Is there a way, like in preference where I can edit things in the main viewport, without my mouse having to be on the view port
Not that I know off no. Blender is window context sensitive, so wherever your mouse has underneath, it'll be what it will react to. So if your mouse is the viewport, that's what will be active, if it's in the outliner, that's what will be active, if it's in the timelines, and so on and so forth. Perhaps there's an addon in Superhive that will let you lock the workspace?
Hi Matthew,
No, as far as I know, that is not possible (and sounds like something highly undesirable to me).
But maybe it helps if you tell us what you actually want to do, because this sounds to me like you want to read page 7 in a book, while having it open at page 32.