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Linux Firefox 38 Scroll Bars Changed Behavior (for the worse)

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  • Nzaghachi ikpeazụ nke crxssi

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With the update to Firefox 38, the scroll bars are suddenly behaving incorrectly. The correct behavior for Linux scroll bars when you click above the view indicator (the part you can move) is to move up one screen and when you click below the view indicator is to move down one screen. When you middle click in an unseen area, it moves you directly to that part. And you can grab the indicator and slide it anywhere.

Now with 38, when you click above or below the view indicator, it moves you directly to that part/area instead of moving up or down ONE SCREEN. This does not match ANY other Linux applications- LibreOffice, Claws, Pluma, Thunar, etc. It is inconsistent and a support mess. Worse, I have searched the preferences and about:config and I can't find any way to put it back the way it is supposed to operate (like it did in Firefox 1 through 37, and even Netscape Navigator). What is going on?

Help! Thanks

With the update to Firefox 38, the scroll bars are suddenly behaving incorrectly. The correct behavior for Linux scroll bars when you click above the view indicator (the part you can move) is to move up one screen and when you click below the view indicator is to move down one screen. When you middle click in an unseen area, it moves you directly to that part. And you can grab the indicator and slide it anywhere. Now with 38, when you click above or below the view indicator, it moves you directly to that part/area instead of moving up or down ONE SCREEN. This does not match ANY other Linux applications- LibreOffice, Claws, Pluma, Thunar, etc. It is inconsistent and a support mess. Worse, I have searched the preferences and about:config and I can't find any way to put it back the way it is supposed to operate (like it did in Firefox 1 through 37, and even Netscape Navigator). What is going on? Help! Thanks

Asịsa ahọpụtara

HI crxssi, I understand that in the linux version of Firefox that there is a difference in the way that the scrolling works in version 37 to version 38.

There are two places that control smooth scrolling: about:preferences#advanced under "General" there are smooth scrolling.

There was another about:config entry mentioned here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/que.../981140

However if there has been a change in the update, please do post back if there is still not an improvement.

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Asịsa Ahọpụtara

HI crxssi, I understand that in the linux version of Firefox that there is a difference in the way that the scrolling works in version 37 to version 38.

There are two places that control smooth scrolling: about:preferences#advanced under "General" there are smooth scrolling.

There was another about:config entry mentioned here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/que.../981140

However if there has been a change in the update, please do post back if there is still not an improvement.

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Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I wanted to modify my original question, but was unable to figure out how to get back to it! I searched and searched and was forced to wait for someone to reply to it so I could find it again!! It is not related to smooth scrolling (the main thrust of your reply). Here is what I discovered:

The problem I was having was not directly Firefox's "fault". What happened was I switched to a system that was using Gnome3's horrible "Adwaita" default theme that was somehow contaminating Firefox. And this was a Linux system on which we were just using IceWM (NOT GNOME). Using "lxappearance", it was possible to change the widget style theme to "Clearlooks Classic" and that solved the problem in Firefox, at least for that one user. It doesn't seem possible to fix it for all users because after days of searching, I can find no way to set a system default. Hopefully one day I will discover how.

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If you are logged on the this forum and see your name instead of "Sign In" in the menu bar on top of forum pages then click your name to open the drop down menu and select "View Profile" to find links to your contributions (questions and answers).

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cor-el said

If you are logged on the this forum and see your name instead of "Sign In" in the menu bar on top of forum pages then click your name to open the drop down menu and select "View Profile" to find links to your contributions (questions and answers).

I don't know how I could have possibly missed that. I feel completely stupid :) Maybe I was just having a bad day! Thanks