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Main Area and Open Discussion => General Software Discussion => Topic started by: cyberdiva on September 27, 2011, 04:26 PM
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Hi, all. I just got notified that Firefox 7 is available. As usual, I responded "remind me later," since I always like to have some feedback first from those braver or more foolhardy than I am. :)
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Have been running beta for a couple of weeks. I don't see any perceptible improvements over older versions.
I think at some point the versions and supposed improvements pass you by. While this may not make sense from a viewpoint of a program/code at some point a user has to accept that some newer stuff are not meant for older (XP era) computers. For example may be in this case it has to do with hardware acceleration. I have not seen any major, or arguably minor, improvements on the memory and CPU front. 3 similar tabs (no add-ons!) go to 400MB+ as fast as v3.6 for me.
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v7???? WTF????
This is like a new major version every week just about!
Something's screwy...
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Not screwy:
IE 9 is out (and now 10 is being put forward for Windows 8)
Opera 11.5 is there
Google Chrome is at version 14
Even Safari is at version 5 (I think - can't see any way to check for updates)
Firefox is still at version 3.5 which must be really bad ... oh no it isn't at version 3.5 any more. Someone farts in the office each week and that bumps the major version number up one!
I can't honestly say I have seen anything since version 3.5 that justifies a whole version increment - except the annoyance of constantly broken extensions. I haven't seen anything since version 4 that warrants any sort of version number change in the first or second digit.
Really extensions are the only reason I ever use Firefox - I am increasing using Chrome which is so much faster and just works.
Maybe I am being overly critical and there are major things going on behind the scenes that are building up to a major wow factor but somehow I doubt it. Mozilla is just turning itself into a joke with this ridiculous pace of version change.
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They just do it for the cup-cakes (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/230303/technology/firefox-6-team-gets-congratulatory-cupcake-from-ie-rivals)
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version 7 already? where is the changelog? :tellme:
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http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/7.0/releasenotes/ (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/7.0/releasenotes/):
What’s New in Firefox
The latest version of Firefox has the following changes:
- Drastically improved memory handling (http://hacks.mozilla.org/2011/09/firefox-7-is-lean-and-fast/) for certain use cases
- Added a new rendering backend (http://www.basschouten.com/blog1.php) to speed up Canvas operations on Windows systems
- Bookmark and password changes now sync almost instantly when using Firefox Sync
- The 'http://' URL prefix is now hidden by default
- Added support for text-overflow: ellipsis (https://developer.mozilla.org/En/CSS/Text-overflow)
- Added support for the Web Timing specification (https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/webperf/raw-file/tip/specs/NavigationTiming/Overview.html)
- Enhanced support for MathML (https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Firefox_7_for_developers#MathML)
- The WebSocket protocol has been updated from version 7 to version 8
- Added an opt-in system (http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2011/07/telemetry_in_firefox.html) for users to send performance data back to Mozilla to improve future versions of Firefox
- Fixed several stability issues
- Fixed several security issues (http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox.html#firefox7)
Please see the complete list of changes (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/7.0/releasenotes/buglist.html) in this version. Web and extension developers should also view the curated list of platform changes (https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Firefox_7_for_developers). You may also be interested in the list of changes (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/6.0.2/releasenotes/) in the previous version.
Edit: formatting+links
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Drastically improved memory handling for certain use cases
Keywords: certain use cases ;)
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Don't get me wrong but those who propose monthly and weekly updates for ubuntu, facebook and firefox needs to get a gurrlfriend, kitteh and puppy and a good hobby or maybe pr0n or anything that keeps them away from writing broken code and tempts them to release new version without adding new features. >:(
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I have just switched to Chrome. Thunderbird also seems to follow the same trend: yesterday just got to version 7 but there is nothing changed which justifies the major digit incrementation.
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from Stephen's "cupcakes" link above:
Under the rapid-release program, new versions of the browser ship every six weeks, which means the change in features from the earlier version is correspondingly smaller.
Apparently version #8 is due on the 18th of November
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Releases#Firefox_8
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Well, to be fair I don't think a lot of user-visible changes have happened in the past couple of Chrome releases.
It's just that Chrome silently updates in the background without bothering you with it, whereas Firefox is still using the "OMG there is an update" dialogs and the "What's New" page showing nothing new after the update :-[.
And the automatic updating in the background is really great, especially when it comes to flash player. I am so sick of updating flash player manually for IE and FF.
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It's just that Chrome silently updates in the background without bothering you with it
-Jibz
That's true but the reason FF has to go through the hoops is because they regularly kill extensions by these updates.
The current rash of sill version number bumps has done nothing to help users at all and the new full version numbers just are not justified.
Think back to the differences between FF 1, 2 and 3 ... they were so different that extensions had to be rewritten between versions.
Now all you do is either turn off compatibility checking or hack the extension to make it appear compatible.
I am amazed someone hasn't come out with an extension to fix stupidly broken extensions!
Actually they have - see Add-on Compatibility Reporter https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/add-on-compatibility-reporter/
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Well...I know I'll sleep a lot better nights knowing that Mozilla is committed to churning out dodgy code even more rapidly and regularly than before. :)
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Well...I know I'll sleep a lot better nights knowing that Mozilla is committed to churning out dodgy code even more rapidly and regularly than before. :)-40hz
I had been toying with exploring it as a option, just to give it a fair shake so-to-speak. But this and the memory leak (or was it a hemorage...) thing just kinda kill the curiosity. I've never had a problem with IE...and incentive==0 at this point.
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@SJ - I'm doing something like 75% of my browsing in Opera these days.
If the Sage extension were available for Opera it would be more like 100%. Especially since Mozilla broke Canaware's NetNotes extension yet again.
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I've been using Firefox 7 for 24 h (approximately... :P) now and it does feel snappier. Ram management is also slightly better than before. That said, it's too subjective to take seriously and it #!*&!! broke my roboform extension.
(But why isn't that extension compatible?? Like everybody else, SiberSystems had many weeks notice of the release cycle and nightly builds / beta versions to test compatibility. :tellme:)
I'm a long time firefox user, and I've always come back to it after seeing how others weren't really better (if any) and in fact slowed down my work flow. I've just experienced a week of Chrome. Same criticism as Firefox (e.g.: Ram through the roof), not any advantages (apart from the fact that turning extensions On/Off doesn't warrant a restart -- but firefox is getting there), and some annoyances (a few missing extensions I really like).
I might try opera for fun next week... Maybe I'll like it better than 6mths/1y ago.
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I am amazed someone hasn't come out with an extension to fix stupidly broken extensions!
Actually they have - see Add-on Compatibility Reporter https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/add-on-compatibility-reporter/
-Carol Haynes
I've resisted this add-on, but I just took a look, and the most recent comment is that it isn't working with FF7. Duh. If Surfulater and Lazarus worked with Opera, I'd switch. But they don't, and so I won't.
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SiberSystems had many weeks notice of the release cycle and nightly builds
-Armando
Because they couldn't give a damn about their customers - the version 6 toolbar has never been updated for RoboForm (so you can't even use Firefox 3's later builds) even though they suggested lifetime license holders could continue to use version 6 when they unilaterally changed their license policy and shafted most of their user base.
In practical terms the toolbar you have probably still works - just download the addon I suggested a few posts above this one which allows 'incompat' addons to run and if they don't work you can report that it is really broken.
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I am amazed someone hasn't come out with an extension to fix stupidly broken extensions!
Actually they have - see Add-on Compatibility Reporter https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/add-on-compatibility-reporter/
-Carol Haynes
I've resisted this add-on, but I just took a look, and the most recent comment is that it isn't working with FF7. Duh. If Surfulater and Lazarus worked with Opera, I'd switch. But they don't, and so I won't.
-cyberdiva
Just installed it on FF7 and it seems to work fine.
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Thanks, Carol. I think I'll give it a try later today. Gotta run.
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Well, to be fair I don't think a lot of user-visible changes have happened in the past couple of Chrome releases.
It's just that Chrome silently updates in the background without bothering you with it, whereas Firefox is still using the "OMG there is an update" dialogs and the "What's New" page showing nothing new after the update :-[.
And the automatic updating in the background is really great, especially when it comes to flash player. I am so sick of updating flash player manually for IE and FF.
-Jibz
Opera has nice little "Ohai, theres an update if you want it, but I wont bother you again if you don't" dialog that opens at the bottom right or the window when it spots theres a new version. If you want it, it quietly does its thing, then asks you if you feel like restarting your browser and re-opening all your current tabs so its like it never happened.
Its kind of cute really, sorta like when your Grandmother asks you if your feeling OK, but doesn't want to push the issue, so asks you in her "Quiet Voice"
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I, as always, installed tefe009's SSE2 build. Restarting worked fast as hell on my 3 years old main machine. Seriously, they made a great job here.
Also, Acid3 is 100/100 points now. ;D But seriously, who cares?
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I, as always, installed tefe009's SSE2 build.
-Tuxman
@Tuxman -is that Tete Atelier's FF rebuild you're referring to?
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Note: Just gave 7 a try. The ReadItLater extension got broken. SHOWSTOPPER! :down: Firing up Revo to uninstall it as we speak. :-\
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Read It Later v.2.1.3 works fine here. And FF7 does feel like more than a mere version bump, worth holding on to. v8 is going to break quite a few extensions though, if the beta I tested a while back is anything to go by.
There's also a Roboform update available now.
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Also, Acid3 is 100/100 points now. ;D But seriously, who cares?
-Tuxman
Especially since web developers build web pages to work with browsers - not Acid3.
Which is why I still have to use IETab to display a whole bunch of webpages that just does not render correctly in anything but IE
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Hmmm...late yesterday I was unable to update. I was told that 6.0.2 was the most recent version. This morning, I'm able to update, but FF claims that the Linkman Fox extension won't work. Though I suppose I could download the add-on Carol mentioned earlier and try to deal with the issue that way, I'm puzzled that Linkman Fox (the add-on for FF) supposedly doesn't work. And I'm somewhat bothered that FF is making add-on developers jump through hoops every few weeks.
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Generally it is nothing to do with extensions working or not working - the add-on has an XML file which stores the supported versions of FF. I have yet to find an addon I was using in FF3 that doesn't still work even though the versions numbers are out of date. Just install the addon I suggested above - try it and see if it works. If it doesn't you report that it doesn't and then it will be automatically disabled.
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Generally it is nothing to do with extensions working or not working - the add-on has an XML file which stores the supported versions of FF. I have yet to find an addon I was using in FF3 that doesn't still work even though the versions numbers are out of date. Just install the addon I suggested above - try it and see if it works. If it doesn't you report that it doesn't and then it will be automatically disabled.
-Carol Haynes
Carol, I first tried to download the add-on you recommended while I still had 6.0.2, but I got an error message that said "The add-on from addons.mozilla.org could not be installed because it does not match the add-on Firefox expected." So I then installed FF 7 and tried again to download the add-on. This time, the error message said "The add-on could not be installed because of a connection failure on addons.mozilla.org." So I've got Firefox 7 with no Linkman add-on. Fortunately, I set a restore point before I started, so if the problem doesn't resolve itself quickly, I think I'll use the restore point to go back to FF 6.0.2.
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@40hz: Yep - precisely. :)
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Strange it downloaded and installed fine for me??
The simplest alternative it to open the page about:config in FF7 and add the following boolean value:
extensions.checkCompatibility.7.0
and set it to false
Just right click on the about:config page and select New > Boolean
Once you have the new value and set it to false restart firefox and you can enable and disable addons as you want.
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Thanks very much, Carol! Your instructions worked perfectly. I've now got Linkman Fox working on FF7. But this just makes me more annoyed at Firefox for making such an unreliable and needlessly cumbersome way of handling add-ons when Firefox changes its version.
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There wouldn't have been a problem if the rlease had been labelled 6.0.3 instead of 7 (which is what it should have been)
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Carol, you may well be right, but it turns out that Linkman Fox may indeed not be fully compatible with FF7. I thought all was well at first, but when I tried to delete a bookmark in Linkman, the program hung. This happened several times. So I think there may well be some changes needed in the Linkman Fox add-on. Since I'm much more dependent on Linkman than on Firefox 7, I think I'll use the restore point I had set to go back to 6.0.2 and wait for the Linkman folks to produce a thoroughly compatible add-on. Still, I'm very pleased with the instructions you provided. With Firefox's proposed schedule of new versions, I suspect I'll have good use for those instructions.
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Well, I may have pointed the finger at the wrong problem. I went back to Firefox 6.0.2 and tried the same thing (deleting a listing in Linkman) that hadn't worked in FF7. Turns out I ran into the same problem in 6.0.2! Hmmm...guess it's time to contact Linkman.
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There wouldn't have been a problem if the rlease had been labelled 6.0.3 instead of 7 (which is what it should have been)
-Carol Haynes
@Carol (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=2625.msg263539#msg263539) [off-topic] ;)
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There wouldn't have been a problem if the rlease had been labelled 6.0.3 instead of 7 (which is what it should have been)
-Carol Haynes
@Carol (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=2625.msg263539#msg263539) [off-topic] ;)
-tomos
OOOO - does that make me ultra evil?
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OOOO - does that make me ultra evil?
-Carol Haynes
Guess the extra 6 defeats the intention of the other 3 :tellme:
Dunno what posts 6660..6665 and 6667..6669 are going to mean :-\
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OOOO - does that make me ultra evil?
-Carol Haynes
you had a window there :D
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7.0.1 is out today.
Upgrading to 7 took out my 'adblockplus',
for some reason.
Added it back in with no problem.
Then I found this which may help.
http://www.ghacks.net/2011/09/28/fix-for-hidden-add-ons-after-updating-to-firefox-7/
Not sure cause I fixed my problem without it.
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I think I'll wait for the final version to make it up on PortableApps.com before I give it another try. I also think I'll likely stick with portable versions of FF going forward if they continue with the release schedule they've announced. A browser has become too critical a piece of kit to be constantly screwing around with. And definitely not something I want to chance bad surprises with everytime it has an upgrade.
8)
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Now running 8 beta, let's see how this goes
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I think I'll wait for the final version...
-40hz
Which would be version...? Double-digits at this rate I suppose... :P
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Now running 8 beta, let's see how this goes
-rgdot
:o
I am speechless... v8? Already?
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This is getting ridiculous. >:( :down:
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:o
I am speechless... v8? Already?
-Renegade
Yes
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20113192-264/firefox-8-beta-brings-twitter-search-tab-controls/
• Twitter is now an option for Firefox's built-in search box, letting people more easily find results for particular usernames or hashtags.
• When people drag tabs into a new position or tear them off into a new window, the tabs are represented by an animated version of the tab rather than just a thin line.
• When Firefox restores tabs from a previous session, for example when the browser or computer is restarted, it can be set to load only the active tab initially. With this setting, other tabs reload only when they're viewed.
• Add-ons such as toolbars that are installed by third-party software won't run until the user grants permission.
• When users upgrade to the new version, they'll see a dialog box one time that lets them disable add-ons. The dialog box will present an initial selection of only add-ons that were installed from within Firefox, though users can make their own choice.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20113192-264/firefox-8-beta-brings-twitter-search-tab-controls/#ixzz1ZRfSYc77
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Speaking of which, this is from last week
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20109245-264/mozilla-proposes-not-so-rapid-release-firefox/
Mozilla, faced with business users' stiff resistance to its new rapid update schedule for Firefox, has proposed a slower-moving version of the browser.
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I think I'll wait for the final version...
-40hz
Which would be version...? Double-digits at this rate I suppose... :P
-Renegade
Well...integers count up to infinity so... :P yourself!
Sorry. I was trying to be subtle. (I know. It's really not my style, right?) ;D
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i wonder if Mozilla will realize that these rapid versioning are a bad idea and will revert to normal version builds, much like Bobby Ewing was brought back to Dallas after missing a whole season.. :D
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i wonder if Mozilla will realize that these rapid versioning are a bad idea and will revert to normal version builds, much like Bobby Ewing was brought back to Dallas after missing a whole season.. :D
-lanux128
It was all just a dream nightmare...
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Hmmm...late yesterday I was unable to update. I was told that 6.0.2 was the most recent version. This morning, I'm able to update, but FF claims that the Linkman Fox extension won't work. Though I suppose I could download the add-on Carol mentioned earlier and try to deal with the issue that way, I'm puzzled that Linkman Fox (the add-on for FF) supposedly doesn't work. And I'm somewhat bothered that FF is making add-on developers jump through hoops every few weeks.
-cyberdiva
Mozilla has stopped auto-updating to v7 because of many problems with Addons. We have a working Linkman 8.30 Pro Beta. Final version will still take time.
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...We have a working Linkman 8.30 Pro Beta. Final version will still take time.
-Outertech Support
At which point Firefox 9 or 10 will be out~! :P
(Sorry -- couldn't resist that.)
But seriously -- good luck! FF is just at breakneck speed right now. And I think most of the broken necks are users and third party developers~! :P
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Actually we have work-arounded the last problem some minutes ago and are preparing the final build. It supports Firefox 7 and Firefox 8 Beta.
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Mozilla is looking into adding an updater service à la Google to silently update future versions..
• http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/firefox_keeping_rapid_release_adding_silent_update_option_irritated_users
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Just tried v8 (Beta), 9 (Aurora) and 10 (Nightly).
Haven't found a single broken addon with either of these updates.
This is very disconcerting... had to check the about box to make sure I was actually running the updated versions.
FIREFOX.. Y U NO BREAK?? :'(
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FIREFOX.. Y U NO BREAK?? :'(-nosh
MY FIREFOX! THE UPDATES DO NOTHING!
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Yes, I have FF v8 via the ß channel.
A very smooth implementation, but it did manage to break on one of the many add-ons that I have, and I had to find which one it was by disabling them all and then re-enabling them three at a time until it broke again.
It's running quite nicely, and faster too, without that add-on.
The updates seem to be so frequent now that I suspect the add-on developers cannot keep pace.
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<b>Linkman 8.30</b> with Firefox 7, and Firefox 8 Beta support has been released. Initial Windows 8 Alpha support is also available.
This version allows you also to optionally pass command line parameters to the various browsers. The help file has been improved and some minor glitches fixed.
http://www.outertech.com/en/download
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Mozilla Firefox 8.0 is out (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/8.0/releasenotes/)
Update to version 8 automatically changed the theme to the Default 8.0 theme. (New update behavior?)
At first I didn't notice that myself, but my mum started yelling: "$#%@, where are the green back and forward buttons?" ;D
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Their revision cycle is *really* fast now...
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Here's from the what's New page on Mozilla:
and the link to the same page: Firefox 8 Release Notes (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/8.0/releasenotes/)
What’s New in Firefox
The latest version of Firefox has the following changes:
Add-ons installed by third party programs are now disabled by default
Added a one-time add-on selection dialog to manage previously installed add-ons
Added Twitter to the search bar for select locales. Additional locale support will be added in the future
Added a preference to load tabs on demand, improving start-up time when windows are restored
Improved performance and memory handling when using <audio> and <video> elements
Added CORS support for cross-domain textures in WebGL
Added support for HTML5 context menus
Added support for insertAdjacentHTML
Improved CSS hyphen support for many languages
Improved WebSocket support
Fixed several stability issues
Fixed several security issues
Please see the complete list of changes in this version. Web and extension developers should also view the curated list of platform changes. You may also be interested in the list of changes in the previous version.
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I confess that I'm totally mystified. To my dismay, Firefox installed FF 8 in spite of my saying "ask me what to do." I've now told FF not to check for updates to FF. Perhaps that instruction too will be ignored. If I were just a tad more skeptical, I'd assume that someone from Chrome or Opera got a job at Mozilla and set about undermining Firefox. What else could explain actions such as the one I've just reported, as well as insane policies such as "Add-ons installed by third party programs are now disabled by default"? I've never before been so tempted to switch to a different browser. :mad:
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It asked me if I wanted to update - but stated that FF8 was an important security update - which makes you wonder ...
I don't really like Chrome too much but I am finding myself using it more and more because I can still use AdBlock Plus.
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"Add-ons installed by third party programs are now disabled by default"
-cyberdiva
Actually, that seems one of the more rational approaches. If some bundleware or malware installs something into Firefox, why not disable it?
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I've now told FF not to check for updates to FF. Perhaps that instruction too will be ignored. -cyberdiva
I also turned off the check for updates. Fortunately it didn't auto-update on me.
I'm not too crazy for the "Check for Updates" in the Help/About window either.
Here's the initial screen:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Here's the screen after it checks for updates:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
If a person is a bit quick on the draw with a click, are they applying the update before they know it? :o
Does another screen come up asking for confirmation to apply the update? Haven't tried it so I'm asking.
I'm used to, at least most, programs asking for a confirmation.
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"Add-ons installed by third party programs are now disabled by default"
-cyberdiva
Actually, that seems one of the more rational approaches. If some bundleware or malware installs something into Firefox, why not disable it?
-wraith808
Perhaps I've misunderstood what the statement means, but I took it to mean that third-party programs such as Linkman, LastPass, and Surfulater will have their Firefox add-ons disabled by default. This seems to me outrageous and counterproductive. I use Firefox rather than Opera in part because of third-party program add-ons that either do not exist for Opera or work better in Firefox. Linkman and the like are not scummy malware programs--they're among the best programs of their kind that I know. What is the point of disabling them by default?
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If that is true it didn't happen on my computer - FF upgraded to version 8 and all the extensions are enabled. It may be because I have Mozilla's Addon Compatibility Reporter installed though.
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"Add-ons installed by third party programs are now disabled by default"
-cyberdiva
Actually, that seems one of the more rational approaches. If some bundleware or malware installs something into Firefox, why not disable it?
-wraith808
Perhaps I've misunderstood what the statement means, but I took it to mean that third-party programs such as Linkman, LastPass, and Surfulater will have their Firefox add-ons disabled by default. This seems to me outrageous and counterproductive. I use Firefox rather than Opera in part because of third-party program add-ons that either do not exist for Opera or work better in Firefox. Linkman and the like are not scummy malware programs--they're among the best programs of their kind that I know. What is the point of disabling them by default?
-cyberdiva
What it took it as is anything that installs an extension from outside of the normal extension installation process would be disabled by default. So if Linkman or 1Password or any of these other desktop applications install a firefox extension as part of the process, it will be disabled until you enable it.
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. . . So if Linkman or 1Password or any of these other desktop applications install a firefox extension as part of the process, it will be disabled until you enable it.
-wraith808
Oh, I see. If all I have to do is click "Enable," that's no big deal and does make a certain amount of sense from a security standpoint. Thanks for the explanation.
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I've just swapped over to Pale Moon v7.01 (http://www.palemoon.org/) - maybe it's just me but it does feel faster than Firefox.
The migration of settings was completely painless too, (it uses a separate program to copy them), everything was there when I fired it up.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
NOTE: This is not an ad - it just looks like it :P
Addendum: I just realised, (yeah, I'm a bit slow), Pale Moon adds an extension:
Pale Moon Status Bar - Which you can use to display the progress of page loads and downloads. While not as fully featured as Download Statusbar, it's a lot less intrusive than the default Firefox item.