Firefox Configuration

The NST configuration for firefox is maintained in the nst-config-firefox package. Updating the contents of this package is a bit of a challenge. Unfortunately, this package needs to be reviewed each time a new release of firefox comes out.

The Goal

The general goal of updating the nst-config-firefox package is to replace the following files with newer versions taking directly from a Live NST system:

• yum/pkgs/nst-config-firefox/src/bookmarks.html
• yum/pkgs/nst-config-firefox/src/localstore.rdf
• yum/pkgs/nst-config-firefox/src/mimeTypes.rdf
• yum/pkgs/nst-config-firefox/src/prefs.js

Getting Started

To make sure you get a "clean" copy of the files, you must first complete the following tasks:

• Boot the Live version of the NST.

• Use the VNC page in the NST WUI to create a default VNC session.

• Connect to the default VNC session.

• Use a terminal and remove the directory: "/root/.mozilla" (if present).

• Start up a desktop applet (like Fire).

• Start up Firefox.

Tool Bars

• Only the "Status Bar" and "Navigation Toolbar" should be visible by default.

• Make sure the "Web Developer Toolbar" is hidden.

• Make sure the "Bookmarks Toolbar" is hidden.

• Open the firefox Menu 'Customize' toolbar (right button mouse on firefox menu):
  • Check the option labeled: "Use Small Icons".
  • Install the "Full Screen" icon to the right of the "Stop" icon on the navigation toolbar bar.
  • Install the "Web Developer" icon to the right of the "Full Screen" icon on the navigation toolbar bar.

Firefox Preferences

Open the firefox Preferences and do the following:

• In the Main section, make sure the Home Page: is set to: "http://127.0.0.1/nstwui/main.cgi".

• In the Main section, set the download directory to: "/tmp" and then check the "Always ask me where to save files" option.

• In the Tabs section, make sure that the option to open new windows in "a new tab" is selected.

• In the Content section, make sure "Enable Java" and "Enable JavaScript" are selected. Also under the "Advanced" button check "Allow Javascript to change the status bar text".

• In the Content section under Fonts & Colors do the following (you will need to select the "Advanced" button for most of these settings):
  • Make sure the "Default Font" size is: "12".
  • Make sure the default "Fonts for": "Western".
  • Make sure the default "Proportional" font is: "Serif".
  • Make sure the default "Proportional" font size is: "12".
  • Make sure the default "Serif" font is: "serif".
  • Make sure the default "Sans-serif" font is: "sans-serif".
  • Make sure the default "Monospace" font is: "Courier 10 Pitch".
  • Make sure the "Monospace" font size is: "10".

• In the Advanced section, select the General tab and turn on "Use smooth scrolling" and "Check my spelling as I type".

• In the Advanced section, select the Update tab and turn off all options related to automatic updates AND select the radio button labeled: "Ask me what I want to do".

Add-ons

Open the firefox Add-ons tool:

• Make sure the "Colorful Tabs" extension has its "Coloring Scheme" set to "Generate colors at random", its "Fading Level" set to "3", check the "Highlight the Currently Selected Tab", and its "Context Menu" enabled. Make sure background image for tab is disabled.

• Make sure the "Html Validator" extension has its "Algorithm" set to "SGML Parser".

• Make sure the "Flagfox" extension is configured to show the icon on the right side of the status bar.

Window Sizing and Positioning

• Make sure there is room for dock apps on right side when starting firefox using the funky VNC default size defined in the VNC NST WUI page (this should be OK unless you accidently resize/position firefox).

Finishing Up

• Continue to quit firefox and then restart firefox until ALL of the extra tabs, windows, and pop-ups stop appearing.

• At this point, we need to locate the following configuration files which were just created by the previous steps: localstore.rdf, prefs.js, and mimeTypes.rdf. Search for these files under the /root directory and transfer them back to the: yum/pkgs/nst-config-firefox/src directory on your development machine.

Testing

• On the NST system, quit firefox and remove the: "/root/.mozilla" directory.

• On the development system rebuild and probe install the nst-config-firefox package:

cd ~/nst/yum
make nst-config-firefox-remove
make HOST=192.168.10.145 nst-config-firefox-probe-install

• Back on the NST system, start firefox again and make sure that the new settings are what you expect.