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jeffd · Posted: Jan 6, 05, 15:16 Firefox UserAgent Switcher list

NEW!! Now also available the xml import file
Rearranged into a more logical order also

There are two choices:

Download official useragent switcher xml import file.
Requires user agent switcher 0.6.5 or greater. Download the useragent switcher xml file here. This is the most upto date version, we recommend you use this one.

Download txt file for your prefs.js file
This version is updated now and then, download the latest version here.
Current version: 1.0.4

UserAgent Switcher is made by Chris Pederick, who also makes the absolutely indispensible Web Developer Toolbar. While being an excellent tool, the User Agent Switcher only comes with a few user agents.

If you want to use the prefs.js version, this is where you can find your prefs.js file:

:: Code ::

c:\documents and settings\username\application data\mozilla\firefox\profiles\yourprofilename\prefs.js

Or just search for the file prefs.js, make sure it's in your user directory however.

This is the xml version, you can cut and paste this one and save it if you want, but I'd use the download above:

:: Code ::

Now you have a complete, over complete really, list of useragents, and can add as many more as you'd like. Have fun with it.

erikZ · Posted: Mar 2, 05, 11:59

Can you add these user agents to your list please:

:: Code ::

ELinks/0.9.3 (textmode; Linux 2.6.9-kanotix-8 i686; 127x41)
Links/0.9.1 (Linux 2.4.24; i386;)
Lynx/2.8.5rel.1 libwww-FM/2.14 SSL-MM/1.4.1 GNUTLS/1.0.16
w3m/0.5.1

I want to make sure my sites work the way I intend for those text console browsers, I think you have some of these already.

Thanks, Erik

jeffd · Posted: Apr 28, 05, 20:10

Erikz, those are in the latest version now, thanks for those user agents.

mobiGeek · Posted: May 25, 05, 13:00

How about a Blackberry Browser UA:

:: Code ::

BlackBerry7750/4.0.0

Thanks,
mG.

paulhiles · Posted: Jul 21, 05, 10:14 Uses for the User Agent Switcher

Could anyone outline circumstances where you might use the User Agent Switcher?
I've seen examples of URLs being planted in the string itself, and I understand how some users might wish to spoof their browser, but are there any other legitimate uses?

Paul

jeffd · Posted: Jul 21, 05, 13:42

There's lots of uses for user agent switching as long as there are lame website makers who do silly Internet Explorer only user agent detection when the site runs fine on Firefox. Other uses are getting into sites that are made for for example Safari but work fine on firefox, there's some big mac oriented sites like that.

Other uses are getting past login pages that allow googlebot to enter. For testing your own scripts too it's pretty useful, to make sure you didn't forget anything if you are doing for example CSS user agent detection.

We made this one to test our PHP browser detection script because there was a certain point where we had some really bad bugs in it that would have been caught if had used the user agent switcher.

For most users, the default user agents that Chris Pederick installs on the user agent switcher are more than adequate, unless they need for example Safari emulation.

Personally, I'd turn the question around and ask if it is a legitimate use of HTML and the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol in general to make a site that only works in one of the technically worst browsers out there at the moment, MSIE.

paulhiles · Posted: Jul 21, 05, 13:55

Much obliged jeffd, I'm understanding more and more why this is such a neat utility!

mobiGeek · Posted: Jul 21, 05, 18:09

:: jeffd wrote ::

Personally, I'd turn the question around and ask if it is a legitimate use of HTML and the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol in general to make a site that only works in one of the technically worst browsers out there at the moment, MSIE.

In the wireless/handheld world, using the UA string to determine the capabilities of a device and send appropriate information used to be a requirement if you wanted anything beyond plain text. It was worse than in the old days of the web...

Today most handheld browsers support some level of CSS and most of HTML 4.01 (or XHTML), but if you are still trying to squeeze the most out of a user's device capabilities, the UA string may tell you that the device only supports 2-bit b&w images, etc...

Paul, I use it for testing all sorts of service that sniff UA strings, such as "mobile" versions of various websites (CNN, Google, Yahoo, etc...). Some of these services see your UA and direct you to a totally different set of pages that you would otherwise only see in a handheld/cellphone browser.

jeffd · Posted: Jul 21, 05, 18:46

mobiGeek, thanks for mentioning mobile testing, that's going to be a bigger and bigger part of the market soon, reminds me to add a few mobiles to the useragent switcher list, which would you recommend if you were only going to add a few? Currently the above version is getting pretty long, too long, but maybe I'll whip up a more testing/development oriented version.

mobiGeek · Posted: Jul 21, 05, 18:56

Well, my first post in this thread suggested at least one RIM Blackberry one. I'm sure a few searches would yield a page or two...

Here's an [new user link] that I could only access via Google's cache.

Let me know if you'd like more. I have access to the access logs of one very popular "mobile services" website.

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