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==Windows==
==Windows==
In general, you can just go to "Tools -> Options -> General -> Set Firefox As Default Browser". If that doesn't work for you, then you have two options:
In general, you can just go to "Tools -> Options -> General -> Set Firefox As Default Browser". If that doesn't work for you, then you have three options:
 
===Force firefox to make itself default===
* If Firefox already thinks that it is default then, when it's not running, go to "Start -> Run" and enter this into the text box:
firefox.exe -silent -nosplash -setDefaultBrowser


===Using a third-party utility===
===Using a third-party utility===

Revision as of 17:23, 4 September 2005

Windows

In general, you can just go to "Tools -> Options -> General -> Set Firefox As Default Browser". If that doesn't work for you, then you have three options:

Force firefox to make itself default

  • If Firefox already thinks that it is default then, when it's not running, go to "Start -> Run" and enter this into the text box:
firefox.exe -silent -nosplash -setDefaultBrowser

Using a third-party utility

There is a freeware utility that will save you a lot of work by automating the steps for you [1]. But if that doesn't work, follow instructions below.

Setting default browser manually

  • In Windows XP, go to "Start -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Set Program Access and Defaults (on the left) -> Custom" and set Mozilla as your default browser. If that doesn't work:
  • Go to "Start -> Settings -> Folder Options -> File Types" and assign the following things to Mozilla:
    • URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol
    • URL:Protected HyperText Transfer Protocol
    • URL:File Transfer Protocol
    • HTML File
    • HTM File (optional)

Note: you may find the URL file types above under extension "N/A" or "(none)".

  • In Windows XP, you must go "Start -> Control Panel" first.
    • If your Control Panel choose "Category View", and click on "Performance and Maintenance". Then, click on "Files Types" in the left column under the heading "See Also".
    • If your Control Panel uses Classic View, then go "Folder Options -> File Types".
    • In either case, set the above associations handler to Mozilla.

Linux

You may have to change both Gnome and KDE config (see below). If you want the URLs to open in a new tab instead of the last tab opened, use this workaround:

Note: This may need to be updated for latest versions of Firefox
  • Edit the "firefox" startup script in the firefox base directory
  • Search for a line containing "openURL"
  • Replace _remote_cmd="openURL(${_optLast})" with _remote_cmd="openURL(${_optLast},new-tab)"

You can replace "new-tab" with "new-window" if you want to open the URLs in a new window

Gnome

Note: This may be slightly different, depending on which distribution you are using
  • Go to "Applications -> Desktop Preferences -> Advanced -> Preferred Applications".
  • Select "Custom Web Browser", and type "firefox %s" in the box (Mozilla Suite users susbtitute "firefox" with "mozilla"). Note that a symlink of the "firefox" script must be placed in one of the default PATHs (for example, a symlink of the "firefox" script to "/usr/bin/" is common).

KDE

  • Open kcontrol (KDE configuration center)
  • Select "Components -> Components chooser"
  • Open the "Web browser" component
  • Check "The following browser" and type in "firefox" ("mozilla")

If you don't notice the "Web browser" component :

  • Select "Components -> file association"
  • Select "text -> html" in the MIME type tree.
  • Select "Add..." under "Application Preference Order".
  • Write the command "firefox %U" and press ok (you need "%U" so you can load URLs that are non-local files)

Distribution Specific

Fedora Core 3

If you want the URLs to open in a new tab instead of new window, you need to modify different script:

  • Edit the /usr/bin/firefox startup script
  • Search for a line containing "openURL"
  • Replace
exec $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM_PARAM "openurl($opt,new-window)" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null

with

exec $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM $MOZ_CLIENT_PROGRAM_PARAM "openurl($opt,new-tab)" 2>/dev/null >/dev/null

Mac OS X

  1. Download Safari if you do not already have it.
  2. In Safari, choose "Preferences" from the menu.
  3. Click the "General" icon, and choose Mozilla from the default web browser pop-up menu. If you dont see Mozilla in the list, make sure it is in the "Applications" folder.
  4. If you don't want to use Safari, there's RCDefaultApp, a system preference panel which lets you set default browser, e-mail client, MIME types, and other options.