The about:config screen allows us to configure Firefox in every possible way, giving access to thousands of settings unavailable to the GUI. However, navigating about:config is complicated for the average user. The "Configuration Mania" add-on is a front end for about:config that makes it easy for everyone to configure Firefox.
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What is the about:config screen in Firefox
If you are a Firefox user and have never used the about:config screen, you 're missing out on the most advanced way to configure Firefox.
To access this configuration screen, we just need to type about:config at the address bar.
The "void your warranty" message might be humorous, but it's true that if we are not careful, we could cripple our Firefox installation.
You see, about:config contains about a metric tonne of Firefox settings, with not particularly explanatory names.
Changing the wrong setting, or setting an incorrect value in the right setting, could very well end up with Firefox needing a reset to recover.
Configuration Mania: The safe and easy way to configure Firefox
This is where Configuration Mania comes in.
Right after we install it, and without a need to restart Firefox, we just got to Add-ons -> Extensions...
...and click on "Options".
Configuration Mania allows us to change probably more than a hundred advanced settings, which include autocomplete options...
...rendering options...
...cache memory options...
...how Firefox will respond to the mouse wheel or a multi-touch interface...
...and even security settings, including privacy controls.
The best thing is that each of those settings corresponds to a particular setting in about:config.
That means that after setting up everything, we can disable or even uninstall Configuration Mania - if we don't want another add-on on our browser - and all the settings will remain.
Of course, if we overdid it with the settings or broke something, we can always use the "Reset" button within Configuration Mania. This will reset the particular tab.
How to configure Firefox responsibly
The key to using Configuration Mania is moderation. We shouldn't change two dozen settings and hope everything will be all right. Especially if we're not 100% sure what the settings we changed do.
Some settings could slow down our browsing speed, or make the browser less secure. Every setting we change, we should test it out, at least on the websites we often visit, before moving to the next one.
Will you configure Firefox?
Tweaking is not for everyone, and "if it's not broken, don't fix it" is a solid piece of advice. However, Configuration Mania makes Firefox tweaking easier and safer than meddling with about:config.
Leave us a comment and let us know if you are willing to configure Firefox and, if you did, which settings did the most difference for you.
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Micci Manafini says
Much easier than totally unpractical :about