Go ahead, try any of them. They're easy to uninstall. Or look for more.

There are downsides to using extensions. Firefox will take longer to start -- figure 1 second per extension -- and use it will more memory. There may also be conflicts that disable Firefox features or other extensions, or cause Firefox to lock-up or crash. For example, Flashblock and "NoScript" conflict (at least in the past). Firefox crashed once in a while when I had them both installed. NoScript stops 3rd-party Flash objects (ads) anyway so that may be enough. [more problems]

Because I have so many extensions installed, I use the "Check by Halves" method to track down which one is offending. Just disable half of your extensions and see if the problem goes away. If it does not, disable half of the remaining extensions and see what happens. If it did not, enable half of the ones you disabled and see what happens. Eventually you'll track down the maverick extension.

Installing extensions

Start at Firefox Add-ons. You'll find oodles of extensions there. (Extensions are just one type of add-on.) Or you can pick a few from my list in the right-hand column.

It's very easy to install Firefox extensions once you get the hang of it. ;-) There are instructions for working with extensions at the Firefox Knowledge Base. I've included a few tips here about things that I found puzzling when working with extensions at first.

When you pick an extension and click "Install" it may seem that nothing happens. Look for a straw colored "information bar" at the top of the display area after you click. Click the Options button on the bar, and the add-on manager will initiate a process that allows that particular site to install extensions.

Then you'll need to click the install button again. This time the installation should proceed. There's a good reason to do it that way, but that doesn't change the fact that it's weird.

Extensions aren't fully installed until you restart Firefox, so don't expect anything to show up until you do. ;-) Many times a "run-once" page will open with more instructions. I like to bookmark that page so that I can return to it if I need too.

If you're having trouble or want to know more about an extension, there's often a link at the bottom of the Mozilla page that invites you to "view the homepage for this add-on". It's easy to uninstall extensions, so don't worry about trying them out.

Secrets of using extensions

You'll find good information on using extensions in the Firefox Knowledge Base, but more follows here. One thing I have learned is that after you install an extension there's often nothing that tells how to use it. :-( The secret is knowing where to look. There are some clues in the next few paragraphs. :-)

Sometimes a tutorial opens the first time you restart Firefox after adding an extension. That's one good reason to only install one extension at a time. I like to bookmark that page so that I can return to it if I need too.

Sometimes you can find more about using an extension at it's homepage. [Use the "view the homepage for this add-on" link at the bottom of the Mozilla page for the extension to get there.]

What if none of those are available? The first place to look is under "Tools" in the main Firefox menu. For example, I see "Tab Mix Plus Options"; "Toggle Grab and Drag"; "AdBlock Plus..." and several others in my Tools menu. Unfortunately they're mixed in with standard Tool menu items, but at least they're there.

The Add-ons Manager is another place to look. [Click "Tools" in the menu > click "Add-ons"] The manager should open. Many extensions have "Options" that you can select. [Click the extension you want to work with to select it so that the button appears.]

Don't overlook the power of "right-click". If you right-click an extension in Extension Manager you'll get a context menu with general and perhaps specific items for that extension. "Disable", for example, is a handy one if you're troubleshooting conflict between extensions.

Some extensions show up in the status bar, which is found at the bottom of the Firefox window. Greasemonkey, Auto Copy and Adblock Plus are examples. And some extensions, for example Reveal, offer keyboard hotkeys for control.

Some extensions only show up in context menus when you "right-click" something related. For example, if I select some text on a webpage [shift-drag with the mouse] and then "right-click" I get Launchy options in the context menu. If you just right-click an empty spot on the webpage the context menu may offer choices for other extensions.

A few extensions show up in other items on the main menu besides "Tools". For example, "Foxmarks" shows up under "Bookmarks", and "View Source Chart" shows up under "View".

The biggest secret: Some extensions have control buttons to add to your toolbars. They are the only way you can use some extensions. [Click "Tools" > point at "Toolbars" > select "Customize..."] A dialog box with buttons will open. There you'll find some standard buttons, and perhaps a button or two for the extension that you just installed.

Click and drag the button(s) you want to a toolbar (or the main menu bar) at the top of the Firefox window. Close the dialog box, and you'll now have a button to control the extension with. If you hover your mouse pointer over the buttons, you'll get a balloon that tells you what they do. To remove a button, just open the customize box again and drag the button off the toolbar to the dialog box. [my buttons]

The one I almost didn't find :-)

If you have a lot of bookmarks and want to keep them organized, it's "essential" to have the "Locate in Bookmark Folders" extension. However there are very few clues, including at the homepage, about how to access it. I finally found the "Locate" button in the Bookmarks Manager, and there is also an item named "Locate" in context menu. (Find that when you right-click a search result in the Bookmarks Manager or in the Bookmarks Sidebar.)