Using Firefox

Mozilla Firefox functions very similarly to common browsers such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. To visit a web site, enter the appropriate address in the address bar and press Enter or click the Go button. In addition, Firefox has the capability to play all common filetypes embedded into web pages (e.g., Shockwave, Flash, PDF, etc.) after you have downloaded the requisite plug-ins. However, Firefox also provides a number of features that enhance the security, customization, and simplicity of its use.

Pop-up Blocking

In addition to not allowing the storage of spyware or malware in your cache, Firefox further enhances its web browsing security by integrating pop-up blocking technology directly into the browser. You will know a pop-up has been blocked when a bar appears at the top of the browser to alert you.

If you want to allow pop-ups for a specific site, or for the current site, click the bar and the following menu appears.

From this menu, you can allow popups for the specific site that you are visiting, choose to not display the pop-up notification bar, or edit Firefox's Popup Blocker options. To do so, click Edit Popup Blocker Options. The following window will appear.

Here, Firefox will allow web addresses that you enter to open pop-ups. Enter the address and click Allow to grant a web address this privilege. This list can be amended or edited any time by following the steps above to return to the Popup Blocker Options, or by clicking Tools, then selecting Options, Web Features, then Allowed Sites, as shown below.

Tabbed Browsing

In order to reduce clutter and streamline browsing, Firefox uses a feature known as Tabbed Browsing to allow multiple browser sessions to be opened and manipulated within the same window.

There are several different ways to utilize tabbed browsing. The first is to press Ctrl t or to click File, then New Tab. This will open a new, blank tab. You can switch between tabs by clicking them at the top of the screen or pressing Ctrl Tab.

Tabbed browsing is also an effective way to reduce clutter because opening new links as tabs instead of windows saves you space on the Windows Taskbar. To open a link as a new tab instead of a new window, either use the middle mouse button (or scroll bar) to click on it, or right-click on it and select Open Link in New Tab. Note that this will open the new link in a tab behind the current one, so you will have to switch to it using the above mentioned methods.

To close a tab, right-click on it and select Close Tab. Do not use the red X in the upper right-hand corner of Mozilla Firefox as you would in any other program, because you will close all open tabs as opposed to just the active tab.

The Firefox Searchbar

Firefox has simplified Internet searching by integrating a web search feature directly into the browser. Though the primary engine used by this search tool is Google, other engines such as Yahoo! and Dictionary.com can be used as well. In addition, other search engines can be added to provide a fully customizable integrated search utility.

The Firefox Searchbar is located in the upper right of the browser. To use it, type in the word or phrase you want to search, and press Enter.

To substitute another included search engine for the Google search engine, click the Google symbol to open a pull-down menu containing the other choices.

Click the engine you want to substitute. The symbol for that search engine will now replace the Google symbol in the Searchbar, indicating that it is now the active search engine.

If you want to add a search engine not included in the initial list, open the search engine pull-down menu and select Add Engines. You will be taken to Firefox's central resources page. From here, you can choose a common search engine, language translator, or dictionary to add. If what you are looking for is not listed, follow any instructions provided to search for it. When you have found a link for the engine you want to add, click it. A confirmation window will appear.

Click OK, and the new search engine will be added to the pull-down menu of search engines.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks in Firefox can be stored in one of two places: the Bookmarks menu or the Bookmarks Toolbar. The Bookmarks menu follows the standard conventions for adding and using bookmarks. Clicking Bookmarks, then Bookmark This Page on the main Firefox menu or pressing Ctrl d while the site you want to bookmark is open will bring up the Add Bookmark menu.

Add the desired bookmark name, then click OK to add the page as a Bookmark. Bookmarks can be accessed by clicking Bookmarks on the main Firefox menu and selecting the appropriate bookmark name.

To create a bookmark that will appear on the Bookmarks Toolbar for easy access, bring up the Add Bookmark menu and use the Create in pull-down list to select Bookmarks Toolbar Folder. Click OK, and the bookmark will appear on Firefox's interface, directly below the navigation buttons.

These bookmarks operate in exactly the same manner as hyperlinks. Middle-clicking on them will open them in a new tab, clicking them will send the current tab directly to that page. Bookmarks in the Bookmarks Toolbar can be dragged and arranged however you want.

By right-clicking on the Bookmarks Toolbar and selecting New Folder you can also create directories in which to drag and drop numerous related bookmarks. Clicking these folders will display all of their contents in a menu, where individual bookmarks can then be selected. Selecting Open in Tabs will open each bookmark contained in the folder in its own tab.

Live Bookmarks

One of the more innovative features available in Firefox is the ability to create bookmarks that can connect directly to live data feeds which use Rich Site Summary (RSS). This means that using a bookmark and a simple interface within the browser, you can quickly scan news headlines, certain web site updates, or even blog entries as they are posted.

Certain web sites are better configured to work with live bookmarks than others. When Firefox detects a web site with a favorable configuration, the following orange broadcasting icon is displayed in the lower right corner of the screen.

Clicking on this icon will bring up a list of all supported live bookmarks. Click the entry that you want to subscribe to, and the Add Bookmarks menu will appear. Though it is possible to store Live Bookmarks in your Bookmarks folder, the most convenient method is to store them in the Bookmarks Toolbar Folder. For more information on creating and saving bookmarks, see the section of this document on Bookmarks.

You will now see a bookmark on the Bookmarks Toolbar with the broadcast icon preceding it.

Clicking this bookmark will display a pull-down list of the most current entries to that RSS feed. Selecting an entry will open that page in the current tab; middle-clicking it will open it in a new tab.

Every RSS feed may be Live Bookmarked, though not all will show up in the broadcasting menu. Advanced users can add additional Live Bookmarks by finding the associated RSS feed's URL, clicking on Bookmarks, then selecting Manage Bookmarks. The Bookmark manager window will appear. Make sure that Bookmarks Toolbar Folder is selected, click File, then New Live Bookmark. Give your Live Bookmark a name and a feed location, then click OK. Your custom Live Bookmark will now appear on the Bookmarks Toolbar.

Downloading Files with Firefox

Downloading files in Firefox is a simple, streamlined process that has much in common with the way files are downloaded in other browsers, such as Internet Explorer.

When you begin a file download, usually by clicking on a hyperlink that points to the file or application you want to download, the first screen that appears asks you whether you want to Save to Disk or Open with. Save to Disk will transfer the file to your hard drive, where it can be manipulated like any other file on your hard disk, while Open with will save the file in temporary memory only and open it directly following download.

As shown in the image, Open with is not always an available option because Firefox needs a program to associate with the downloaded file or it cannot open it. If the Open with option is available, you may need to choose an application from the pull-down menu in order to open the file. For files with extension types such as .txt or .jpg, multiple applications may be able to open the file. Choose whichever application you prefer, then click OK.

When the download has completed, a window in the lower right-hand corner of the screen will alert you.

Click this alert to open the Downloads window. Here, you can view the status of all downloads stored in both your temporary memory and on your hard disk(s).

Clicking Open next to any file in the Downloads window will open the file, even if you selected to open the file instead of saving it at the time of download. If at any time you want to delete downloads from the Downloads window list, and therefore also your temporary memory, click Remove next to the file's name, or use the Clean Up button at the bottom of the window to delete all items. Additionally, if you have downloaded files onto your hard disk but cannot locate them, you can click the directory to which they have been downloaded at the bottom of the Downloads window (in the image above, it is the Desktop), and open that directory to browse the files you downloaded. You can view the Download window at any time by pressing Ctrl j or clicking Tools, then Downloads.

Document Information