How to search the web in full screen mode: what happened to the F2 KEY?

njvkef

njvkef

I used opera 12.17 until recently, it is by far the best browser that i know in terms of customization, settings, features...the problem is that it's now been a few months since opera does not load properly almost half of the web pages out there, even the ones on opera forums, and it has become really slow loading everything. Now that I use Opera Next I find my surfing experience slower not because the browser itself is slow, but because I can not access from "full screen mode" the web address bar (as I used to do with the F2 key) and my bookmarks with the shift+F2. Is there a way to navigate the web with just one keyboard shortcut in opera Next from full screen mode? Why don't developers do something similar to the F2 keyboard shortcut that existed in opera 12.17? Can I build my own extension with such keyboard shortcuts? Thanks to everyone who tries to understand my disappointment and all suggestions are welcomed.

hitanykey

hitanykey

F11 = full screen

hitanykey

hitanykey

sorry, I think I misread he question.

lem729

lem729

@njvkef

You can do something as good with Opera 23. Remember, you can assign keyboard shortcuts to some of your extensions. Just go to your extensions -- ctrl shift E -- and at the bottom of your list, you will see Extension Keyboard Shortcuts. It's critical to have the extensions that will make this work for you, and set the shortcut.

Let me explain what I mean. I use the Bookmarks Manager Extension, Chrookmarks for Chrome (though I'm sure other bookmarks manager extensions would work. I just like this one).

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chrookmarks-chrome-bookma/kcdheengilgkagjehknnnofigbmlnnfj?hl=en

I click on at the end of my list of extensions Extension Keyboard Shortcuts, and set ctrl B for the bookmarks manager. Now if I'm in full screen mode (f 11), all I have to do is press the keyboard shortcut, ctrl B, and the bookmarks manager opens my bookmarks in a vertical display with all of the folders "in full screen mode." It's great. Now you want to navigate the web. You need an extension that permits you do that, and then set the shortcut. You might try the Opera extension, DuckDuckGo Extension, https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/duckduckgo-for-opera-2/?display=en. I went to at the end of my list of extensions Extension Keyboard Shortctus, and set ctrl D for this extension. Then from full-screen mode, I just typed ctrl D, and it is super. I get the search bar in full screen mode, can put in my search query, and then I arrive at the page I was looking for in full screen mode.

I sometimes use the Opera add-on, Disconnect Search Extension, https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/disconnect-search/?display=en, which lets you do searches of 5 browsers from the Opera main address bar if you choose. (Other extensions that access the web may work as well. Just as an aside, Disconnect Search has certain privacy benefits by generally moving your search query through the Disconnect website, so that it cannot (or so the claim is made) be traced to you. (If you research Disconnect Search in Google, you can find reviews of it). (They ask for a contribution when you download it, but as far as I know, you can get it working without contributing, and decide later if you want to or not).

Now just assign a keyboard shortcut to Disconnect Search. You can assign Ctrl D to it, unless you've already used that one for DuckDuckGo. If so, then alt D works.. Then when you're in full screen mode, if you type your shortcut, ctrl D, (or alt D if you're using that) and you can do your searches in full screen mode.

So for internet access, I've suggested either the DuckDuckGo extension, or the Disconnect Search extensions. That's only after doing a quick look. I'm sure you can find others that would work for you.

Remember, though, that to download a Chrome extension easily, you need the Opera extension, called Download Chrome Extension, https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/download-chrome-extension-9/?display=en

or Extension Source Viewer, https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/extension-source-viewer/

Give this a try. I think this will work for you!!

njvkef

njvkef

Thanks, lem729!

The DuckDuckGo extension you pointed out is really nice, looks like a valid substitute for how I used to search the web. Unfortunately I have to say I prefer much more the way the F2 key worked and here is why:

I had access to the opera address bar, which means the opera searches manager shortcuts. (customizable and faster to type than the !bang system in DuckDuckGo which work only with certain web search engines and have fixed and relatively long shortcuts.)
I like DuckDuckGo and I bet there are many other interesting extensions to search the web, but I prefer much more my older default search engine.
With the 'shift+F2' key I could just type two or three keys on my keyboard and get to a specific bookmarked webpage, no need to open the bookmarks or a bookmark manager.
F2 was just one key, extension shortcuts needs control or alt.

Keep it simple, make it short, easy and fast. This is my philosophy of what a web browser should be, I can just hope that opera web developers will reintroduce the F2 keyboard shortcut in a next release.