How to View Internet Explorer inside Firefox

last updated in Categories Download of the day, Howto, Linux, Linux desktop, Mozilla, package management, Windows, windows vista

This is an user contributed article.

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I’m a devoted Firefox user like most of you. However, at work I use Internet Explorer for couple of web applications that works only on IE. Wouldn’t it be nice to embed Internet Explorer inside Firefox as a tab to browse the websites that works only on IE? This is exactly what Firefox add-on IE Tab does as explained below.

This is a great tool for web developers, since you can easily see how your web page displayed in IE with just one click and then switch back to Firefox.

Update: This is Windows specific tool. See how to install IE under Linux using IEs4Linux.

Install IE TAB

After you’ve installed the IE Tab add-on, visit an URL from the Firefox browser, right mouse-click on the page and select “View Page in IE Tab” as shown below, which will open the page inside Firefox, using the Internet Explorer.

Fig.01: Right mouse-click on a webpage to launch IE inside Firefox
Fig.01: Right mouse-click on a webpage to launch IE inside Firefox

You can also right mouse-click and select “View page in Ext App” from Firefox, which will open the page separately in an new IE browser. There is not much use to this option, as the whole point is to view IE inside Firefox.

From the IE Tab add-on option, you can add URL of the sites that works only on IE. This way, anytime you open these URLs from Firefox, it will automatically open it using Internet Explorer inside the Firefox.

Fig.02: IE Tab option with site filter
Fig.02: IE Tab option with site filter

From the IE Tab add-on options, click on “external application” tab, where you can see the path variable pointing to iexplorer.exe executable on your windows machine. While installing the IE Tab add-on, it automatically populates the path variable with location to iexplore.exe executable.

Fig.03: IE Tab option showing path to Internet Explorer executable.
Fig.03: IE Tab option showing path to Internet Explorer executable.

Further readings:

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Posted by: Vivek Gite

The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin, DevOps engineer, and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin, Linux/Unix and open source topics via RSS/XML feed or weekly email newsletter.

11 comment

  1. Add to Firefox (Windows)

    IE Tab is not available for Linux

    Copied and Pasted from the IE tab website.

  3. Indeed, The IEs4Linux project would be better suited for a write-up on NixCraft. I wonder if the creators of IE Tab could whip up a version for Linux users that have IEs4Linux installed.

  5. i’m also a devoted Firefox user, indeed some webpages seemed done for IE, use the following command

    $ winebrowser firefox

    it worked for me, hope it helps you.

  7. Hi,
    Firefox is the best!!!!!!!
    I ve been using it for years…I have loved it…I agree at some point we need Internet Explorer as well…the add on which u have mentioned it is the best option….. its grt…

  8. real command is
    $ winebrowser http://www.website.com

    if firefox is your default it will load it with some windows behaviour. Sorry i don’t need IE anymore, if firefox ain’t working lynx will… but its a choice.

  10. One should know that IE4Linux does not produce 100% the same than an IE on Windows. With the Basics they are the same but when you go more into deep (ajax or so) you will see little differences. Nothing to bother for personal use but not usable for business.

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