this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2023
8 points (78.6% liked)

techsupport

2497 readers
4 users here now

The Lemmy community will help you with your tech problems and questions about anything here. Do not be shy, we will try to help you.

If something works or if you find a solution to your problem let us know it will be greatly apreciated.

Rules: instance rules + stay on topic

Partnered communities:

You Should Know

Reddit

Software gore

Recommendations

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

My question is as follows: When I click a link on the main page, instead of opening a new tab in Firefox, it always takes me to the linked page in the same tab. I've tried changing settings in about:config, tried two different Firefox extensions to modify link behavior, but that resulted in a few unwanted events. I know I can override this by clicking the scroll wheel or using ctrl while clicking, but that gets annoying after a while. Is there a way to change this?

top 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] breadsmasher 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How does pressing middle instead of left mouse button get annoying?

[–] Atomdude 1 points 1 year ago

I don't know how, but it does.

[–] PaulDevonUK 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Atomdude 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Maybe it's because my middle mouse button is wonky, sometimes it scrolls when I try to click. I just don't like it.
But the main reason I ask is that I don't get what makes some pages behave different; and what if I'd like to be able to make it act just the way I want? It's just one of those things.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's the actual link itself that decides if it should open in a tab or redirect the current one. If a link ( tag) has the target: '_BLANK' attribute, it opens in a new tab. Otherwise it usually opens in the same tab.

[–] Atomdude 2 points 1 year ago

Good to know. Thanks for the insight!

[–] kuneho 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

IIRC Ctrl + Click also opens stuff on new tab, or at least, it did.

But you should utilize the middle click more. It's a really handy stuff for opening in new instances or closing.

[–] Atomdude 1 points 1 year ago

I use the middle mouse button a lot, it's just that I'm not used to a site not working 'like it should' (which is just my preference, I know). I mean, if Lemmy is a bulletin board or aggregate, I'm sort of expecting a certain type of behavior.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If I wanted to do this, I would use grease monkey and write some JavaScript just listen to clicks on everything with an href, stop propagation, and then force it open in a new tab

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This used to be an option in Firefox itself where all links open in a new tab (I'm sure it's still there somewhere). Though it would be universal; if you only wanted it for Lemmy specially, you might need a script/extension for it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

there's a userscript to force all links to open in a new tab - i'll see if i can find it


edit: here ye go. but i haven't used it, so caveat emptor

original comment

[–] Atomdude 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thank you very much.
I also started using Alexandrite, thanks to that post!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

oh by the way, your instance has alexandrite built in

i think it's at a.lemmy.world? but there are also other frontends at old.lemmy.world and new.lemmy.world and possibly phtn.lemmy.world or something?

there's a list somewhere on the meta lemmysphere (~~[email protected]?~~ [email protected])

https://lemmy.world/post/2878694