Hack 10. Start Up from the Command Line
You can start Firefox without using the
mouse.
How is Firefox started? This hack describes all the command-line options. To see
command-line options, most technical people instinctively open a
command-line window, such as an xterm (Linux) or
an MS-DOS or cmd window (Windows). Then they type
program /? or
program --help,
depending on the operating system. The latter option works everywhere
except in Windows, because Firefox doesn't provide
console-based help there. So Windows is a special case: help
information isn't automatically spat out there. To
see command-line options on Windows, you have to go further with a
DOS or cmd box. On Windows, start up a command
line (StartProgramsMS-DOS Prompt) and follow
these steps:
C:
cd "Program Files"
cd Firefox
firefox --help > help.txt
type help.txt
The help options will appear in the newly created file
help.txt. This advice goes for all options that
provide command-line output, such as -version. You
don't need to redirect anything on other platforms.
On Windows, you can use / (forward slash) or
// (double forward slash) as the command-line
switch prefix. On all platforms, Firefox-specific options can be
preceded with - (minus) or --
(minus, minus). These two command lines are the same on Windows, but
only the first one will work on Linux:
firefox -console --jsconsole http://www.example.com
firefox --console /jsconsole http://www.example.com
On Unix/Linux, some X11 options are supported. X11 X resources
aren't supported, because the Unix/Linux port uses
the Gtk configuration system. Table 1-4 describes the user-oriented options.
Table 1-4. User-oriented command-line options
Option
|
Windows?
|
Unix/Linux?
|
Macintosh?
|
Description
|
---|
General options
|
-h, -help
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
State command-line help and exit.
|
-v, -version
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
State Firefox version and exit.
|
Browser options
|
URL
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Display a browser showing this URL.
|
-height X
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Specify window height in pixels.
|
-width X
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Specify window width in pixels.
|
-edit
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Support for old Composer; does nothing by default.
|
-inspector
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start the DOM Inspector window.
|
-jsconsole
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start the JavaScript Console window.
|
-register
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Re-register the set of chrome packages.
|
-safe-mode
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start without any extensions or plug-ins and stick to the default
theme. Use as a last resort.
|
-install-global-extension "{UUID}"
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Move the extension with registration number
UUID from the profile area to the install
area.
|
-install-global-theme "{UUID}"
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Move the theme with registration number
UUID from the profile area to the install
area.
|
-list global-items
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
List extensions and themes added to the install area.
|
-lock-item "{UUID}"
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Lock the extension or theme with this UUID
so that the user can't delete it via the user
interface.
|
-unlock-item "{UUID}"
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Unlock the extension or theme with this
UUID so that the user can delete it via
the user interface.
|
Mozilla options
|
-chrome D
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start up a plain, chromeless window and display the document at URL
D.
|
-installer
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Migrate data from other browsers on startup.
|
-P Foo
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start up with profile Foo, or with the
Profile manager if that profile doesn't exist.
|
-SelectProfile
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start up with the profile selection dialog box.
|
-CreateProfile "prof dir"
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Auto-create a profile named prof in
directory dir and make it the current
profile. dir defaults to
"."
|
-ProfileWizard
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start up with the Profile Wizard and step the user through profile
creation.
|
-ProfileManager
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start up with the Profile Manager. On Mac OS X, Option-double-click
Firefox.
|
-UILocale L
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start with language locale L string labels
for XUL content (toolbars and menus)
|
-contentLocale C
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Start with content locale C string labels
for displayed pages' content.
|
Windows options
|
-kill
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
Stop any running Firefox instance.
|
-console
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
Tie any stdout and stderr
output to a simple text window and display that as well.
|
Unix/Linux/X11/Gtk options
|
--g-fatal-warnings
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
All warnings kill Firefox.
|
--display=X
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Choose the X11 display X.
|
--sync
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Synchronize all X11 calls.
|
--no-xshm
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Don't use X shared memory extension.
|
--install
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Give Firefox a private Gtk colormap.
|
|
Windows are opened in the order they appear on the command
line.
|
|
1.12.1. See Also
For the more detailed programmatic command-line options, search for
the DumpHelp() function at http://lxr.mozilla.org. For Unix/Linux
specifically, consider also this URL: http://www.mozilla.org/unix/remote.html.
|