importFirefoxTopSites

A software to set the Top Sites shown when you open a new tab in Firefox.

Normally, Firefox will set those sites automatically. However, you might wish to set all the Top Sites at once, for example, on a new installation.

Also, if "Never save history" is active, Firefox won't update those sites. This software will still work.

Table of contents

• Quick start
• Related Tasks
  • Set Firefox to display the desired number of Top Sites
  • How to create the "browser.newtabpage.pinned" preference
  • Other information related to Firefox's Top Sites
• Prerequisites and Installing
• Author
• License

Quick start

In order to set the Firefox Top Sites:

• Clone the repo: git clone https://github.com/shalommmitz/importFirefoxTopSites.git
• Select the sites: modify the file "urls.txt"
• Generate the json string: `python main.py'
• Open the Firefox configuration page: At a new tab type the URL "about:config". Accept the warning.
• Find the Preference "browser.newtabpage.pinned". If it does not exist, see below on how to create it.
• Replace existing string with the string generated by main.py
• Restart Firefox
• Open a new tab - you should see your sites.

Related Tasks

Set Firefox to display the desired number of Top Sites

The 3 steps below will display 12 Top Sites in any new Tab.

1. Open a new Tab in Firefox (E.g., by clicking on the "+" on the upper-right corner).

2. Open the "New Tab Preferences" side-bar, by clicking on the "?" opposite TOP-SITES.

3. Make sure both "Top Sites" and "Show two rows" are checked.

The following Firefox support-ticket explains how to set the number of Top Sites to any desired number. Look near the end of the text.

How to create the "browser.newtabpage.pinned" preference

If you never modified your Top Sites, this preference does not exist, and you will not be able to modify it using "about:config".

Any change to the Top Site will create this preference. For example, you can do this:

1. Open a new tab. This will show the existing Top Sites.
2. Move the mouse pointer to the middle of the one of the Top Sites icons.   
   A circle will appear at the top-left corner of the icon. 
3. Click on this circle and choose "Edit". 
4. Change one of the entries and click on "Save".

This will create the needed preference.

Other information related to Firefox's Top Sites

• In order to set a site on the Top Sites without using this software, take the following steps:
  1. Add the site to the bookmarks toolbar
  2. Open a new tab. This will display the Top Sites
  3. Drag the desired site form the bookmarks toolbar into one of the icons of the Top Sites
• This Mozilla support page explains how to change the Top Sites using the Firefox build-in tools.

Prerequisites and Installing

All that is needed is Python (either 2.x or 3.x).

This software was tested on Firefox version 58.

No installation is needed. Just get the repository.

Author

Shalom Mitz - shalommmitz

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.