Some Interesting Features of Firefox

I switched from Chrome to Firefox as my main browser a while ago due to Chrome's poor default support for Wayland. I've discovered some interesting features while using Firefox, so I'm documenting them.

1. Quickly Clear Input Box Contents

Anyone who frequently works in a terminal environment knows that Ctrl + u cuts to the beginning of a line. This is the default behavior for many programs that use the Readline library. Firefox's text input box has a similar feature, but clears the text instead of cutting. This seems to be a feature only available in the Linux version of Firefox. For details, see Firefox shortcuts. This feature is very useful and can be used in the address bar, text input box, and search box, saving a lot of time. Note that you cannot paste using Ctrl + y like in the terminal.

As shown in the image above, the "www.bing.com xxx" in the Firefox address bar is cleared after pressing Ctrl + u.

2. Quick Search

• Adding a Search Engine

Using Baidu as an example (any site that supports OpenSearch will work), right-click in the address bar to bring up the Add menu. Click Add and then set it up.

• Quick Search Settings

As shown in the image above, Baidu has just been added. Double-click it to customize your keywords. You can also use other search terms other than those marked with 2. Entering "@bd" + a space + your search keyword in the address bar will quickly perform a search using Baidu. It seems a bit more convenient, since you don't have to open the website, right?

It's worth noting that Chrome has a similar feature, just missing an action. While Chrome allows you to change keywords in Bookmarks, Tabs, and History, Firefox doesn't; it's locked. When searching bookmarks, tabs, or history, if you can't remember them, you'll have to open them again.

The usage is the same as with search engines: * + space + keyword 1 + keyword 2 + keyword N. This allows you to quickly search for a target URL from your bookmarks (sometimes directly, sometimes as a suggestion).

Firefox uses more memory than Chrome, but it feels faster. I'll switch back to using it as my primary browser once Chrome supports Wayland by default.