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closing last tab... closes firefox... aarrgghhh

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sean bean

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Nov 20, 2009, 4:41:26 PM11/20/09
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so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close
firefox entirely?

sean
--
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The quality of the street trash and litter improves

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Chris Ilias

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Nov 20, 2009, 4:57:04 PM11/20/09
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On 09-11-20 4:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
> so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close
> firefox entirely?

If you use the keyboard shortcut, it will close the window. For more
information, see
<http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Closing+the+only+tab+closes+the+window>

--
Chris Ilias <http://ilias.ca>
List-owner: support-firefox, support-thunderbird, test-multimedia
Keeper of the Knowledge Base: <https://support.mozilla.com/kb/>

Andrew DeFaria

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Nov 20, 2009, 4:59:14 PM11/20/09
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On 11/20/2009 02:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close firefox entirely?
Wouldn't it be natural to expect that very behavior?!? I would think so. AFAICT it's always been this way and IMHO it's logical.

BTW: How exactly do you "clear a webpage"?
--
Andrew DeFaria
All I want in life is a warm bed, and unlimited power.

David McRitchie

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Nov 20, 2009, 5:14:13 PM11/20/09
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"Chris Ilias" <n...@ilias.ca> wrote in message news:-pudnY4tubAtjZrW...@mozilla.org...

> On 09-11-20 4:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
>> so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close
>> firefox entirely?
>
> If you use the keyboard shortcut, it will close the window. For more
> information, see
> <http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Closing+the+only+tab+closes+the+window>

To bring sanity back to your Firefox profile. Change setting with about:config

browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab False

For more settings involving tabs see
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/tabs_config.htm
http://kb.mozillazine.org/MozillaZine_Knowledge_Base:About

--
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David McRitchie, extensions I use are briefly documented on my site
Firefox Custom: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/firefox.htm

Ron Hunter

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Nov 20, 2009, 5:30:57 PM11/20/09
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On 11/20/2009 4:14 PM, David McRitchie wrote:
> "Chris Ilias" <n...@ilias.ca> wrote in message
> news:-pudnY4tubAtjZrW...@mozilla.org...
>> On 09-11-20 4:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
>>> so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close
>>> firefox entirely?
>>
>> If you use the keyboard shortcut, it will close the window. For more
>> information, see
>> <http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Closing+the+only+tab+closes+the+window>
>>
>
> To bring sanity back to your Firefox profile. Change setting with
> about:config
> browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab False
> For more settings involving tabs see
> http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/tabs_config.htm
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/MozillaZine_Knowledge_Base:About
>
Frankly, I can't see why it should work any other way. Windows programs
usually DO close when you close the last window, so this is consistent
with Windows operation. Don't know about Linux and Mac conventions. At
least there is an option, even if it isn't in the UI.

David McRitchie

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Nov 20, 2009, 5:37:37 PM11/20/09
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"Andrew DeFaria" <And...@DeFaria.com> wrote in message news:vdadnYlUbu6vjJrW...@mozilla.org...

>On 11/20/2009 02:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
>>so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close firefox entirely?

>Wouldn't it be natural to expect that very behavior?!? I would think so. AFAICT it's always been this way and IMHO it's logical.
>BTW: How exactly do you "clear a webpage"?

I wouldn't consider it normal, it was introduced in Firefox 3, and Firefox did not do that before.
Google Chrome and IE8 both close browser when closing last tab of last window using Ctrl+W.
Opera prefers to put in crap instead of an empty tab, or closing (Speed Dial)

Clear out like getting out of here (an empty tab). Though some people don't like
empty tabs and have to put crap like Opera does instead of the about:blank

KristleBawl

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Nov 20, 2009, 7:23:54 PM11/20/09
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David McRitchie expressed an opinion:

Actually, earlier versions did not close the last tab at all. They
changed it a blank page and simply hid the tab bar when there was only
one, which is still an option in Firefox. The easiest workaround is to
bookmark the about:blank page and use that.


--
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a noise?

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Leonidas Jones

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Nov 20, 2009, 8:44:41 PM11/20/09
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Ron Hunter wrote:
> On 11/20/2009 4:14 PM, David McRitchie wrote:
>> "Chris Ilias" <n...@ilias.ca> wrote in message
>> news:-pudnY4tubAtjZrW...@mozilla.org...
>>> On 09-11-20 4:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
/snip/

>>
> Frankly, I can't see why it should work any other way. Windows programs
> usually DO close when you close the last window, so this is consistent
> with Windows operation. Don't know about Linux and Mac conventions. At
> least there is an option, even if it isn't in the UI.
>

Mac applications have never, at least back to OS9, closed with the last
window. You need to close the application from the menu bar, or it
remains open.

Linux in that regard, seems to behave more like windows.

Lee

Ron Hunter

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Nov 21, 2009, 4:10:24 AM11/21/09
to

Thanks for that information. In Windows, it seems that individual
applications can bypass that closing, and remain resident, if they are
designed to remain active all the time. Firefox is NOT one of those,
and, unless it is waiting on an event, will close when the last window
closes.

Bob Jamieson

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Nov 21, 2009, 4:24:48 AM11/21/09
to

Wait a minute . . . wait a minute. The OP said TAB, not WINDOW.

Even if I close all tabs, there remains a blank tab and the FF WINDOW
stays open.

Linux 9.10, FF 3.5.5

BJ

--
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Remove the "no spam" before replying via email

Ron Hunter

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Nov 21, 2009, 7:40:14 AM11/21/09
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Depends on a lot of things. Mostly how the program interprets closing
the last tab. IMNSHO, it should close the application IF the program is
set to not show a tab bar with only one tab open. If it is set to show
a tab bar, then it should just show a blank window when that tab is
closed, or it should revert to the home page. But that doesn't seem to
be the way the developers see it.

Ron Hunter

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Nov 21, 2009, 7:44:44 AM11/21/09
to
On 11/21/2009 3:24 AM, Bob Jamieson wrote:
Most of the Windows conventions were established before tabs appeared in
most software. It seems most windows programs do close if all tabs are
closed. It's something Windows users need to know, and understand, to
avoid inconvenience. But, really, what IS the concern? You have to
reload the program...

sean bean

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Nov 21, 2009, 11:28:47 AM11/21/09
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On 11/20/2009 3:14 PM, David McRitchie wrote:
> "Chris Ilias" <n...@ilias.ca> wrote in message
> news:-pudnY4tubAtjZrW...@mozilla.org...
>> On 09-11-20 4:41 PM, sean bean wrote:
>>> so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close
>>> firefox entirely?
>>
>> If you use the keyboard shortcut, it will close the window. For more
>> information, see
>> <http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Closing+the+only+tab+closes+the+window>
>>
>
> To bring sanity back to your Firefox profile. Change setting with
> about:config
> browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab False
> For more settings involving tabs see
> http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/tabs_config.htm
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/MozillaZine_Knowledge_Base:About
>


thank you david... this was a new to me "feature"

sean

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I keep forgetting whether I'm the good twin or the evil one.

sean bean

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Nov 21, 2009, 11:30:18 AM11/21/09
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thunderbird, mozilla, netscape... none of them ever worked that way
previously... in my experience...

sean

--
We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur... ~
then Vice President Al Gore, 9/22/97

sean bean

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Nov 21, 2009, 11:31:59 AM11/21/09
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correct... i was trying to close the tab... not the window... IIRC
closing last tab, has never closed the program before

Chris Ilias

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Nov 21, 2009, 1:50:27 PM11/21/09
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On 09-11-21 4:24 AM, Bob Jamieson wrote:
> Wait a minute . . . wait a minute. The OP said TAB, not WINDOW.
>
> Even if I close all tabs, there remains a blank tab and the FF WINDOW
> stays open.
>
> Linux 9.10, FF 3.5.5

They are talking about closing that remaining tab (with "Always show the
tab bar" left on). In previous versions, that last tab had a close [X]
button. Clicking on that would result in the tab being closed, but a new
tab would automatically be opened.

In 3.5 and up, if there is one tab open, it does not have a close
button, and the keyboard shortcut to close a tab will close the window.

Herb

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Nov 21, 2009, 3:03:31 PM11/21/09
to

FWIW, I do see a blank tab when I close the last tab via the x in the
right-hand corner, and this is how I like it (I wouldn't want FF to shut
down).

--
Herbert Eppel
www.HETranslation.co.uk

Gord McFee

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Nov 23, 2009, 9:25:33 PM11/23/09
to

Interesting. If I have only one tab open, or close tabs until there is
only one left, I do not have the x option in the right-hand corner.

--
Best regards
Gord McFee

Maurice

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Nov 23, 2009, 10:09:02 PM11/23/09
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Herb wrote:

> FWIW, I do see a blank tab when I close the last tab via the x in the
> right-hand corner, and this is how I like it (I wouldn't want FF to shut
> down).

The same for me (FF 3.5.5 on Win XP).
Maurice

Dave Royal

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Nov 25, 2009, 3:49:01 AM11/25/09
to
Gord McFee wrote:
>
> Interesting. If I have only one tab open, or close tabs until there is
> only one left, I do not have the x option in the right-hand corner.

You can get the x close button back by putting this in userChrome.css

/* Add tab-close-button to last tab*/
.tab-close-button { display: -moz-box !important; }

For fuller instructions see the post by Tokar on 3JUL09 in this NG

Dave
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(Remove any numerics from my email address.)

EE

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Nov 25, 2009, 3:59:33 PM11/25/09
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On 2009/11/25 1:49, Dave Royal wrote:
> Gord McFee wrote:
>>
>> Interesting. If I have only one tab open, or close tabs until there is
>> only one left, I do not have the x option in the right-hand corner.
>
> You can get the x close button back by putting this in userChrome.css
>
> /* Add tab-close-button to last tab*/
> .tab-close-button { display: -moz-box !important; }
>
> For fuller instructions see the post by Tokar on 3JUL09 in this NG
>
> Dave

You can set Firefox so that it hides the tab bar if there is only one
tab. Under Preferences/Options > Tabs, uncheck "Always show the tab bar".

V S Rawat

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Nov 27, 2009, 1:52:08 AM11/27/09
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On 11/21/2009 3:11 AM India Time, _sean bean_ wrote:

> so why does trying to clear the webpage in the last tab open, now close
> firefox entirely?
>
> sean

ha ha, I have been complaining about this "feature" since eternity.

Anyway, the odd point is, if you have a second ff window opened may be due to javascript on a page in main window, and you press Ctrl-W on this secondary window, the secondary window doesn't close.

So, it is not closing where it should, and it is closing where it should not.

--
Rawat

V S Rawat

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Nov 27, 2009, 1:57:16 AM11/27/09
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Not really.

Window standard is to close an application at the press of Alt-F4 I think, not with Ctrl-W.

Even MS Office follows this convention that Ctrl-W closed the files that were open, but when all files are closed, ctrl-w doesn't close the application itself, and one needs to press Alt-F4 to close the application (or through menu or at X).

Some applications have started closing with Esc (may be, selectable in option -> irfanfew, metapad), but this is a convenience and it is not a window standard.

--
Rawat

Ron Hunter

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Nov 27, 2009, 3:40:51 AM11/27/09
to

Unless a Windows program is intended to function in the background,
minimized to the system tray (notification area), it will usually close
when you close the last open screen window, or dialog box. IF you have
tabs set so that the last tab is not displayed on the tab bar, then it
makes sense to close the program if you close that tab. If the tab bar
is displayed, it makes sense to NOT close the program. To me, that
seems more intuitive than having to close the program with File/Exit, or
Alt-F4 (Which I VERY seldom use). This seems like a job for Tab Mix
Plus to tackle so everyone can be happy.

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