Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Lolu chungechunge lwabekwa kunqolobane. Uyacelwa ubuze umbuzo omusha uma udinga usizo.

Why can't I install url like "chrome://" on a new tab?

zig-zag
zig-zag
more options

If I install in the "settings - home, homepage - my url" on "chrome: //browser/content/places/places.xul", then it works when firefox starts up. But if I try to install the "new tab - home page", then the "new tab" does not go to "chrome: //browser/content/places/places.xul".

If I install in the "settings - home, homepage - my url" on "chrome: //browser/content/places/places.xul", then it works when firefox starts up. But if I try to install the "new tab - home page", then the "new tab" does not go to "chrome: //browser/content/places/places.xul".
Ama-screenshot ananyekiwe

All Replies (4)

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Web extensions can't do this in current Firefox releases (bug reports mention about: and file: links, but I assume that chrome: doesn't work as well). An alternative could be to set the homepage and middle-click the toolbar Home buttom (you can drag this button to the Tab bar).

This is still possible directly via other ways. You can paste this code in the Browser Console to see this working. 

var newTabURL = "chrome://browser/content/places/places.xul";
aboutNewTabService.newTabURL = newTabURL;

Set devtools.chrome.enabled to true on the about:config page to enable the command line or use the settings page (F1) of the developer tools.

zig-zag
zig-zag Umnikazi wombuzo
more options

thank you everything is working!

zig-zag
zig-zag Umnikazi wombuzo
more options

but after closing the browser, this var newTabURL = "chrome://browser/content/places/places.xul"; aboutNewTabService.newTabURL = newTabURL; disappears.

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

zig-zag said

but after closing the browser, this var newTabURL = "chrome://browser/content/places/places.xul"; aboutNewTabService.newTabURL = newTabURL; disappears.

Yes, that little snippet of script makes a dynamic change to Firefox's behavior, but only for the current session. At the next startup, Firefox reads the saved settings as usual.

Some little bits of script can be run automatically at startup using an Autoconfig file, but over the past year, the things that file is allowed to do have been restricted, since they were abused by other software, so I don't know whether it can still make that change.