This page was created to be a companion of my page on Tabbed Browsing in Firefox.
The table on this page consisting of selected tab and window
items has been extracted from
http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries
which is part of the
MozillaZine_Knowledge_Base article http://kb.mozillazine.org/MozillaZine_Knowledge_Base:About
To view table and your own settings at the same time, you might want to install the Split Browser extension and split the screen vertically with the table as the main at the bottom so it is with Find, and with the split about:config at the top, and descriptions such as on this page below. (for more information see firefox.htm page)
Note: Spaces between the dots in preference names exist purely for word-wrapping. They are actually not present and should not be thought as so.
To find values related to an about:config configuration entries
Use your browser's FIND to find variables or descriptions matching a one word or character string. For instance you might want to use FIND openintab in browser, and filter: openintab in the about:config list where "browser.search.openintab" has extra spaces as "browser. search. openintab".
To change a configuration setting double-click on the variable and change the value (right-click context menu also works). If the type is Boolean a dcouble-click will toggle the value immeciately, so always keep an eye on the value or the "user set" / "default" indication for each variable.
| Name | Type | Meaning of Values |
|---|---|---|
| browser. block. target_new_window | Boolean | True: Links with target set to _blank
will open in the current tab instead of a new window.False: Links with target set to _blank
will open in a new window.Note: No longer in use. Use browser.link.open_newwindow instead. |
| browser. link. open_external | Integer | Where to open links sent to the browser from an
external application 2: Opens external links in a new window 3: Opens external links in a new tab 1 (or anything else) (default): Opens external links in current window Note: In Firefox 1.5, this can be changed via "Tools → Options → Advanced → Tabbed Browsing → Open links from other applications in:" This option is mentioned under Browser Behavior in Firefox Help: Tips & Tricks |
| browser. link. open_newwindow | Integer | Where to open links that would normally open in
a new
window 2: In a new window 3 (default): In a new tab 1 (or anything else): In the current window |
| browser. link. open_newwindow. restriction | Integer | Firefox and SeaMonkey only. Source: The Burning Edge. 0 (Default in Firefox 1.0.x and SeaMonkey): Force all new windows opened by JavaScript into tabs. 1: Let all windows opened by JavaScript open in new windows. (Default behavior in IE.) 2 (Default in Firefox 1.5): Catch new windows opened by JavaScript that do not have specific values set (how large the window should be, whether it should have a status bar, etc.) This is useful because some popups are legitimate — it really is useful to be able to see both the popup and the original window at the same time. However, most advertising popups also open in new windows with values set, so beware. This option is mentioned under Browser Behavior in Firefox Help: Tips & Tricks |
| browser. link. open_newwindow. ui | Integer | Determine which new window open options are available from the UI. No longer used in Firefox 1.0. Default value is 3. |
| browser. search. openintab | Boolean | True: When performing a search from the
Search
Bar, open the results in a new tab. False (default): Open search results in the current tab/window. Note: Firefox nightly trunk builds only. If you foolishly installed Tab Mix Plus then controlled by extensions.tabmix.opentabfor.search |
| browser. search. order. (digit) | String | (digit) is used to weight the search engine specified by the value for sorting in the list of search engines. |
| browser. tabs. autoHide | Boolean | Behavior for the tab bar when only one tab exists True (default): Hide the tab bar False: Always show the tab bar Note: In Firefox, this can be changed via "Tools → Options → Advanced → Tabbed Browsing → Hide the tab bar when only one web site is open" |
| Browser. tabs.closeButtons | Integer | (Firefox 2.0) This preference controls how close
buttons can be displayed on tabs. 0: Display a close button on the active tab only 1: (default) Display a close button on each tab 2: Don't display any close buttons 3: Display a single close button at the end of the tab bar (Firefox 1.x behavior) |
| browser. tabs. forceHide | Boolean | Display of the tab bar True: Hide the tab bar False: Show tab bar normally Note: This is not used to enable/disable the tab bar. It's used internally to decide whether or not to show the tabbed bar. |
| browser. tabs. loadBookmarksInBackground | Boolean | True: When you open a bookmark in a new
tab
then that tab will load in the background without taking focus from the
current tab. False (default): When you open a bookmark in a new tab then that tab will become the current tab. Note: In Firefox, this can be changed via "Tools → Options → Advanced → Tabbed Browsing → Select New Tabs from Bookmarks or History" |
| browser. tabs. loadDivertedInBackground | Boolean | Determines behavior of pages normally meant to
open in
a new window (target="_new" or from an external program),
but that have instead been loaded in a new tab.True: Load the new tab in the background, leaving focus on the current tab False (default): Load the new tab in the foreground, taking the focus from the current tab. Note: Setting this preference to True will still bring the browser to the front when opening links from outside the browser. |
| browser. tabs. loadFolderAndReplace | Boolean | True (default): When opening a folder of
bookmarks in tabs, the existing tabs will be replaced by the new
bookmark pages. False: Existing tabs will be preserved when loading a folder of bookmarks. The bookmark pages will be loaded in tabs that are appended to the current tabs. |
| browser. tabs. loadGroup | Integer | 0: Append group to current tab set 1 (default): Replace current tab set with group Note: Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey only. |
| browser. tabs. loadInBackground | Boolean | Focus behavior for new tabs True (default): Do not focus new tabs opened from links (load in background) False: Opposite of above Note: In Firefox, this can be changed via "Tools → Options → Advanced → Tabbed Browsing → Select new tabs opened from links" |
| browser. tabs. loadOnNewTab | Integer | Determines what will be displayed in a new tab -1: Browser startup page 0 (default): Blank page 1: Homepage 2: Last visited page Note: Does not work in Firefox (see bug 269664). |
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. bookmarks | Boolean | Controls if a clicked bookmark will open in a
new tab
when middleclicked. Note: Pref removed (obsolete). Functionality proposed as enhancement request. |
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. middleclick | Boolean | Determines the behavior of a link when
middle-clicked. True (default): Opens link in new tab False: Opens link in new window |
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. searchdialog | Boolean | Determines whether to create a new tab for the
search
results from queries entered in the search dialog (used when the Search Bar is hidden) Note: Firefox 1.5 and above only. |
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. urlbar | Boolean | Pref removed (unused). Previously: Determines the behavior of pressing Enter in the address bar or clicking the Go button. True (default): Open URL in new tab False: Open URL in current tab Note: Functionality proposed as enhancement request. |
| browser. tabs. selectOwnerOnClose | Boolean | In conjunction with several other improvements to tabbed browsing in Firefox 2.0, the behavior of closing tabs was changed. Previously, closing any tab would shift focus to the tab immediately to the right if possible; failing that, the tab to the left. Now, if a page that would normally have opened in a new window is opened in a tab and that tab is closed, focus is shifted to the tab that opened the window. This preference controls whether the old or new behavior is observed.
True - If new windows are diverted into new tabs and a resulting tab is closed, shift focus back to the tab that opened it. (Default)
False - When any tab is closed, shift focus to the adjacent right tab if it exists; otherwise, to the adjacent left tab. |
| browser. tabs. showSingleWindowModePrefs | Boolean | Determines whether to display "Single Window
Mode"
settings in preferences (see bug 266759). True: Show "Force links that open in new windows to open in..." options under "Tools → Options → Advanced → Tabbed Browsing" False (default): Opposite of above |
| browser. tabs. warnOnCloseOther | Boolean | True (default): The browser will prompt
for
confirmation when closing all other tabs from the tab context menu
("Close Other Tabs") False: Opposite of the above |
| browser. windows. loadOnNewWindow | Integer | Set what should be displayed in a newly created
window -1: Browser Startup Page 0: Blank Page 1 (default): Your Homepage 2: Last Visited |
How To Modify Hidden Preferences Using about:config[http://www.mozillazine.org/misc/about:config/]
Some settings used and/or found in newsgroups (#settings)
| Name | Mine on 2007-01-22 using Firefox 2.0 |
Default | Multiple Windows No Tabs (Tab Killer) |
One Window and No Tabs |
| browser. block. target_new_window | (user True) | False | ||
| browser. link. open_external | (default 3) | 3 - New Tab | 2 - New Window | 1 - Current |
| browser. link. open_newwindow | (default 3) | 3 - New Tab | 2 - New Window | 1 - Current |
| browser. link. open_newwindow. restriction (applies to JavaScript, 0 all into tabs) | (default 2) | 2 | 2 | 1 - like IE for JavaScript |
| browser. link. open_newwindow. ui | ||||
| browser. search. openintab | (user true) | true | ||
| browser. search. order. | (digit) | |||
| browser. tabs. autoHide | (user False) | false | ||
| Browser. tabs. closeButtons | (user 3 at right) | |||
| browser. tabs. forceHide | (default false) | false | True | True |
| browser. tabs. loadBookmarksInBackground | (default false) | false | ||
| browser. tabs. loadDivertedInBackground | (default False) | false | ||
| browser. tabs. loadFolderAndReplace | (user False) | false | ||
| browser. tabs. loadGroup | (default 1) | 1 | ||
| browser. tabs. loadInBackground | (default False) | false | ||
| browser. tabs. loadOnNewTab | (default 0) | 0 | ||
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. bookmarks | ||||
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. middleclick | (default True) [see mouse] | true | false | |
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. searchdialog | (**used when search bar is hidden) | |||
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. windowopen | (obsolete -- user False **) | N/A | ||
| browser. tabs. opentabfor. urlbar | (obsolete) | N/A | false (obsolete) | |
| browser. tabs. showSingleWindowModePrefs | (default is False, determines whether to display "Single Window Mode" in preferences (see bug 266759) | false | ||
| browser. tabs. warnOnCloseOther | (default true) | true | ||
| browser. windows. loadOnNewWindow | (default 1) | 1 | ||
| (new tabs in immed before/after or at end) | (avail in humongous TMP) |
When you have finished changing your settings, test them out in the Target test area of Tabs page.
Page was originally edited by with Nvu and with Front Page.
The table on
this page has been extracted from
http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries
which is part of the
MozillaZine_Knowledge_http://kb.mozillazine.org/MozillaZine_Knowledge_Base:About