I am in high school and I have to do a Graduation Project.
I have chosen Open-Source Software...
And for my product I have chosen to find a way to improve on Firefox Portable...
I do not have any coding experience but I really want to do this... is there anybody out there who can help get started... like what kind of coding language I should learn and stuff like that if anybody is willing to help me that would totally awesome...
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Perhaps slightly ambitious if you can't code...
Firefox Portable is made up of
* Firefox (As in the stock version from www.getfirefox.com
* A launcher, that lets Firefox run without leaving registry entries etc.
The Launcher has been created by John, who owns this site.
Firefox is probably written in c++, with some XUL and javascript for the interface.
The launcher is written in the NSIS language, normally used to installing things.
If you want to improve on anything, adding features to Firefox will be complex. Writing firefox extensions is a more achiveable goal, and is detailed here:
http://roachfiend.com/archives/2004/12/08/how-to-create-firefox-extensions/
I have never attempted this, but it is a lot more practical than trying to write anything for the actual Firefox code.
Editing the launcher is a lot more straightforward, but you will be hard pressed to think of anything that isn't currently included that is easy to change.
To edit this, you can look at the code that is included when you download Firefox Portable, and try compiling it with NSIS from here:
http://www.nsis.sourceforge.net/
That is probably enough to get you started and to realise the scope of your project...
Try working through the Roachfiend tutorial and see if you can understand it, there are lots of resources around to help!
Good Luck!
I'm not an expert, but IIRC FF engine is written in java. If you're not a programmer, larning c++ or another languages may be quite inefficient way of improving FFP.
I think that learning about development process in general and making a custom build (like swiftfox) may be the best solution.
"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Asimov
Yeah, you are probably right, it's just a guess that it's in c++.
Firefox uses .jar files to build chrome://. I've run it with Wine on a system without Java (Linux or Windows), plus I've never seen a single .class file (but I've never looked too hard int he .jar files either).
Vintage!
I know little about Java other then it tastes good and keeps me up late... but the jar files in Firefox are storage files. You can easily open them up with WinRAR and unpack it, inside is folders and other JavaScript files. A Java .class file is more of the java program and can't be opened with WinRAR.
I've been working on themes for Firefox. Most of the themes are packaged as jar files. The jar files have script files that run to make the install.
Designing a theme for FireFox would be much easer and cheaper, no high dollar programming language needed. Learning javascript and cascading stile sheets is simple enough and a good graphic editor and text editor is all you need.
----------------------:)
Did you know that the entire operating system use to fit on a 5 1/4" floppy disk!
It is written in c++.
)has a built-in JVM or a part of - so doesn't need it installed in system.
But these jars suggest that there is java involved.
>>Firefox uses .jar files to build chrome://
Either you didn't answer the main question ("Is a part of written in Java?") or I'm stupid. Chrome - that's the FF interface, right? OO uses Java but (AFAIK, I'm not an expert
So does FF use jars for fun or are they a part of the java-based iterface?
"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Asimov
OOo needs Java to do Java stuff (e.g. macros). I've used it without Java, and when I tried to make a macro, it complained about needing Java.
Vintage!
my fault.
"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Asimov
There are some basic instructions on this site how to make an existing app portable. Look through the wish list forum, or in some other way find a manageable size freeware app that you think could be made portable, and then do that.
I agree, I think that this is a lot more manageable project!
Just rewrite with your own logo, and well their! custom made firefox!
SEIT@Home today, and wi might find someone ...! join the portableapp teem at our teem
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Here are a few ideas of how you can help to "improve" Firefox Portable. IMO (in my opinion) Open Source is patently weak at documenting things for the average end-user, making it a potentially fruitful area of advancement. I've experimented a bit with both and feel that both can be useful to Firefox Portable users and the community. Anyways, on to the specifics...
1. Icons - Firefox Portable used to be compiled w/ a custom icon that can be found floating around the web. I don't know why John switched over to the regular, but Firefox has the cool ability to allow you to customize your icons across the board - ie, different ones for the download screen, the help window, etc. Perhaps you could explore tweaking these and put together some quality documentation and/or sets of icons users can use to customize their own Firefox Portables. After all, portable apps are often used in public settings, so what isn't to love about customization and eye-candy?
2. about:config is used to control a ton of settings, and is the source of many tweaks in Firefox. Also there is "chrome" and multiple other hidden ways of customizing. For example, I edited my chrome to combine the reload and stop buttons, VERY easy to do. Document these, write up a list of ones particularly useful to have set on a portable version of Firefox.
3. There is constant debate about whether or not to disable Firefox Portable's use of the history menu, particularly it's part on "Recently Closed Tabs". Read up why, read up how to change it, put together a simple way of enabling users to activate/deactivate it.
Liam,
John is very limited in what he can do to Firefox and still call it firefox, it's a Mozilla issue.
If you want to make a version of Mozilla Firefox and call it Firefox, Mozilla Firefox Portable or Mozilla Firefox for U3, you have to follow their rules. There are many extentions I would love to see preinstalled in FFP and FF4U3 but John can't do that. It's called RULES!
FFP and FF4U3 must fundamentally be Mozilla Firefox.
How to make the changes you suggest/refer to, and add features are documented here in Portable Apps and at the Mozilla site. John cannot make these changes w/o their permission and still BE Firefox
This is not High School, this is the real world. It's not like you can just set up a website and do what you want. John respects the rules. You should too, other wise you're just a hacker.
Tim
Geek w/o portfolio
Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?
What can be changed is already documented right here:
https://portableapps.com/support/firefox_portable#performance
Unfortunately, there's no easier way without writing a custom extension (which can't be bundled anyway).
As Tim mentioned, there are specific guidelines I must work within. The app has to be as close to a standard install of Firefox as possible. The only changes I make assist with portability and performance without altering the user experience (except when documented like history). No other settings can be changed. No icons changed. No themes or extensions added (except one upcoming one I have permission for).
Open source gives you full access to the source code and the ability to recompile it into your own app. It does not, however, give you the ability to use someone else's trademark without their permission. Firefox is now a multi-million dollar brand, so Mozilla has to be careful about how it's being used.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I have thought about it and I going to do the following:
1. I am going to keep this topic because Open-Source Software rocks
2. I am going to drop Firefox Portable... mainly because it is very ambitious
3. And I am going to choose some other app that can be made portable... something a little easier.
So thanks for all your replies...
By the way...
When I finish this... anybody want to test it?
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Oh yeah....
Could somebody post a link to that thread on how to make a portable application.
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And one more thing... I am going to try and make a firefox extension... as somewhat of an experiment.
to test stuff.
The worst it can do is mess up a copy of my Vmware-XP
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