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Firefox 29.0.1 bug: it does not put tabs on bottom.

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Just updated to firefox 29.0.1 and the tabs now appear on top. The option browser.tabs.ontop is already set to false.

Just updated to firefox 29.0.1 and the tabs now appear on top. The option browser.tabs.ontop is already set to false.

Chosen solution

That's not a bug; the preference was intentionally removed.

You can use any of the following add-ons.

If you don't want to install an add-on, put the following style in the userChrome.css file and restart Firefox. You can use the Stylish add-on instead, if you have it installed.


@namespace url(http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul);
/* The above line should appear only once in the file */

#TabsToolbar { -moz-box-ordinal-group: 99 !important }

Read this answer in context 👍 17

All Replies (10)

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Chosen Solution

That's not a bug; the preference was intentionally removed.

You can use any of the following add-ons.

If you don't want to install an add-on, put the following style in the userChrome.css file and restart Firefox. You can use the Stylish add-on instead, if you have it installed.


@namespace url(http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul);
/* The above line should appear only once in the file */

#TabsToolbar { -moz-box-ordinal-group: 99 !important }

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Please intentionally fix the problem you intentionally caused.

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Yeah, I've already found out that this is not a bug, but a purposely made change. Why on earth, I cannot know.

Well, everything comes to an end and I suppose my relationship with Firefox is coming to one too. I really liked Firefox because it did what I wanted to do and not what its developers think I need to do. A lot of difference.

I downgraded to Ver 28.0 and I should start looking for an alternative browser. This happens once every decade. It was Netscape, now Firefox and who knows what is next.

I am quite sad this happened. I don't believe that I should use addons to do basic configurations. This is just plain stupid and defies logic, at least my logic.

However, I do wish to thank the developers of Firefox, I am sure there are hundreds of them, for the nice product they gave us all those years.

Thank you.

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One of the developers recently posted this explanation

MikeDeboer said

Each setting you see in a computer program you use requires work; when a developer wants to build something new or improve something, he or she has to go through each related (hidden) setting and test if it still works like before and do that on each platform Firefox runs on. That's Apple's Mac OSX, various flavours of Linux and various flavours of Windows, including Windows XP. This costs time, lots of it, and that amount grows exponentially with each setting that's added. This comes on top of our work to continuously fix, improve and innovate Firefox. 

That's why we also removed the tabs.onTop preference. Awesome community members, who were unhappy about that change, created the Classic Theme Restorer add-on. They deserve our collective hugs.
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Dear Moses and MikeDeboer,

What a program needs to run correctly was never put in doubt.

Your explication on why that was made is just a justification and not a reason. Sorry to say that, but the truth is always tough.

Addons are to flirt with a browser, not to tune basic behavior. If you need to resort to addons for such a basic feature, then something is REALLY wrong.......

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spanish_z:

I'm sorry you're unhappy with Firefox. However, you have three options here.

  • Downgrade to 28 to retain the previous UI (keep in mind that 28 will become obsolete soon)
  • Use add-ons like Classic Theme Restorer, Tabs on Bottom, to customize 29 to your liking (specified by Gingerbread_Man upthread)
  • Use an alternative like Pale Moon.

If you don't like the new 29, I recommend you at least try it out using the links I've given above for the Tabs on bottom preference before reverting to 28 or moving to an entirely different browser altogether. The Web is about choice. You choose whether to use Firefox or not. If you don't, thanks for using Firefox for this long.

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@MikeDeboer That's silly, that's not a solution and creates more problems. Why would you remove a simple option and make the solution something no one would ever guess (classic theme restorer)? Also, I have a theme I like, it sounds like you are requiring me to install the only theme that will also allow certain customizations. Maybe it's possible to have both themes working? Thank goodness I don't need to play around with that option, since there are 3rd party developers that Gingerbread Man mentioned, just to repair the breaking of options which previously worked.

In case you are wondering who would EVER want this option: I work with various tabs open, and keep some tabs open all the time, for instance to my webcam. I switch tabs much MUCH more often than I use the bookmarks toolbar or the address bar. Putting the tabs on top doesn't even remotely work for me. I doubt that I'm alone here.

Modified by SteveNY

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I totally agree with SteveNY. He is not alone.

I do find the need to go to the top of the page to switch tabs very very annoying.

Tomorrow I'll be giving opera a try. Still gives me the shivers to say that, but i read it has the tabs on bottom option. Who knows, it might even be a nice browser.

So far, sticking with V 28

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Is Mozilla encouraging addons? I had developed the impression that due to crashes, they were being discouraged.

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If you have comments to send to Mozilla, open the Help menu and choose Submit Feedback (or click the ≡ Menu Button, then the Question Mark icon, then Submit Feedback). Posting your thoughts on a support forum isn't going to make a difference; all it's going to do is derail a thread where people might actually be looking for help.


spanish_z wrote:

I don't believe that I should use addons to do basic configurations.

You don't have to use an add-on. I specifically said that.

spanish_z wrote:

Tomorrow I'll be giving opera a try. Still gives me the shivers to say that, but i read it has the tabs on bottom option.

The latest version doesn't have any option to switch tabs on bottom: you'd have to use Opera 12.1x. I no longer consider Opera trustworthy following the recent string of security fiascos.

nullsteph wrote:

Is Mozilla encouraging addons? I had developed the impression that due to crashes, they were being discouraged. 

It's not common for add-ons to crash Firefox. If an add-on crashes Firefox, there's something wrong with it. The whole point of add-ons has always been to provide features that aren't included by default. Sometimes, those features were previously included but subsequently removed; that's why add-ons like Classic Theme Restorer, Status-4-Evar and RSS Icon in URL Bar exist.