How To: integrate Firefox with KDE

[NeoChaosX]

For Edgy please go here!

As fan of Firefox, and a user of Kubuntu, I'm sort of disappointed how GNOME-centric Firefox is in Linux (i.e., the GTK file dialogs). However, I've found several steps that allow one to better integrate everyone's favorite open-source browser with KDE.

Step 1: Replace the GTK file dialogs with the built-in dialogs
Go to the component directory in the folder Firefox is installed to (if you have the Ubuntu Firefox package installed, it's /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/component) and open up the nsFilePicker.js file with your favorite text editor. Now, find this set of lines:

compMgr.registerFactoryLocation(FILEPICKER_CID,
                                    "FilePicker JS Component",
// *really long comment here*
                                    "",
// *really long comment here*
                                    fileSpec,
                                    location,
                                    type);

and change it so it looks like this:

compMgr.registerFactoryLocation(FILEPICKER_CID,
                                    "FilePicker JS Component",
// *really long comment here*
                                    FILEPICKER_CONTRACTID,
// *really long comment here*
                                    fileSpec,
                                    location,
                                    type);

To make this change take effect, you need to reset Firefox's chrome registry, which you can do by installing or disabling an extension, then restarting Firefox. Now, when you need to open or save a file, it should come up with the following dialog, rather than the default GTK file dialogs:



Step 2: Install a matching Firefox theme
This one's a little more tricky. Mozillux has a few KDE themes for Firefox, but they are locked to the default KDE colors of white and blue and the Plastik look and feel, while the default Firefox theme (assuming you have GTK apps take on the QT feel) will look like whatever KDE theme you use.

Luckily, a user on KDE-Look.org recently uploaded a version of the Firefox default theme that replaces some of the stock icons with icons from the KDE default iconset Crystal SVG. I took this theme, and tinkered a bit more with it some more so that just about all the icons (save for a few that don't have comparable equivalents in Crystal SVG) and have uploaded it here.

Download the CrystalDefault theme for Firefox. Untar the file, then load the jar theme file it produces into Firefox, and apply the theme to the program. Feel free to replace the images in the theme with whatever KDE iconset you use if you want.

Voila, you have a Firefox that looks a little bit more like a native KDE app.

[jamuir]

THANK-YOU FOR THIS INFO!

I have been frustrated with the gnome file dialogue for some time now. I could never understand why it appeared in Firefox; I have always used KDE a la kubuntu.

You have restored peace and order to my browsing experience.

-j

[dejitarob]

Thanks for the nice guide! This works for the "Open with" dialog as well so now you can just type in the path of the app you want to use instead of being forced to browse to it with the silly GTK dialog.

Here is the matching theme for the default Plastik theme in Kubuntu. Get the 2.0 alpha version for Firefox 1.5. To install, untar the contents and drag the install.html to Firefox's address bar. It will also give the option of switching the button order to how they normally are ordered ('OK' first instead of last) in other KDE/Kubuntu apps.

*Edit*: Thanks to the advice of Sokraates I fixed the Plastik theme to work with the latest 1.5.0.1 version of Firefox. Here is the fixed version.

[Parkotron]

Excellent work! Thank you. I'm really surprised that I'd never seen this before, but it certainly makes life easier.

[darknightuk]

thanx

[cutOff]

No matter IMHO

Gnome rulezz.

[cwf]

Thanks for the howto. I need clarification on this part:

Download the CrystalDefault theme for Firefox. Untar the file, then load the jar theme file it produces into Firefox, and apply the theme to the program.

How do I load the jar them into Firefox?

[Sokraates]

@ dejitarob:
Since FF 1.5.0.1 didn't introduce any UI-changes, one simply needs to change the theme's version-compatibility in the RDF-file. It's a bit of a hassle, though, so I suggest using Nightly Tester Tools to up the theme's version (use the button "make compatible"). Afterward you can remove the extension.

@ cwf:
Simply drag-and-drop the JAR-file onto the theme-manager. Alternatively browse to the file using the theme-manager and select "open".

[dejitarob]

Thanks Sokraates. It was really easy, I just edited the install.rdf files and imported them back into the .jar files. Here is the fixed version, working with the latest Firefox 1.5.0.1 version.

[goombah88]

hey dejitarob, when we click your link it asks for a username and password.