Firefox Disable Ctrl-w

As a vim key mapping user, I found firefox ctrl-w close tab is really a annoying key shortcut. Since in vim, the key shortcut ctrl-w is defaultly mapped as deleting a word.

Solution

Create /usr/lib/firefox/defaults/pref/autoconfig.js

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pref("general.config.filename", "firefox.cfg"); // our configuration file is called firefox.cfg at the roor directory of firefox lib
pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0);
pref("general.config.sandbox_enabled", false); // after testing, it is needed to disable sanbox

Create /usr/lib/firefox/firefox.cfg

You can simply put your configuration here, but I recommend you to use it as an intermediate.

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// IMPORTANT: Start your code on the 2nd line. The first line is forced to be a comment
var home = getenv("HOME");

// your configuration should be placed at ~/.mozilla/firefox/user.js
lockPref("autoadmin.global_config_url", "file:" + home + "/.mozilla/firefox/user.js");

Create ~/.mozilla/firefox/user.js

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// disable ctrl+w
try {
 let {classes:Cc, interfaces:Ci, manager:Cm, utils:Cu} = Components;
 const {Services} = Cu.import('resource://gre/modules/Services.jsm');
 function ConfigJS() { Services.obs.addObserver(this, 'chrome-document-global-created', false); }
 ConfigJS.prototype = {
  observe: function (aSubject) { aSubject.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', this, {once: true}); },
  handleEvent: function (aEvent) {
   let document = aEvent.originalTarget;
   let window = document.defaultView;
   let location = window.location;
   if (/^(chrome:(?!\/\/(global\/content\/commonDialog|browser\/content\/webext-panels)\.x?html)|about:(?!blank))/i.test(location.href)) {
    if (window._gBrowser) {
      let attr, elm, key, mbo;
      let KEYS = ['key_close'];
      let ATTR = ['key','modifiers','command','oncommand'];
      for (key in KEYS){
       elm = window.document.getElementById(KEYS[key]);
       if (elm) for (attr in ATTR) if (ATTR[attr] in elm.attributes) elm.removeAttribute(ATTR[attr]);
      }
    }
   }
  }
 };
 if (!Services.appinfo.inSafeMode) { new ConfigJS(); }
} catch(e) {Cu.reportError(e);}

Tips and Tricks

  • To debug all the keybindings, please goto chrome://browser/content/browser.xhtml, and open your development tool(f12)
  • Disable and eneble firefox options: about:config
  • Aur package firefox-user-autoconfig does the first two steps, however, it doesn't disable firefox sandbox currently(v1-1), so you need to disable it by yourself.