This is a collection of tricks to extend the functionality
of the Netscape browser. I've collected them from all over the 'Net. As usual,
I've tested all of them myself.
Don't you hate all these fast rotating and gaudy colored pictures? This script
will turn their animation off. That is: you will see exactly one
full animated cycle and then the animation stops.
#!/bin/sh KILLSTRINGS="-e s/NETSCAPE2.0/DISABLEDXXX/g \ -e s/ANIMEXTS1.0/DISABLEDXXX/g" FILE=$1 if [ ! -f $FILE ]; then echo 'killanim FILENAME' exit 1 fi if [ -f $FILE.orig ]; then echo 'Rename $FILE.orig to something else and run again' exit 1; fi sed $KILLSTRINGS $FILE > $FILE.new && mv $FILE $FILE.orig && mv $FILE.new $FILE chmod +x $FILE
Put this script into a file and save the file under
the namekillanim . Make it executable with chmod +x killanim .
Now run it (as 'root'):
./killanim /usr/lib/netscape/netscape-communicator
(if you've installed the stand-alone browser version, change the last bit
to-navigator )
That's it! In case you want those rotating trouble-makers
back: the script has placed a back-up copy of the original binary ('.orig')
into /usr/lib/netscape.
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If you are somewhat shortsighted and too lazy to wear
glasses (like me ;-)), you have every reason to curse at Netscape. The fonts
aresmall. Of course, you can set a bigger font size via 'Edit' -
'Preferences' - 'Appearance' - 'Fonts'. Which will leave you with bigger
but quite ugly fonts (Netscape doesn't scale fonts right).
Solution? Install the mozilla-fonts package from your Mandrake Linux CD.
Restart the font server as 'root' with service xfs restart .
Restart the browser. Go to the font choosing menu, select the Mozilla fonts
and be amazed (these fonts are very large, you might want to reduce their
size to 12 or even 9).
No more problems with small fonts, I promise! ;-).
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'Shop', 'Home', 'Security'... how often do you need
those? Well, turn them off! Add these lines to your '~/.Xdefaults' file:
Netscape*toolBar.myshopping.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.destinations.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.search.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.viewSecurity.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.home.isEnabled: false Netscape*toolBar.print.isEnabled: false
Run xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults and restart the browser. Now there
are only 'Back', 'Forward', 'Reload' and 'Stop' left.
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Now you've removed the bloat. But what about adding
something useful? Add these lines to your '~/.Xdefaults' file and you will
have a 'Find In Page' button in your toolbar:
Netscape*toolBar.userCommand1.commandName: findInObject Netscape*toolBar.userCommand1.labelString: Find Netscape*toolBar.userCommand1.commandIcon: Search
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Menu fonts too big? Your 'bookmarks' have become unusable
because the sub-menus get truncated? Choose a different font! Add this line
to your '~/.Xdefaults' file:
*fontList: -*-lucida-medium-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Run xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults and restart
the browser. This will give you a smaller but easily readable font and much
shorter 'bookmarks' sub-menus.
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Plug-ins for the GNU/Linux version of Netscape are very
rare. The main reason for this is Netscape's
crappy plug-in API for X. But you can use external programs as browser
plug-ins with XSwallow.
Get the binary edition, copy 'xswallow.conf' to your '~/.netscape' directory
and the binary to '~/.netscape/plugins' (you have to create this directory
first. Putting it into /usr/lib/netscape/plugins doesn't work for unknown
reasons).
Edit 'xswallow.conf' according to your needs, i.e. enter your favorite media
players.
Start the browser and choose 'About Plugins' from the 'Help' menu. If everything
has gone fine, XSwallow should now be listed here with the configured media
types. Browse to the XSwallow home page and visit the plug-in test pages
to see if it works correctly.
(Note: Due to a Netscape bug, XSwallow won't work with Netscape 4.6. The Netscape
version delivered with ML 7 works flawlessly with XSwallow.)
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Since the U.S. finally eased their ridiculous ban on
exporting strong cryptography, the Netscape browser is now shipped worldwide
with 128bit security.
But you don't need to download the whole browser suite just for the encryption.
Get Fortify for Netscape.
Download the binary from
their x86-Unix download page (ca 430 Kb) and unpack the archive withtar
xzf and switch to the new directory.
Before you proceed make sure that Netscape isn't running!
As root, type ./Fortify.sh /usr/lib/netscape/netscape-communicator
(change the last bit to-navigator if you have the browser-only
version). The rest is easy.
Note that if you have already run the killanim script on the
Netscape binary, you have to copy the backup file back, or else Fortify will
not recognize the Netscape version. Just reapply killanim after
Fortify has done its work.
To test if everything has gone smoothly, start the browser and choose 'Help'
- 'About Communicator'. You should see the RSA key on the screen along with
the line "This version supports U.S. security".
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A very easy way is to cut and paste a URL directly into
a Netscape window: mark any URL with your mouse and then click the middle
mouse button in a Netscape window: Netscape will now open this URL (works
with some other browsers, too). Notice that it won't work in an empty ('fresh')
Netscape window, though.
Entering URLs in Netscape's Location bar on the other
hand is tedious: you have to click on the bar to focus it, put the cursor
at the beginning or the end of the line, delete the line character by character,
enter the new line and hit Enter. Sometimes I wonder if the guys who invented
this ever heard of the term 'usability'.
Hitting ALT-O makes this quite a bit easier: it focuses automatically and
you can clear the line with one mouse click or by pressing CTRL-u.
But you can also use a terminal. Put this script:
#!/bin/sh if killall -0 netscape 2>/dev/null then netscape -remote "openURL($1)" else netscape $1 & fi
into a new file, make this file executable and put it
into a directory of your $PATH. Now enter the filename and append a URL.
Netscape will now try to open this URL for you. If it is a local file, you
will have to supply its full path.
If you're interested in such things, you should definitely have a look at
'wmnetselect' (does anyone know the new link?). 'wmnetselect' is a Netscape
launcher which passes URLs from the clipboard to Netscape (if it's an email
address, Messenger will be started), allows one click searches via Google and more.
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An instruction
on how to set up Roaming Profiles in Netscape
More
Netscape Xdefaults settings. You can change almost everything in Netscape
via your ~/.Xdefaults file. This page has the names of some resources, like
colors, default window sizes and fonts for different components. Happy playing!
A
list of command line options, e.g. for starting certain components of
the Communicator suite.
Express yourself! Get an IHateNetscape.Com mail account ;-).
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