How to restore discrete Stop and Refresh buttons in Pale Moon. Topic is solved

[BenFenner]

The day the Stop and Refresh (reload?) buttons were combined was a sad day. I have finally gotten the motivation to divorce these things the way they should be.
It is infuriating that one mouse click can so often perform the exact wrong thing because of how these two features were idiotically combined so many years ago.

Simply initiate customization of the menu toolbar (which should show the two buttons discretely) and add a Flexible Space component between the two buttons.
Done!

Alternative reference: https://www.sr20-forum.com/bug-hunt/!79 ... -moon.html

Previous, incorrect post contents preserved for context:

Include these lines in your userChrome.css file:

Code: Select all

/*
 * Force both Stop and Reload buttons to be visible and prevents the browser from collapsing one or the other.
 */

#stop-reload-button .toolbarbutton-1 {
  display: -moz-box !important;
  visibility: visible !important;
}

Afterward you'll need to restart Pale Moon, and then likely invoke the menu/toolbar customization tool and drag the buttons around to new places a bit which should finally split them up for good. <3


It is a glorious day!

[Night Wing]

My Stop and Refresh buttons have never been combined because I changed them slightly in the Customization Toolbar. And I have been doing it this way since 2014.

If one is using the Menu Bar and they want those buttons like what I have and you have now, there is no need for your code. Just reverse their positions for one and the other. My screenshot is below.

[BenFenner]

Thank you, that was very informative. I'm not sure how I never managed that in the past. Maybe I was too stubborn to swap their positions back when this first happened?

I think I've accidentally accomplished the same thing you're doing.
I don't think the userChrome changes I made actually do anything...
I need to rethink this in the morning.

[Night Wing]

This is what you did before you tinkered with the CSS coding.

When you were in the Customization Toolbar, you put the Refresh button "first" and to the right of it, you put the Stop button "second". When you exited the CT, both buttons were "combined" into one button. And you kept your Menu Bar.

All you (or anyone else) has to do to separate the buttons and keep them separated, is to put the Stop button "first" and to the right of it, place the Refresh button "second". Then make sure the Menu Bar is to the right or left of the Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh buttons.

Then exit out of the CT and both buttons in question will be separated and stay separated.

If you look at our screenshots; my Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh buttons are first and to the right of them is my Menu Bar. Your Menu Bar is first and to the right of it is your Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh buttons.

[Gemmaugr]

You can also put a separator in between them, so you can have refresh first and stop second: https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.ph ... 05#p266405

[Moonchild]

You can also put a separator in between them, so you can have refresh first and stop second: https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.ph ... 05#p266405

^I was about to mention this but gemmaugr was ahead of me

[Lucio Chiappetti]

Not sure what you are talking about. I have and always had Back Forward Reload Stop Home (text no icon) in my navigation toolbar.

[Moonchild]

I have and always had Back Forward Reload Stop Home (text no icon) in my navigation toolbar.

This is why. Text buttons don't combine by design.

[hitokage]

If I'm remembering correctly, you can also use a Flexible Space between the two to do this.

[BenFenner]

If I'm remembering correctly, you can also use a Flexible Space between the two to do this.

Yah, apparently I got way ahead of myself and this is really the best solution IMO. It is simple to accomplish, visually nondescript, and retains the button order if that is important to the user.

I am going to edit my post above to describe this solution.

Edit: Well I would, but the edit window on the OP has already closed less than 24 hours after making the post. That is incredibly frustrating, not least of which because the post is just wrong...

[Night Wing]

@ BenFenner

Something to think about.

Since you went ahead first and put some code in a userChrome.css file, I suggest you delete that code. If you don't, that code might cause a problem in a future new version of Pale Moon.

[BenFenner]

Yes, of course. Already done.
(I would hope that would go without saying, but one can never be too helpful I guess.)

[Moonchild]

PM me the text you want added to the OP and I'll do it for you.
Updated the OP with desired content/topic title

[KlarkKentThe3rd]

Mine never combined........ I mean, look at this.

[BenFenner]

Apparently I was the only one in the world suffering this for over a decade.

[Drugwash]

Funnily enough I was (and still am) suffering from the exact opposite issue than everybody here: I do want those buttons combined - due to lack of space - but upon each browser version change, or change in add-ons (add/remove/enable/disable) that requires a browser restart, those buttons get separated and each time it takes exactly two toolbar edits and browser restarts before they combine back. They would not combine back by themseves ever if left alone (no toolbar edit), even after a hundred browser restarts. I believe that is exactly what you all would want - and I don't.

The culprit in my case could be the Compact Moon theme and/or its settings (complementary Compact Moon Options add-on).

Screenshot from 2026-05-28 10-44-31.png

[Night Wing]

@ Drugwash

Nice looking color you chose for your Compact Moon theme.

Back on point.

Since you want those Refresh and Stop buttons to stay combine because you have a lack of space, there could be a way to gain more space, but this involves a compromise.

You can get more space in your theme if you use the Customize Toolbar and move the Search, which is for Duck Duck Go, back into the Customize Toolbar. This will create more space where you do not have to combine the two buttons and have them separated.

But without DDG for Search, you will have to compromise and make DDG a bookmark/favorite.

Off-topic:
BTW, I think you said your have poor eyesight if I am not mistaken.

I noticed in your screenshot, the "palemoon.org" address in your Navigation Toolbar has dark black lettering while the rest of the address is very light gray color which is hard to see for people like me and maybe you.

If you want the entire address to be all black lettering, you can have that by going into "about:config". In there, using Search, look for:

Code: Select all

browser.urlbar.formatting.enabled

and change the default setting of "true" to:

Code: Select all

false

From then on your entire address will have all black lettering which is easy to see and read. If you go back in this topic thread and see my screenshot, you will notice I did that so I can read addresses which is easier for me to see in my Navigation Toolbar.

[Drugwash]

Nice looking color you chose for your Compact Moon theme.

Oh that's not just for PM's theme - it's the overall theme for my Linux Desktop. The original theme was developed for Windows XP years ago, it's a Windows 7-alike theme, and I ported it to Linux soon after switching from Windows XP to Linux Mint back in 2019. I dread all grey themes that have no personality whatsoever.

Since you want those Refresh and Stop buttons to stay combine because you have a lack of space, there could be a way to gain more space, but this involves a compromise.
You can get more space in your theme if you use the Customize Toolbar and move the Search, which is for Duck Duck Go, back into the Customize Toolbar.

The issue of combined Stop/Reload buttons has nothing to do with the Search item. Besides, I do need the Search widget as it does not only feature DuckDuckGo but more than 60 other engines, some of which being "engineered" in order to provide specific return results.
And I really really do not want those Stop/Reload buttons separated, I got used to their combined function long ago and am quite happy with them as they are.

Off-topic:

BTW, I think you said your have poor eyesight if I am not mistaken. [...] If you want the entire address to be all black lettering, you can have that by going into "about:config" [...]

Indeed you are not mistaken. But the address display is not an issue for me as it is. I could have disabled that setting long ago if I wanted to but I never felt the need to. Nevertheless, thank you for trying to help, I appreciate it.

[zappy50001]

My Stop and Refresh buttons have never been combined because I changed them slightly in the Customization Toolbar. And I have been doing it this way since 2014.

If one is using the Menu Bar and they want those buttons like what I have and you have now, there is no need for your code. Just reverse their positions for one and the other. My screenshot is below.

This is a a most excellent explanation to something that annoyed me as well -- clear, concise, professional, and personable. Bravo Zulu (You Hit Target dead Center a.k.a. Completed the task 100%), Night Wing!!
Kudos to all the additional posters adding info about the text option never being combined. I prefer the clarity of text but need the compactness of icons.
Where is the language labels file that I could edit? I'll search previous posts; if I find one, I'll repost it here.

[Night Wing]

@ zappy50001

I'm not quite sure I understand when you say you want text and maybe no icons. Would the screenshot below help you?