Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email

Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email

by Peter D. Hipson
Released October 2005
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: None

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Book description

There's a new browser in town: Firefox is quickly becoming a leading alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you are new to Firefox and want to see what all the buzz is about, Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email is the guide that you need. By focusing on how to configure and customize Firefox and Thunderbird, this book will show you how to quickly get a hold of the less intuitive features that most new users struggle to figure out. You will discover which of Firefox's many options should be adjusted, which shouldn't, and how to locate many hidden preferences that will ultimately create a better browsing experience. The author's tips and tricks will teach you how to adjust the browser's appearance and behavior, and how to install the most popular extensions to maximize the browser's performance.

You'll also be introduced to Firefox's e-mail client companion, Thunderbird. You'll cover Thunderbird's built-in spam filters, calendar, and customizeable layout and toolbars. Personalize your e-mail with tips and tricks dedicated to getting the most out of Thunderbird, and learn how to make it work together with Firefox for a seamless online experience.

You can even find out how to contribute to the development of Firefox and Thunderbird. A special section on Web development will show you how you can add new extensions, themes, and customizations to each one and make an impact on the future of Firefox and Thunderbird.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. About the Author
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. We Want to Hear from You!
  5. Foreword
  6. Introduction
    1. The Mozilla Project
    2. The Mozilla Suite
    3. Why Firefox Now?
    4. Thunderbird
    5. The Mozilla Open Source Community
    6. Who Should Read This Book?
    7. What Is in This Book?
    8. From the Author
  7. I. Making Firefox Yours
    1. 1. Hitting the Ground Running with Firefox
      1. Installing Firefox
        1. Windows
        2. Linux
      2. Understanding Bookmarks and Favorites
        1. Internet Explorer’s Favorites
        2. Firefox’s Bookmarks
        3. Transferring Internet Explorer’s Favorites to Firefox
      3. Synchronizing with Internet Explorer
      4. Making Firefox the Default Browser
      5. Installation and Configuration Secrets for Power Users
    2. 2. The Power of Tabs and Bookmarks
      1. Using Tabs to Manage Pages
      2. Opening a New Tab
      3. Opening a Link in a Tab
      4. Changing Tabbrowser Extensions Configuration Options
      5. Navigating Between Tabs
      6. Rearranging Tabs
        1. Rearranging Tabs with the Mouse
        2. Rearranging Tabs with the Keyboard
      7. Opening Multiple Bookmarks in Tabs
        1. Creating and Using TabGroups
      8. Using Live Bookmarks and Bookmarks in Firefox
        1. Live Bookmarks, Live Bookmark Articles, and Bookmarks
        2. Configuring Live Bookmarks and Bookmarks in Tabbrowser
      9. Working with Multiple Home Pages in Tabs
      10. Tabbing and Bookmark Secrets for Power Users
    3. 3. Finding Information with Firefox
      1. Firefox Search Engines
      2. Using the Location Bar
      3. Using the Search Bar
      4. Adding Search Engines to the Search Bar
      5. Switching Search Engines
      6. Working with Firefox’s Keywords System
      7. Working with the Find Bar
      8. Storing Searches
      9. Navigating the History
        1. Configuring History
        2. Downloaded History
      10. Searching Secrets for Power Users
    4. 4. Managing Profiles
      1. Locating Your Profile
        1. Configuration File: user.js
          1. Creating a user.js File in Windows
        2. Customizing Firefox’s Look and Feel with userChrome.css
        3. Customizing How Content Is Displayed with userContent.css
      2. Using about:config
      3. Creating Profiles with the Profile Wizard
      4. Backing Up a Profile
      5. Restoring a Profile
      6. Using Multiple Profiles
      7. Importing Profile Information
      8. Sharing a Profile
      9. Profile Secrets for Power Users
    5. 5. Taking Control of Your Browser
      1. Understanding Web Security Issues
      2. Websites Written for Internet Explorer
      3. Blocking Pop-ups
      4. Blocking Banner Ads
      5. Blocking Ads with Adblock
        1. Importing, Exporting, and Removing Filters
          1. Importing Filters
          2. Exporting Filters
          3. Removing Filters
        2. Adblock Preferences
      6. Software Installations from Non-Mozilla Sites
      7. Controlling JavaScript
      8. Using BugMeNot for Anonymous Registration
      9. Understanding Cookies and Firefox Cookie Controls
      10. Password-Protecting Firefox
      11. Determining the Real Location of Sites
      12. Using Firefox’s Clear Private Data Feature
      13. Taking Control Secrets for Power Users
  8. II. Extending and Modifying Firefox
    1. 6. Power Firefox Tricks and Techniques
      1. Finding Your Configuration Files
        1. Windows XP and 2000
        2. Windows 95, 98, and Millennium
        3. Mac
        4. Linux
      2. Firefox Global Preferences and Properties
        1. Global Preferences
        2. Global Properties
        3. Defaults.ini and Components.ini
      3. Creating and Editing user.js
      4. Cascading Style Sheets: A Primer
      5. Editing userChrome.css
      6. Creating and Editing userContent.css
      7. Using Themes
      8. Changing Browser Behavior and Appearance
        1. Flexbeta FireTweaker
          1. Appearance
          2. Behavior
          3. Performance
          4. Web Page Appearance
          5. Rollback
        2. ChromEdit: User Profile File Editor
      9. Other Browser Performance Improvements
      10. Pipelining More Speed
      11. Miscellaneous Performance Preferences
      12. Reporting Broken Websites
      13. Power Firefox Tricks and Techniques Secrets for Power Users
    2. 7. Themes and Plug-ins
      1. Browsing Mozilla Update
      2. Installing a Theme
      3. Plugging In Content with a Plug-in
      4. Installing Plug-ins
        1. Acrobat Reader
        2. Adobe SVG Viewer
        3. Java Plug-in
        4. Macromedia Flash Player
        5. Macromedia Shockwave Player
        6. QuickTime
        7. RealPlayer 10
        8. Windows Media Player
        9. Other Plug-ins and Toys
      5. Themes and Plug-ins Secrets for Power Users
    3. 8. Making Extensions Work for You
      1. Firefox Extensions: Never a Dull Moment!
      2. Installing an Extension
        1. Manual Installation
        2. Automatic Installation
        3. All Extension Installations
      3. The Most Popular Extension Categories
        1. Blogging
        2. Bookmarks
        3. Developer Tools
          1. ShowIP
          2. View Formatted Source
        4. Download Tools
        5. Editing and Forms
        6. Entertainment
        7. Humor
        8. Image Browsing
        9. Kiosk Browsing
        10. Languages
        11. Miscellaneous
        12. Navigation
        13. Newsreaders
        14. Privacy and Security
        15. Search Tools
        16. Tabbed Browsing
        17. Web Annoyances
        18. Website Integration
        19. XUL Applications
      4. Working with Extensions: Secrets for Power Users
    4. 9. Changing Preferences and Settings
      1. about:
      2. about:buildconfig
      3. about:cache
      4. about:config, Firefox’s Configuration Console
        1. Back Up Before Disaster!
        2. Understanding the about:config Display
        3. Adding New Preferences
        4. Filtering and Sorting the about:config Display
        5. Using Caution with about:config
        6. Modifying Preferences with about:config
        7. Changing Hidden and Undocumented Options
      5. about:credits—Who’s Guilty?
      6. about:Mozilla
      7. about:plugins, Plugging into Plug-ins
      8. Working with about: Secrets for Power Users
  9. III. Using Thunderbird
    1. 10. Hitting the Ground Running with Thunderbird
      1. Thunderbird Is a Better Alternative
      2. Getting Up and Running with Thunderbird
        1. Installing on Windows
        2. Linux
      3. Importing Account Settings
        1. Importing Address Books
          1. Eudora
          2. Outlook
          3. Outlook Express
          4. Text Files
        2. Mail
        3. Settings
      4. Setting Up Accounts
      5. Server Settings
        1. Check for New Messages at Startup
        2. Check for New Messages Every 10 Minutes
        3. Automatically Download New Messages
        4. Fetch Headers Only
        5. Leave Messages on Server
        6. Empty Trash on Exit
      6. Creating Your Own Mail Start Page
      7. Composing and Sending a Message
      8. Using the Spell-Checker
      9. Replying to Mail
      10. Creating HTML Mail
      11. Creating and Using a Template
      12. Creating a Signature
      13. Subscribing to RSS Feeds and Blogs
        1. Podcasting
        2. OPML
      14. Reading Newsgroups
      15. Thunderbird Secrets for Power Users
    2. 11. Organizing Email with Thunderbird
      1. Managing Folders
      2. Labeling Messages
      3. Filtering Messages
      4. Sorting and Grouping Messages
      5. Searching
        1. Searching Messages
        2. Using Search Folders
        3. Searching Addresses
      6. Using Thunderbird Address Books
      7. Organizing Mail Secrets for Power Users
    3. 12. Fighting Spam
      1. Security and Privacy Settings
      2. Understanding Bayesian Filtering
      3. Learning About the Adaptive Filter for Junk Mail Control
      4. Training the Adaptive Filter
      5. Changing the Junk Mail Settings
        1. White Lists
        2. Handling
        3. Logging
      6. Handling Spam
      7. Catchall Spam
      8. Living Without Spam
      9. Organizing Mail Secrets for Power Users
    4. 13. Customizing Thunderbird for Power Users
      1. Finding and Installing Themes
        1. Finding a Theme
        2. Installing a Theme
        3. Switching Between Themes
        4. Uninstalling a Theme
        5. Common Theme Problems
      2. Customizing Toolbars
        1. Add Buttons
        2. Rearrange or Remove Buttons
        3. Button Extensions
      3. Changing the Window Layout
        1. Three Layouts
        2. Folder Pane
        3. Message List Pane
        4. Message Pane
        5. Attachments Pane
      4. Changing the Appearance of Email Messages
        1. Plain-text Messages
        2. HTML Messages
      5. Locating and Using Your Thunderbird Profile
        1. Finding Your Profile
        2. What Is in the Profile?
      6. Other Modifications and Tasks
        1. Backups
        2. Compact Folders
        3. Profile Management
        4. Antivirus Software Issues
        5. Account Pane Order
        6. Signature Display in Color Versus Gray
        7. Turn Off Color Quote Bars—Use > Instead
        8. Throbber URL
      7. Finding and Installing Extensions
        1. Installing an Extension
        2. Uninstalling an Extension
        3. Safe Mode
      8. Changing Hidden Options with about:config
        1. Installing the about:config Extension
        2. Modifying Preferences
        3. Editing Thunderbird Configuration Files
        4. Changing Configuration Settings Manually
      9. Thunderbird Customization Secrets for Power Users
  10. IV. Web Development and Firefox Extensions
    1. 14. Web Development with Firefox
      1. Firefox and Compliance with Web Standards
      2. The Mozilla Developer Interface
      3. Web Developer Tools
        1. DebugLogger
        2. View Cookies
        3. View Rendered Source
        4. Web Developer
      4. JavaScript for Developers
        1. JavaScript Console
        2. The Venkman Extension
        3. Debugging Preferences
        4. Firefox Command-line Options
      5. Understanding CSS
        1. CSS Level 1
          1. Pseudoclasses and Pseudoelements
          2. Cascading
          3. Formatting Model
          4. CSS-1 Properties
          5. Units
          6. CSS-1 Conformance
        2. CSS Levels 2 and 2.1
        3. CSS Level 3
      6. Using CSS with Firefox
        1. userChrome.css
        2. userContent.css
      7. DOM Inspector
      8. Working with Web Development Secrets for Power Users
    2. 15. Creating Your Own Theme
      1. Preparing Your Theme
        1. Creating the Working Theme
        2. Configuring Firefox for Theme Development
        3. Graphics Images
          1. Menu, Toolbar, and Dialog Box Backgrounds
          2. Button Images
      2. Creating Themes
        1. Classic
          1. contents.rdf
          2. install.rdf
          3. icon.png
          4. preview.png
          5. Other Folders and Files
      3. Multibutton Images
      4. Background Images
      5. An Example: global.css
      6. Final Results
      7. Theme Writing Secrets for Power Users
    3. 16. Writing an Extension
      1. Setting Up the Development Environment
        1. Preferences for Extension Developers
      2. Tools for Extension Development
        1. The Extension Developer Extension
          1. Extension Builder
          2. Toggle Debugging Prefs
          3. JavaScript Shell
          4. JavaScript Environment
          5. JavaScript Injector
          6. HTML Editor
          7. XUL Editor
          8. Reload All Chrome
        2. Debugging Consoles
          1. The Firefox Console
          2. The JavaScript Console
        3. Multiple Instances of Firefox
      3. Understanding XML User Interface Language
        1. XUL Syntax
          1. Comments
          2. Processing Instructions
        2. XUL Example
      4. Working with JavaScript
        1. JavaScript Reference
      5. The Firefox window Object
      6. Creating a Unique GUID
      7. Firefox Command Options for Developers
      8. Working Through an Extension Development Example
        1. Development Profile Save and Restore
        2. The Development Folders
          1. MyExtension’s Root Folder
          2. content
          3. chrome
        3. Extension Files
          1. extension.XPI, the Extension Distribution File
          2. extension.jar, the Extension’s JAR File
          3. Other Files for Extension Developers
        4. An Extension for Firefox 1.0.x
          1. install.rdf
          2. contents.rdf
          3. myextension-Overlay.xul
          4. myextensionOverlay.js
        5. An Extension for Firefox 1.5
          1. install.rdf
          2. chrome.manifest
      9. Extension Writing Secrets for Power Users
  11. V. The Way of Mozilla for Programmers
    1. 17. Mozilla’s Tools for Developers
      1. Open Source As a Way of Life
      2. Developer Tools
      3. Mozilla Developer Support Tools
      4. Bugzilla
        1. Looking Up a Bug
        2. Filing a Bug
        3. Updating and Modifying a Bug
        4. Fixing a Bug
      5. Tinderbox
      6. Bonsai
      7. LXR
      8. Working with Mozilla Development Tools Secrets for Power Users
    2. 18. Browsing the Code
      1. Mozilla Firefox Trunk
      2. Mozilla Code Development Cycle
      3. Coding Practices
      4. Setting Up and Building Firefox
        1. Necessary Software
        2. Performing a Build
        3. Packaging Firefox for Distribution
      5. Check-in Requirements
      6. Mozilla Source Code Secrets for Power Users
    3. 19. The Future of Firefox and Thunderbird
      1. The History of Mozilla
        1. In the Future
        2. Firefox 1.5 (Deer Park)
        3. Firefox 2.0 (The Ocho)
      2. Firefox Versus Internet Explorer
      3. Thunderbird, Outlook, and Outlook Express
      4. The Internet As the Internet Should Be
  12. A. Glossary

Product information

  • Title: Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email
  • Author(s): Peter D. Hipson
  • Release date: October 2005
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: None