FireFox AwesomeBar Tweak Guide

[13Gigatons]

The suggestion to adjust in about:config is the key. This is where the real changes can be made, and avoids the need for extensions. I'll list the ones relevant with a bit about the value that will achieve your most desired behavior.

browser.urlbar.maxRichResults
This setting is only really useful if you either want to remove the autocomplete function entirely, or limit the list to a shorter length on your screen real estate, now that titles are a part of the result. Setting to 0 (zero) will just stop all autocomplete results.

browser.urlbar.matchBehavior
This setting will have the greatest impact on how your results are found, regardless of what sort of results you remove from the ones available (which will be limited in following entries). I've not seen results as I'd expect from this setting yet, but I'm not done working with it. A setting of 0 (zero) should give you a result of finding your URLs based on what you type being anywhere in the URL or page title. A setting of 1 should result in placing of what you type anywhere in the title or URL being first, followed by the URL or title beginning with what you type. A setting of 2 should result in only showing results based on what you type being at the beginning of the URL or page title.

browser.urlbar.matchOnlyTyped
It makes it so that the only results that come up are ones you have previously typed in, basically eliminates matching by page description and forces the address bar to match based on actual url.

places.frecency.unvisitedBookmarkBonus
This preference set to 0 (zero) will remove the bookmarks you haven't visited from your results.

places.frecency.bookmarkVisitBonus
This preference set to 0 (zero) will remove the bookmarks you have visited from your results.

places.frecency.unvisitedTypedBonus
This preference set to 0 (zero) will remove URLs that you haven't visited from your results, but I can't quite understand where it's getting the URLs from based on this pref's name. I don't think many of us type a URL we don't then visit. At any rate, setting this to zero should preclude some odd results you don't want from showing up.

By adjusting these values you should be able to modify the behavior of the Awful... er... 'Awesome' Bar to act more if not completely like what you were used to. You will still have the appearance issue of the page titles, but the Oldbar extension for now appears to be the only solution for that.

The Stylish Way:
Stylish Plus this: http://userstyles.org/styles/8067

Addons:
Hide Unvisited Addon: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozill............addon/7429"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.o.........fox/addon/7429"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7429"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7429"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7429">https://addons.mozill............29</a></a></a></a></a>

OldBar Addon: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozill............addon/6227"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.o.........fox/addon/6227"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6227"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6227"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6227">https://addons.mozill............27</a></a></a></a></a>

Location Bar Limit: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7674

Old Location Bar: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7637

Mozilla:
How to disable the Smart Location Bar: http://support.mozilla.com/en-...the+Smart+Location+Bar

Video: Disable Firefox 3's 'awesome bar': http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9971026-2.html

 

[bruceb]

Mods .. You might want to Sticky this thread so people that like to tinker
with Firefox's settings can find it easily again later on.

 

[13Gigatons]

no sticky yet...

 

[bruceb]

I only said they might as I think it is prudent.
They are busy. Time will tell.

 

[EarthwormJim]

Don't forget this command to toggle:

browser.urlbar.matchOnlyTyped

It makes it so that the only results that come up are ones you have previously typed in, basically eliminates matching by page description and forces the address bar to match based on actual url.

 

[ghagan]

Here is one more trick in Firefox to adjust in about:config.

I guess many people here doesn't know that Firefox browser is little bandwidth hungry. It downloads the pages which it thinks you may view. It automatically downloads them so that they can be displayed immediately when the user requests.

If you are concerned about the bandwidth usage then just follow these few steps.

1) Type about:config in the address bar
2) Locate the configuration key network.prefetch-next (you can use filter to easily locate keys)
3) Right click on the configuration key network.prefetch-next and select Toggle to change the value to false
4) That's it done. From now onwards your Firefox browser will not download any pages unnecessarily

 

[13Gigatons]

Location Bar Limit: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/7674

 

[secretanchitman]

holy hell give a freaking cookie to the OP and everyone who has posted so far...THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[wwswimming]

does Firefox have VRML (3D plug-in) functionality built in, with the
recent release ?

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: wwswimming
does Firefox have VRML (3D plug-in) functionality built in, with the
recent release ?

No...why would it?

Here is a info page: http://cic.nist.gov/vrml/vbdetect.html

 

[ginfest]

Great tips, appreciated

 

[13Gigatons]

sticky

 

[Barfo]

Thanks for the info on how to get rif of the "awesome" bar

 

[13Gigatons]

I've been using it to search for my favorites, it saves me from opening the bookmarks library.

 

[13Gigatons]

You can also color code it as well with stylish.

 

[13Gigatons]

sticky?

 

[quackerww]

Thank you!