I thought that I would give this new web browser a 'spin' to see how well it worked.

Imagine my surprise then when I found that it is not possible to use it as there does not apear to be an "Open" (page) button or menu item anywhere in the program !!!!

YES - I know that you can manually enter a web address but that is NOT how we use a web browser. We have our own "startpage" with hundreds of sub-startpages with over 100,000 links from there (including an entire copy of wikipedia on our own system). We do not need to use bandwidth to access the internet all the time. All "browsing" starts with our startpages - which cannot be opened with your system.... YES - we CAN make our main "Startpage" a "homepage" but we need to open files all the time from from our own file system. It apears that it is only possible to enter a http web address to download a page and not possible to view the other 99.9999% of our content

Huh - what are you talking about???
Sure there is. Where it always has been: File > Open
And the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+O

The default skin is now extremely minimalistic, that doesn't help finding things at first. Perhaps you'd prefer to show more toolbars?
Click on the gear-button and View>Toolbars>Menu
There are also other toolbars that are hidden by default, my most important one being the privacy menu with a selection of buttons to toggle javascript, cookies etc. (Just be very careful with the Clear buttons, they delete at first click whithout asking for confirmation first)

PS: if you prefer to have a toolbar button for opening local files, that's not difficult, but depends on which skin you use.

If it's the Klassic skin, click Edit > Configuration > Toolbars
and insert this among the first buttons:

Open File{
ID_FILE_OPEN
&Open...
menu.bmp[4]
menu.bmp[4]
menu.bmp[4]
}

=======

If it's the Aura skin, use:

Open File{
ID_FILE_OPEN
&Open...
menu1.bmp[4]
menu1.bmp[4]
menu1.bmp[4]
}

=======

If it's the default skin on brandnew KM75RC, you'll have to manually open the
toolbars.cfg in the folder ...K-Meleon../browser/settings/default
Or better, leave that default file as is and put a copy of it into the current skin folder:
..K-Meleon../skins/default
Thin insert among the first buttons:

Open File{
fileOpen
&Open...
}

========

If you like, add any menu of your choice on right-click on that button.
Let's see... perhaps OpenSave?

line-2:
ID_FILE_OPEN|OpenSave
fileOpen|OpenSave

In that case, it might help to add a hint to the tooltip:
line-3:
Open local file. Right-click for more options.

========

@Dorian: add that menu on the native SaveAs-button too? :cool:

Quote
Tovenaar
I thought that I would give this new web browser a 'spin' to see how well it worked.

Imagine my surprise then when I found that it is not possible to use it as there does not apear to be an "Open" (page) button or menu item anywhere in the program !!!!

YES - I know that you can manually enter a web address but that is NOT how we use a web browser. We have our own "startpage" with hundreds of sub-startpages with over 100,000 links from there (including an entire copy of wikipedia on our own system). We do not need to use bandwidth to access the internet all the time. All "browsing" starts with our startpages - which cannot be opened with your system.... YES - we CAN make our main "Startpage" a "homepage" but we need to open files all the time from from our own file system. It apears that it is only possible to enter a http web address to download a page and not possible to view the other 99.9999% of our content

I agree with your request.


@Siria, the problem is that, by default, there isn't an intuitive way to know where the hell is the standard Menu Bar.

Believe it or not, it was a problem for me too. When I started to beta test, I created the test profile and I couldn't see the Menu. It wasn't hard because as an advanced user in general and in K-meleon too, an ALT+V shows the View menu and from there you can tweak settings to show the bar and you can "fix it", but, again, that is not intuitive. Less to RIGHT click in a config wheel.


In my opinion, Dorian should change the default skin to show the Menu bar.


Look that a simple "common" and "known" for all programs that is CTRL + o is not even discovered by default.

It has no sense to hide it.

@John: I fully agree, being a fan of buttons-buttons-buttons. But Dorian is the exact opposite and heavily into this newfangled minimum-GUI thing and thinks it necessary to compete with Chrome&Co, so doesn't understand us :cool:

At least there's no right-click required on the gear button, in the minimum-skin the left-click shows the menu.
Still I think the original poster was a bit too impulsive without really searching before complaining ;-)

PS: perhaps there could be some 1st-install popup guiding the user? Like asking if he prefers more or less buttons, telling where to switch skins, offer an alternative KM74 aura skin, telling how to show more toolbars...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 06:03PM by siria.

That would be great, same as the preference where checks for new updates, or whatever does, to kmeleon.sf.net at first start.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 06:16PM by JohnHell.

Perhaps... add a visible "?" button in the minimum-GUI (or all skins?)
It should open the Help menu.
But as first line in this menu should be a new link ("HELP"?) that opens a page with 1st-install tips, about skins and toolbars, info about right-click menus on many buttons (very unusual without a visible arrow), privbar etc.
The second line should be "Hide menu bar" with a checkmark (gets more attention)

I do see the dilemma, some users prefer a minimum-GUI and others a more classic one, but we must find some solution to make the switch more intuitive, as you say!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 06:33PM by siria.

No toobars and no way to find them !! So > No "File" No "Open" No "View" !!!
and the real poblem - Nn search or index in Help so there is no way to find out where these things are hidden. YES it does apear to be an OK prog BUT if you're going to make it impossible to use for first time try outs then they will vote with their feet.

Thank you > Cntl + "o" DOES give you the open file command - Shock - who would have guessed that ? No one........

But you did find the HELP menu?
"View" is a neighbor to it, some lines higher.
click View > Toolbars > Menu

FILE:
Okay, now I get it: There really is no "FILE" in the gearbutton-menu, because most of its content is part of that menu.
But he's right, the "Open" command is missing in that menu!
And the "offine" command seems missing too, unless it's somewhere else now.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 09:22PM by siria.

Well, folks!

There are a number of things that we are used to, being the same time very confusing for novices.

Look: menu items 'Preferences' and 'Configuration' - what is the right place for GUI-setting up? Novice cannot be sure. We can find more. 'Paste&Go' option not in URLbar but on the Go-button.

There are 2 ways for us: make traditional KM-GUI more self-explainable for novices or change such a confusing parts of GUI to make them obvious.

Maybe a quick start-up guide.
KMeleon is not more confusing than other browser IMO.


But I think I'll replace the toolbars with a ribbon.









Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2015 06:07PM by Dorian.

LOL! 8 days early

Perhaps it's not more confusing overall (opinions may vary), but the prob is people don't use it as their very 1st browser, and neither do they have pals sitting next to them giving tips for KM. So it will always seem more "complicated" to newbies, because they don't find their stuff at their usual places and have no one to ask, only this forum.
But must admit it really is true that some settings need real searching, especially skin-related stuff is shattered in very different places.

Dorian, you shouldn't joke so! :O