Tag Archives: Firefox

Software

Firefox 3 Beta Applications Preference Empty on Kubuntu / Xubuntu

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I’ve been checking out Firefox 3 Beta 5 since it’s the default browser in Kubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron. When I went to Preferences and looked in the Applications section to fix the action for the file content type, it was empty. That’s not good.

If you’re running into the same problem, there’s a very easy fix for it. Open your favorite package manager (Adept is the default one for Kubuntu) and install the firefox-gnome-support package. A few other support packages will be installed to resolve dependencies. Then, restart Firefox and all will be well.

Software

Fix Firefox Crash: Part 2

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Previously in the post, Fix Firefox Crash with Yahoo Mail, I covered a very simple way to eliminate a very frequently occurring crash problem due to a conflict between ad blocking addons and a module installed by Yahoo! Instant Messenger.

That fix significantly reduced the crashes that I encountered. However, I was still getting occasional crashes under the same circumstances with Yahoo! Mail. But, I’ve tracked that down and, so far, seem to have alleviated all the crashes.

I’ve been using two different ad blocking addons for Firefox, AdBlock and AdBlock Plus, though not on the same operating system. On the computer that was still having a crashing problem, which was running Windows XP, I had AdBlock installed. Switching to AdBlock Plus made the difference.

So, should you just switch to AdBlock Plus and not use the previous fix? Not so fast. The previous fix works even if you don’t use any ad blocking add-on. So, start with it first.

Have other helpful fixes for Firefox or improvements to this fix? Post it in the comments.

Software

Firefox Can’t Download Anymore

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Yesterday, someone at work was having a problem where his Firefox would no longer download files. The Downloads dialog was empty but Firefox refused to downloading anything even when selecting to save manually.

This is usually caused by a corrupt completed-downloads file. Here’s how to fix this download problem:

  1. Close Firefox
  • Open your favorite file manager and go to your profile folder:Windows XP: C:Documents and Settingsyour_Windows_login_nameApplication DataMozillaFirefoxProfilesa_bunch_of_letters_and_numbers.profile_name

    Linux: ~/.mozilla/firefox/a_bunch_of_letters_and_numbers.profile_name

     

  • Delete the file named downloads.rdf
  • Start Firefox

That’s all, folks!

Software

Fix Firefox Crash With Yahoo Mail

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For a while, my Firefox 2 on Windows XP would crash almost every time I logged out of Yahoo! Mail. Sometimes it would even happen if I just switched from Yahoo! Mail to another tab or closed the tab. The problem appears to be caused by a plugin installed by Yahoo! Instant Messenger (YIM) conflicting with ad blocking, and possibly other, browser addons.

Here’s how to fix it:

  1. Go to C:Program FilesYahoo!Shared
  2. Rename the file npYState.dll to npYState.dll.disabled, or move it to another folder. I created a folder called Disabled and put it in there.
  3. Restart Firefox

All fixed!

See also: Fix Firefox Crash Part 2

Hardware

Asus P5E3 Motherboard With Built-in Linux

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Just saw on CNET TV that Asus has a motherboard, the Asus P5E3 Deluxe, that contains a Linux operating system with Firefox (Web browsing) and Skype (Internet phone calls) in a flash chip right on the motherboard itself. No need to wait for a full system boot up from the hard drive to check your web mail or call a friend. The feature is called Express Gate and means that within five seconds from powering the system on, you can be in Firefox. How cool is that?

Since Express Gate boots from flash, it’s not only fast, but it’s pretty safe as well as a Web workstation. The system’s main hard drive is not accessible during express mode so it won’t get infected should someone bother to create a Linux/Firefox virus or Trojan. Another benefit is that shutting down is also fast since the operating system doesn’t have to do a lot of cleaning up.

The downside is the price. It’s only available in this high-end version of Asus motherboard. Hopefully, more motherboard manufacturers will be doing this and with more models in the very near future.