A new open-source nostalgia project lets you turn back the clock on web browser aesthetics.
Silverfox is a custom theme for Mozilla Firefox ESR — a long-term support version of the famed browser — that recreates the classic look of Google Chrome from 2012.
We’re talking trapezoid tabs, parallelogram new tab button, a pared back speed dial, bottom-based download bar, a custom-built hamburger menu (wrench icon optional), and Chrome’s classic (if tiny) window buttons (the browser didn’t use native GTK window controls until 2017).
“Browsers age, good design doesn’t”, say the creators of this effort.
Speaking as someone who blogged obsessively about the early days of Google Chrome/ium for Linux, trying this theme out hasn’t just taken me on a trip down memory lane but bought me the frickin’ t-shirt and stick of rock to go with it.
Silverfox is more than an approximate superficial recreation. The authors try to stick as close to the original as possible, recreating the OG speed dial, creepy-guy incognito mode, in-window info bars, and restyled settings, about, error, and extensions pages.
I dig that Chrome’s original profile avatars are included. These colourful characters appeared in the top of the title bar (the cat was always my fave). In a touch of modernity, Silverfox allows you to use any image you want in that location, including an animated GIF.
Also included are a slate of extra settings accessed (naturally) from a Chrome-style flags page:
These additional toggles allow you to enhance the Chrome-esque experience further by enabling more features/functions/behaviours from the past, such as switching to Chromium branding, opting for Chrome OS window controls, and for Linux users, using Humanity-era toolbar icons
Windows users aren’t left out as Silverfox supports Aero in Windows 7, and similar glassy effects provided by software like Glass8 and DWMBlurGlass — obviously not relevant on Linux where we get a classic GTK-colour titlebar (but you can enable the blue bg with a click).
Try Silverfox Yourself
I’ve no doubt many of you will be sat mouthing “why” at this post, and I can only assume you do the same at any sort of theme, not just ones that recreate a well-known looks.
While I wouldn’t ever argue that anyone should care (much less use) Silvefox themselves I would say: keep in mind it’s a creative endeavour.
It’s made for fun (nostalgia is a vibe), as a challenge (can it be done), and to a lesser degree, as a way to reach back, re-live and re-appraise the past (without the frustration that comes with trying to run actual old software on modern OSes).
At heart, Silverfox is a cute revival project sure to rekindle warm feelings amongst those who lived and breathed online life using the real Google Chrome circa 2012.
Interested in giving this a spin?
Silverfox only works with Mozilla Firefox ESR 115, not the regular version of Firefox. It also doesn’t work with Flatpak or snap versions of ESR. I recommend using the ESR Linux binary build if you don’t plan on making ESR your main browser.
You’ll find all the details (and lots of GIFs) walking through the installation on the project website (spoiler: extract a zip and move some files).