the linux curmudgeon… (browsers)

This is a new section of the blog.  If you’ve read even a few posts here, you’d know this entire blog could be called the Linux Curmudgeon, but I’ll compress this section to a few posts here and there about software.

Let’s say you’re new to linux and you’re not all that familiar with what’s available.  I’m going to tell you what I use and maybe this info will be helpful to you.  Even if you’ve been using linux for a while, this might be some new info.  Or you can just use it as a guide for what to avoid - (if he likes it, it can’t be any good).

Browsers

My main browser is Firefox.  I think there are certain genius moments in computing and this is one.  The idea of useful plugins can never be underestimated.  Keeping in mind that my default is surfing without cookies, javascript, or Flash, I use the following plugins:

NoScript: allows or disallows javascript on a per-page basis

Cookie Monster: allow or disallow cookies on a per-page basis (used to use another one but CM is one of the few that works with FF3 RC1 and 2).

Adblock Plus:  does pretty much what it says

Download Statusbar: provides a number of ways to monitor downloads

FEBE: automated backup of FF and extensions

Nightly Tester Tools: forces compatibility for older extensions

Simple Mail: quick POP, IMAP, SMTP client

UnPlug/DownloadHelper/DownThemAll/Fast Video DL: good for downloading YouTube and other content

VLC plugin: beats the hell out of most other media players

If I want to get somewhere fast on either Windows or linux, Opera is the browser for me.  It’s the fastest, period.  Because IE chooses not to be standards-compliant, not every site will appear exactly as designed.  But I don’t care.

I have used Konqueror now and then, but to speak plainly and honestly, it sucks.  It’s a phenominal file manager though - I highly recommend it.  The service menu function alone is worth the price of admission (currently free).

Just for fun I have installed other browsers like Epiphany and Galeon.  They’re based upon existing browser engines and don’t seem to bring much that’s new to the table.  I mostly use them for different browser settings.  One may be set to allow cookies and javascript, as opposed to Firefox.

Just because I’m stuck using Windows every now and then for work, I’ll let you know that the above pretty much holds for Windows.  I avoid Internet Explorer like the plague, which it pretty much can install if run.  There’s another very lite browser called Gecko that I like also.

That’s it for our first installment of the Linux Curmudgeon.  I hope it’s of some help to you.