So. Now we can not even turn off proton?

Firefox Development
,
#1

proton-bad
proton-bad858×371 26.6 KB

its sad. i can’t use browser with this design.

9 Likes
#2

Those preferences were never intended to be permanent. I wasn’t a big fan of the redesign but as a nightly user have been using it for quite some time now and it doesn’t bother me now. I think you should stop fighting it and really give it a try (at least 2 weeks) to really get used to it and see if there’s still pain points that impact your workflow. If after your 2 weeks, you still have issue then please share your feedback here, your ideas for new features on https://ideas.mozilla.org or any bugs on https://bugzilla.org. :slight_smile:

Sidenote: If you miss the compact mode, you can enable it back in about:config. You will need to set browser.compactmode.show to true and browser.uidensity to 1. I also made a userChrome theme that slim down even further the UI https://github.com/dannycolin/fx-compact-mode. Keep in mind that those two solution aren’t officially supported but there’s no plan to remove those prefs anytime soon.

Hope it’ll help you to appreciate a bit more the new design!

2 Likes
#3

Could you explain why you can’t use the current Firefox? Without specifics on what is preventing you from using Firefox it is impossible for the developers to make changes to make it possible for you to use it and impossible for someone to suggest how Firefox could be customized so you can use it.

1 Like
#4

If you have strong feelings about needing to change the toolbar layout, you have the option to make your own modifications with a userChrome.css file. I have a site to get you started, and the community on r/FirefoxCSS can help, too:

2 Likes
#5

Aaargh, FF91 is out and now browser.proton.enabled = false does not act anymore, the ugly “floating tab” is there and more vertical space is used, in spite of compact mode on :frowning:

@jscher2000, I am using now your styling in my userChrome.css, thanks for that.

However:

  • I still need to keep browser.proton.enabled = false because it keeps the good color of the top bar when the window is selected, and not the confusing light grey of unselected windows (I really do not understand the logic of proton, which alters this default system behavior while it is an OS wide convention … why on earth mess up with that ??)
  • Your page states that keeping it at false creates display problems, and advises to set it to true
  • Therefore, are you able to add to your styling page an option plus corresponding CSS to disable this “unselected color” behavior when FF window is selected, and keep the system-wide colors and dynamic behavior ?

Thanks much for the work :+1:

1 Like
#6

Hi aaFn, if you especially like the dark navy background for the tab bar, there are two add-on themes you can use to get that back (probably there are many more, but these I remember):

Because those have white text on the background tabs, Firefox likely will use dark mode for menus. If you prefer light mode menus, here is some CSS to control the menu colors:

/*** Color the menus (black on white) ***/
menupopup {
  --menu-color: #000 !important;
  --menu-disabled-color: #555 !important;
  --menu-background-color: #fafafa !important;
  --menu-border-color: #333 !important;
  --menuitem-hover-background-color: #ddd !important;
}
#7

Hello jscher2000, no what I need is to keep the changing color depending on the window selection state, using the color decided by the system. E.g.:

  • if I pick red in Windows as the window color, then this is the color of the top menu + tabs when the FF window is selected, and light grey (or anything else) when the FF window is not selected
  • likewise, if I pick blue in the OS config, this is what should show

In other words:

  • the top menu + tabs color is dynamic depending on the FF window selection state
  • the color value is determined by the OS, not decided by FF, and so not overriden by it …
  • so there shouldn’t be any color in any FF CSS, but just something saying to not override the colors decided by the OS

As it is with proton = true, the color is static, and decided by FF, which for me is a user interface nonsence since that part is configured and managed in the OS.

Btw, what sort of disply problems do you see when proton = false on FF 91 ?

1 Like
#8

It is unfortunate the tabs are no longer delineated. Removing that adds nothing and makes it more muddled. Having one highlighted when you hover over it is not sufficient.

Removing markings on airport runways is an obviously bad idea, even if they light up when a plane moves near them. You need to see where you’re going from a distance.

As the software dev mantra goes, “extend an interface, don’t change it” - make it configurable.

Thanks folks!

8 Likes
#9

Aim the nose of the jet between the site icons. :wink:

#10

Sorry, I have no idea how that works.

For example, on built-in pages such as the Settings page, checkboxes do not display correctly.

#11

I must agree. Proton breaks many of the most basic rules of good UI design. The tabs all run together and cause eye strain. The crazy amount of padding around UI elements looks silly and is a waste of space. And the padding in menus causes fatigue in the scrolling finger and makes finding what you are looking for very frustrating.

Since it could still be turned off, things were okay. I mean, not okay okay, but at least I could change it for everyone. But now it’s just a tsunami of complaints. And rightly so. We cannot continue to use FF like this. Other browsers may lack some of the features of FF, but at least they aren’t an OSHA violation (joking… sort of).

11 Likes
#12

Mozilla; Stop trying to copy others and respect your users’ needs, preferences and opinions.
Proton is garbage.
I want back the previous UI and the previous Application Menu aspect and icons.
Proton takes much more space for the same amount of information and it looks silly and stupid.

13 Likes
#13

I’m at the end of my tether too with the constant pointless UI redesigns, every time it costs me time trying to somehow force the clock to turn back and I’ve reached the point where the time cost of trying to keep Firefox usable and the annoyance of things I cannot turn back are beginning to outweigh concerns over privacy. In the end, I have to use a browser to do my work and when the browser of my choice (and it has been that since Fx 2 or 3) becomes an obstacle to this, it’s time to split. I stare at a screen day in day out, I don’t need a browser that puts MORE strain on my eyes). I’ll probably give Vivaldi a twirl first but may have to settle for Edge.
Funny, it seems to have gone full circle, from being a browser by devs for devs to being the FOSS of choice back to being a browser by devs for devs again, with a defty touch of shootinthefootery. Sad really.

6 Likes
#14

I’m am visually impaired and the new UI really is a nightmare for me, I have to click 2 or 3 times to be able to select the right tab and not the one next to it.
I’m not sure that in 2 weeks my eyes will get better… Sometimes is not just a matter of tastes…

3 Likes
#15

The answer is very easy for developer: give the choice to go back to the previous UI design. They don’t know how it was? They can just download a version older than 89 and learn what is good design.

3 Likes
#16

It’s no secret that Firefox is hemorrhaging users. According to Mozilla’s own statistics, active monthly users have gone from 244 million at the end of 2018 to 198 million at the and of 2021Q2. W3Counter stats show that Firefox went from 4.1% market share in January, 2021 to 3.3% in June. Much of that well-reported loss can be attributed to factors that aren’t Mozilla’s fault. Meanwhile, however, Mozilla seems bent on alienating its existing user base, regularly taking their loyalty for granted. This can only serve to accelerate its decline. Foisting the boondoggle called Proton on its users is just another example in a long list of examples over many, many years.

It is a mystery to me why an organization that expends so much energy and money marketing itself in an attempt to get new users regularly angers its existing loyal users to the point where they feel they have no choice other than to reluctantly abandon Firefox for something they don’t even really like any better. Please Mozilla, please pull your head out. Read this article. Please. Do something that makes sense. Seriously. It’s sad to watch you push your palms against your ears, scream, “LA LA LA LA,” and destroy yourself.

9 Likes
#17

I’m not a mozilla developer but sorry to hear the new UI is causing you trouble.

If you find that some part of it aren’t accessible because of your impairment, I’d strongly recommend you to file a bug report (It’s a direct like to the form.). If needed, you can get help to file a bug on our Matrix chat.

In the meantime, you could try Firefox Color. It’s an addon that let you create a theme/change the colors of the UI. This way you’ll be able to use a higher contrast ratio for the active tab.

1 Like
#18

I had always thought Firefox is our last hold against “down-your-throat” hegemony from Google et al. That’s the very reason I have a recurring donation to Mozilla.

If Mozilla keeps demonstrating their resolution to mimic the same “down-your-throat” philosophy driven by clueless bureaucracy, I would actively advocate against such donations. Clearly they’ve been doing very well without noisy users huh?

6 Likes
#19

Mozilla are making a VERY good argument for changing to another browser.
Why do you insist on “fixing” things that aren’t broken?

9 Likes
#20

So… Firefox is bleeding users and still want to force new designs down the throat of the remaining ones… I always used Firefox my previous browser was Netscape! But sorry, I don’t like the new tabs, it’s such a waste of space. My favourite feature of Proton was the ability to disable Proton! Please let users decide!

8 Likes