There is a browser.tabs.selectOwnerOnClose pref to define the behavior when you close a tab, but this only works for links opened in a new tab by clicking the link in this specific tab.

You can open the about:config page via the location bar.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

browser.tabs.selectOwnerOnClose is true on default, and i think it should be, but as you said "this only works for links opened in a new tab by clicking the link in this specific tab". Is there a general option for this, i used to use opera 12.16 and it returned last active tab when i close a tab. I want something like this. It could be an addon, but i cannot find.

Try this Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

There are a lot of extensions that add special tab features including the behavior after closing tabs, so you have do a search on the Add-ons website.

Thank you cor-el, that is really helpful.

Ok i tried the "tab mix plus", it has "return last selected tab" option when closing tab, it works but also it broke something. When i open a link in a new tab from currently using tab, it opens at rightmost in tab stack. I checked if "browser.tabs.selectOwnerOnClose" is changed, from about:config, but it's not changed, its value is true (default). The addon made this ineffective, i think. So i am trying find another addon. (open to suggestions)

Ok there is also an option for this in "tab mix plus", solved it. Sorry about unnecessary posting.

Tab Mix Plus is most likely using its own prefs to control the various features that it supports, so you probably have to check extensions.tabmixplus prefs.
I'm not using the extension, so you need to check this out yourself.

• http://tmp.garyr.net/help/#introduction
• http://tmp.garyr.net/help/#events-new-tabs