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Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

vimperator.org

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Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#23

I used to be a user of pentadactyl, but never liked how it changed the entire look of the browser. Just last a couple of days ago, I found VimFx which is exactly what I always wanted. It's also open source at https://github.com/akhodakivskiy/VimFx

I'm the other way around: I tried switching from Vimperator to VimFx for a week, but couldn't really make myself compatible with it. I'm too used to browsing with toolbars=none[1] and browse almost exclusively via Vimperator command line. I found VimFx still not enough to be used with everything hidden.

Too bad that Vimperator will most likely stop working once Mozilla deprecate XUL addons in Firefox 57[2].

[1]: https://files.grid.in.th/0EEhIG.png

[2]: https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2016/11/23/add-ons-in-2017/

Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#24
This is interesting. I never thought of using vim commands to power the browser, but I do love text interfaces. (I type 150 wpm's and find keyboard navigation markedly faster than the point-and-click interface -- especially since keyboards are so much more precise.)

In 2008, back when I used Firefox, Mozilla tried an experimental interface called Ubiquity[0]. It was awesome! I don't know if the plugin still works, but I think text interfaces are really the way of the future for power users (everything old is new again)? Has anyone found anything quite like Ubiquity for Chrome or something like Vivaldi?

Other examples that come to mind: ChatOps[1] (seemingly popularized lately by Slack), Alfred[2], and even OS X's own Spotlight[3].

Nowadays, though, I just rely on the default keybindings of Chrome for most things. One of my favorites is Cmd+L, which highlights the contents of the address bar.

[0]: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Labs/Ubiquity

[1]: http://blogs.atlassian.com/2016/01/what-is-chatops-adoption-...

[2]: https://www.alfredapp.com/

[3]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204014

Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#25

Chrome has Vimium for this, it's good to know there is an analogue for Firefox. I love using Vim bindings while browsing. https://github.com/philc/vimium

Without Vimpertors's toolbar it's really hard to call Vimium an analogue. In comparison to options that Vimperator offers Vimium is just a couple of keymappings.

Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#26
post #25

Chrome has Vimium for this, it's good to know there is an analogue for Firefox. I love using Vim bindings while browsing. https://github.com/philc/vimium

Without Vimpertors's toolbar it's really hard to call Vimium an analogue. In comparison to options that Vimperator offers Vimium is just a couple of keymappings.

Closer to Vimperator is probably cVim[1], which also provides command line mode.

[1]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cvim/ihlenndgcmojh...

Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#27
post #24

This is interesting. I never thought of using vim commands to power the browser, but I do love text interfaces. (I type 150 wpm's and find keyboard navigation markedly faster than the point-and-click interface -- especially since keyboards are so much more precise.) In 2008, back when I used Firefox, Mozilla tried an experimental interface called Ubiquity[0]. It was awesome! I don't know if the plugin still works, bu…

I have Vimium in Chrome, VimFX on Firefox and Vimmy in Safari.

Maybe something like Vimium would work for you?

Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#28
There is also a sibling project called Muttator, which brings vimperator to Thunderbird. It allows you to get mutt-like ergonomics (including vim as text editor) with support for HTML mails.

Re: Vimperator: a Vim-like Firefox

#30

Who develops vimperator these days? Some of their primary maintainers moved onto a separate project called Pentadactyl[0] a few years ago. [0]: http://5digits.org/pentadactyl/

Pentadactyl isn't the successor to Vimperator, it's just a similar extension with a different feature set and some former Vimperator developers working on it. From what I understand, Vimperator continued to be developed after Pentadactyl was born. Long ago I compared the two and decided to use Pentadactyl because it seemed to be more powerful, but I'm not sure how they compare these days. A much bigger problem is tha…

VimFx is not as powerful as the other two, but it is a stable replacement IMO.
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