Best browser for Linux?

[waldo]

If they make like Opera, i.e. get rid the menu bar BUT in the menu button having an option to put back it then I would have no problem and everyone will be happy and will be able to use the browser like (s)he prefer but if they impose this, like Chrome, then I'll stick with Opera . . .

Firefox 3.7 has exactly this option. You can choose to have the menu bar, or not. At this point in development, it is being argued which way it should be shipped (default) in the final release. How the default ships is important for Windows users, because most of them are not at all technical and will leave everything default. They have to be shown how to make changes.

[MALsPa]

Blocking ads ? Right click on your page, select "Block content..." then click on each element you want to block !
You can have most of the existing ads automatically blocked by using a premade urlfilter.ini file (tip: http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/), then you'll be able to add your own blocking rules by doing the right-click thing.

Yeah, I added a pre-made urlfilter.ini. It works somewhat, but not as well as Adblock Plus in Firefox or Adthwart in Chromium and Google Chrome. Adblock and Adthwart are easy to install and set up -- no searching for a filter, no hassling with "the right click thing."

I spent a lot of time messing around with Opera yesterday. The ad-blocking wasn't the only issue I had. I'm sure Opera is great for a lot of folks, but it just isn't my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I can see that there are some nice features. It just doesn't rank up there with Firefox, Chromium, and Chrome, in my opinion.

[AndrewH]

Developers are stupid. It's like their stupid idea to get rid the protocols, http etc, of the adress bar... Finally what is a protocol? Pfff idiot!

It shows the protocol if it's anything other than HTTP.

[linuxviolin]

If they make like Opera, i.e. get rid the menu bar BUT in the menu button having an option to put back it then I would have no problem and everyone will be happy and will be able to use the browser like (s)he prefer but if they impose this, like Chrome, then I'll stick with Opera . . .

Firefox 3.7 has exactly this option. You can choose to have the menu bar, or not. At this point in development, it is being argued which way it should be shipped (default) in the final release. How the default ships is important for Windows users, because most of them are not at all technical and will leave everything default. They have to be shown how to make changes.

OK, good. The defaults are not really important for me IF you can CHOOSE, here having the menu bar or not. This is NOT the case for Chrome...

But, you know, all Windows users are not "not at all technical and will leave everything default." There are many of them who are quite good technically...

I spent a lot of time messing around with Opera yesterday. The ad-blocking wasn't the only issue I had. I'm sure Opera is great for a lot of folks, but it just isn't my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I can see that there are some nice features. It just doesn't rank up there with Firefox, Chromium, and Chrome, in my opinion

.
Personally, I find it at least so good than Firefox and others and maybe even better...

[MALsPa]

Personally, I find it at least so good than Firefox and maybe even better...

Yeah, I know. If it works for you, cool. I've been disappointed every time I've tried to give Opera a chance.

[libssd]

OK, good. The defaults are not really important for me IF you can CHOOSE, here having the menu bar or not. This is NOT the case for Chrome...

What??? Maybe we're talking about different things. Under options:
"Use system titlebar and borders"

The inability to suppress the titlebar in every other browser I have used is a great frustration after using Chrome, which uses the limited screen space of a netbook better than any other browser that I am familiar with. Display of the bookmarks bar can be toggled on/off, and of course, F11 goes to full screen mode, which suppresses everything. When in full screen mode, creating a new tab makes the bookmarks bar temporarily visible.

[linuxviolin]

OK, good. The defaults are not really important for me IF you can CHOOSE, here having the menu bar or not. This is NOT the case for Chrome...

What??? Maybe we're talking about different things. Under options:
"Use system titlebar and borders"

The inability to suppress the titlebar in every other browser I have used is a great frustration after using Chrome, which uses the limited screen space of a netbook better than any other browser that I am familiar with. Display of the bookmarks bar can be toggled on/off, and of course, F11 goes to full screen mode, which suppresses everything. When in full screen mode, creating a new tab makes the bookmarks bar temporarily visible.

lissd, You misunderstand what I talk about. I talk about the menu bar not the title bar.

Oh and I use the title bar... But I have not a netbook, just a desktop.

[AndrewH]

The menu bar: File, Edit, View, History, Bookmarks, Tools, Help.

I don't know, it just takes up space in my opinion. I honestly can't fathom what people are doing up there in the menu bar that they find it so necessary.

[libssd]

The menu bar: File, Edit, View, History, Bookmarks, Tools, Help.

I don't know, it just takes up space in my opinion. I honestly can't fathom what people are doing up there in the menu bar that they find it so necessary.

Different people do things different ways, which is one of the reasons we don't all use MSIE.

In Chrome, the menu bar displays the location, which doubles as the "find" field. I also have Google Mail Checker plus there, which is way faster than Gmail for a quick review of my inbox. Of all the elements at the top of the Chrome window, the menu bar is the one that I least want to suppress. Second most important to me is the bookmarks bar (which I can toggle using Ctrl-B), since I have hundreds of bookmarks that I have spent a great deal of effort organizing. I can do without tabs, since Ctrl-Tab allows me to flip through them (but I rarely have more than 6 tabs open; someone who operates with 20-30 pages would feel differently).

Use the browser that best fits your needs.

[linuxviolin]

The menu bar: File, Edit, View, History, Bookmarks, Tools, Help.

Yes, thanks.

I don't know, it just takes up space in my opinion. I honestly can't fathom what people are doing up there in the menu bar that they find it so necessary.

Everything...

I'm trying Chrome again since several days and I say again what I said: " it is a whole of a lot better (than Firefox) indeed" With "many" extensions, currently 13 but I miss again some I guess, to replace missing features, it can be usable It's pity that nobody have created an extension to put a menu bar... But anyone know it the way or an extension for fast scrolling with the mouse? You know, this little function when you click on the page with the middle button and you can go up an down with the mouse for a quick scrolling...

[MALsPa]

Use the browser that best fits your needs.

That is really the key. More than once, I've heard netbook users explaining how important the extra space is to them in Chrome and Opera. As a desktop user, it's nice, but not all that big of a deal to me.

Same thing with extensions/add-ons. Some of us are so used to what Firefox offers that extensions have become a vital requirement. When Google Chrome first came out, there weren't many add-ons available, and many of them didn't work well, and so it took me awhile to warm up to Chrome. They've improved things dramatically as far as add-ons go.

But for someone like me who is really attached to Firefox add-ons, Opera just doesn't cut it. The "widgets" just aren't a good enough substitute.

Like you say, you have to use what best fits your needs. Interestingly enough, I installed Opera and Firefox on my woman's Vista PC; she still uses only IE, one kid uses only Opera, and another uses only Firefox. Even within the same family, everybody can't agree on what is the best browser!

[MALsPa]

Anyone know of something I can add to my blocked content in Opera that will block the sponsored links in Gmail?

[JonM33]

It doesn't seem to be as easy as you're trying to make it sound. Blocking ads? A couple of clicks in Firefox and Adblock is installed and working. Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't look nearly that easy to accomplish the same thing in Opera.

http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/opera/

Right click on the urlfilter.ini and save it to ~/.opera/

After that, close the browser and restart it.

[MALsPa]

http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/opera/

Right click on the urlfilter.ini and save it to ~/.opera/

After that, close the browser and restart it.

Thanks, JonM33. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'd found a urlfilter.ini and have been using it. It worked fairly well, but I switched to one you recommended above now.

The list apparently gets updated on a frequent basis. Do you find yourself needing to go back and get and updated list every now and then?

Still trying to figure out how to block Google's sponsored links.

I have to admit, after being frustrated with Opera for hours yesterday, I've warmed up to it a bit today, after getting a bit more used to the available tools and finding ways to do certain things. I promised I'd give Opera an honest look. Perhaps a week from now I'll feel much differently about it. Thanks for your tips, everyone!

[MALsPa]

Dang, almost there. I got the Google sponsored links in Google searches blocked, using a .css with this code:

Code: Select all

/* Top sponsored links */
#tads { display: none !important; }

/* Side sponsored links */
#mbEnd { display: none !important; }

div.c {display: none !important}

Unfortunately, it doesn't block the sponsored links in Gmail. Still searching.

[JonM33]

The list apparently gets updated on a frequent basis. Do you find yourself needing to go back and get and updated list every now and then?

No, I figure as long as I get my bulk of ads then I am happy. If I start seeing a lot I can always right click on an empty space on the page and select "Block Content". Opera will remove the text and all you to select which images, etc to block. Easy as cake.

I know Firefox has a strong backing and a lot of customization options with the extensions but Opera is an amazing browser on it's own. It has a lot of things from default installation that Firefox doesn't.

[MALsPa]

I know Firefox has a strong backing and a lot of customization options with the extensions but Opera is an amazing browser on it's own. It has a lot of things from default installation that Firefox doesn't.

Well, I am not going to bad-mouth Opera anymore. Thanks to your prodding, I'm taking it for a good spin and liking it better. There are pros and cons about any web browser, I've found. However, the lack of extensions for Opera does make things more difficult for folks who really like that sort of thing.

[beast2k]

I had to through my 2 cents worth in on this one, my vote goes to Iron which is a "spin off" from chromium. here's a short quote from their website
"The browser is based on the Chromium-source and offers the same features as Chrome - but without the critical points that the privacy concern. "
Basically all the advantages of chrome and you still have your privacy, another great thing is they have a version that runs from a usb key
http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php

[JonM33]

I had to through my 2 cents worth in on this one, my vote goes to Iron which is a "spin off" from chromium. here's a short quote from their website
"The browser is based on the Chromium-source and offers the same features as Chrome - but without the critical points that the privacy concern. "
Basically all the advantages of chrome and you still have your privacy, another great thing is they have a version that runs from a usb key
http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php

It's the same thing as Chromium (which can be installed as opposed to Google Chrome).

[linuxviolin]

I had to through my 2 cents worth in on this one, my vote goes to Iron which is a "spin off" from chromium. here's a short quote from their website
"The browser is based on the Chromium-source and offers the same features as Chrome - but without the critical points that the privacy concern. "
Basically all the advantages of chrome and you still have your privacy, another great thing is they have a version that runs from a usb key
http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php

It's the same thing as Chromium (which can be installed as opposed to Google Chrome).

Yes but Chromium is not exactly equal to Chrome. It is less "complete" and maybe less stable, e.g. video and audio tags, user metrics, sandbox which may be disabled, depending on distributor etc and it is modified by distros, for instance: for audio and video tags Ubuntu Chromium ships the two flavors, Vorbis and Theora (Chrome has H.264, AAC, MP3, Vorbis and Theora) but Fedora Chromium removes support completely, idem for the sandbox, see the line above, also the Quality Assurance (in Chrome the new releases "are tested before sending to users" but in Chromium you have "sometimes nightly builds without testing") and the code: for Chrome ===> "Tested by developers" and for Chromium===> "Modified by distributions" and "Extra modifications by distributions have been a continual source of problems for users; please include distribution information if you report bugs". You can see at this page for all of that. I have already talked about this here and elsewhere in the forum...

Now, it's the choice of the user to choose what (s)he prefer...