How Can I Create a Keyboard Shortcut to Firefox's Add-ons Window? [Ask Lifehacker]

Category: Science/Tech | Posted by laraib 1321 days ago

Dear Lifehacker, As we all know, the absolute greatest thing about Firefox is its extensibility, so why is it that the Firefox Add-ons window seems to be the only thing I can't get to with a keyboard shortcut? Now that the Add-ons window has the Get Add-ons tab in Firefox 3, there's even more reason I want to be able to get there quickly. How can I create my own keyboard shortcut to my Firefox extensions? Signed, Shortcut Junkie Dear Junkie, You're not alone in your quest for a quicker way to get to the Add-ons menu. There are a few ways you can access the Add-ons window from your keyboard, some of which are currently much easier than others to achieve. I'll walk you through a few possible methods. First, if you're on Windows, you could just go with a simple File menu shortcut. To open the Add-ons window, simply tap Alt, the press 't' (for Tools), then 'a' (for Add-ons). It's no Ctrl-J (the shortcut for opening your downloads), but it's not bad. If you're on a Mac, you're in luck. You can create a keyboard shortcut for any menu item for any application. This method was actually a little buggy for me, though, so your mileage may vary. As for Firefox-specific solutions, there are a few but they currently seem to be in a bit of disarray. The keyconfig Firefox extension is made specifically to create keyboard shortcuts for anything in Firefox, but after a bit of trying, I wasn't able to get it to open the Add-ons window. I could get other actions to work, but opening up my extensions was another matter. UPDATE: Thanks to The How-To Geek, who got to the bottom of the Keyconfig setup. Here's how to set up a shortcut to your Add-ons dialog in Firefox with Keyconfig. Similarly, the MR Tech Toolkit used to add a keyboard shortcut for your Add-ons/Extensions menu, but after installing it and trying it out, this seems to no longer be the case. Clearly none of the solutions I've posted above are perfect, so let's get to the bottom of this together. If you've tried any of the above methods or you've come up with your own working solution, let's hear about it in the comments. I'll update the post with any new and improved methods you come up with. Your dear friend, Lifehacker