Via Tabularum

A very simple Firefox extension to control where new tabs redirect to.

Features

• Set a custom URL for new tabs.
• Saves your preference in browser storage.
• Simple UI with an input field and save button.

How to use

1. Click on the extension icon on the toolbar
2. insert a valid URL you wish to see when opening new tabs.
3. Click on SET.
4. Now, when you open new tabs, the extension will redirect to the specified URL.
5. You can specify the protocol. If no protocol is specified, https:// will be assumed.

Build Instructions

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies

Requires Node.js 22+ and npm.

npm ci

3. Build the extension

npm run build

The packaged extension will be created inside the dist/ directory. By default, the build output is:

dist/viatabularum-<version>.zip

How to test the addon

To try the build as a temporary debug extension, do as follows:

1. Open Firefox and go to about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox.
2. Click Load Temporary Add-on.
3. Select the build .zip file, or the manifest.json file inside, if you unzipped it.
4. The addon should be active now and available for use on the browser toolbar.

Development

• Written in plain JavaScript.
• Uses browser.storage.local for storage persistence. Works only within Firefox extensions.
• Main files:
  • manifest.json — extension manifest
  • constants.js — constants and defaults
  • feedback_handler.js — controls the feedback LED light and text
  • url_handler.js — storage helpers
  • options.js — UI logic for the options page
  • newtab.html — redirection page
  • via_tabularum.html — UI of the extension

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) v3.
You are free to use, modify, and redistribute it, but any derivative work must also be licensed under GPL.

About the Author

I am a back-end software developer with complementary experience in front-end development. I graduated with honors as a technician in multiplatform application development, and my professional experience includes working with microservices, REST APIs, ETL processes, and web applications.

My main expertise lies in Java, Spring Framework, and database engines such as PostgreSQL and MongoDB. For front-end development, I typically work with the core HTML/CSS/JavaScript stack, as well as frameworks like Angular when needed.

I particularly enjoy creating small, simple applications that solve everyday problems.

I am fluent in Spanish and English, and also speak Esperanto. I'm currently training in French.

• LinkedIn
• Webpage (Spanish) - www.alejandronieves.es