Mozilla browser Firefox hits the big 100
- Reference: 1651588207
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/05/03/firefox_100_released/
- Source link:
There's no link in the above paragraph because, strangely, at the time of writing, the new browser is not officially mentioned anywhere on Mozilla's website. However, you can download it from Mozilla: it's already on the foundation's [1]FTP site . You can choose between versions for macOS, and both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows and Linux.
If you're not into the flat look of recent versions of Windows, it will run on Windows 7 too, but you will need to [2]install the official Microsoft update [3]KB4474419 first. (Yes, Mozilla's support site does concede that the new version exists.)
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The biggest change is an extra digit in the version number. Version 100 is not an extended support release – the next one of those is currently [5]planned to be version 102 next June.
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New features include [8]support for subtitles in picture-in-picture video playback, if you're watching videos on YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime – or other sites that support [9]WebVTT .
Firefox 100 also detects if your OS is set to a different language than the browser's default, and will offer to switch. The browser can also automatically fill in credit card details for you, but at present this is only only [10]enabled in some countries.
[11]Mozilla creates paid-for subscriptions for web doc library
[12]Foxstuck: Firefox browser bug boots legions of users offline
[13]Linux Mint 20.3 appears – now with more Mozilla flavor: Why this distro switched Firefox defaults back to Google
[14]Another Debian dust-up with Firefox dependencies – but there is an annoying and awkward workaround
On mobile devices, it improves tab handling, [15]enables HTTPS-only mode by default, and offers some new [16]wallpapers .
Linux users get to enjoy GTK overlay scrollbars by default, meaning a very thin scrollbar until you put the mouse pointer over it. If you're not a fan, it can be disabled by going to the address about:config and setting widget.gtk.overlay-scrollbars.enabled to false .
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[18]Youtube Video
Although Firefox is a mature product these days, it has undergone major changes, some of which reset the notional maturity clock by years. The [19]Firefox Quantum rewrite was a big one , for instance. Today the selection of the new-style WebExtensions add-ons is much broader than it was [20]back when Quantum debuted , and once again Firefox is the most customizable mainstream browser. There are a [21]choice of add-ons to give it a vertical tab bar, including in a hierarchical [22]tree , for example, something Chrome still can't do.
(If you do this, you probably also should [23]hide the default horizontal tab bar and sidebar header.)
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Most other browsers out there depend in some way on Google and its Blink engine, from the [25]occasionally troubled Brave via [26]Microsoft's Edge to the [27]now Chinese-owned Opera and its founders' [28]Vivaldi . Mozilla is the only independent browser vendor left, and while [29]we would like to see it focus more on power users , it's a key part of the web. Long may it continue. ®
Get our [30]Tech Resources
[1] http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/100.0/
[2] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-version-100-on-windows-7
[3] https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=kb4474419
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YnFRrc3DfmWsrWCsaN9eMwAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YnFRrc3DfmWsrWCsaN9eMwAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YnFRrc3DfmWsrWCsaN9eMwAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/firefox-picture-in-picture-rolls-out-subtitles/
[9] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebVTT_API
[10] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/credit-card-autofill
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/24/mozillas_mdn_subscription/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/18/foxstuck_firefox_browser_bug_boots/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/12/mint_203_mozilla/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/10/debian_firefox_issues/
[15] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/https-only-prefs-focus
[16] https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/disney-and-pixars-turning-red-movie-browser-mobile-wallpapers/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YnFRrc3DfmWsrWCsaN9eMwAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrITo_Y-sbo
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2017/03/28/open_source_insider_firefox_upheaval/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2017/09/26/mozillas_new_firefox_quantum/
[21] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/search/?q=vertical%20tabs
[22] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/tree-style-tab/
[23] https://superuser.com/questions/1268732/how-to-hide-tab-bar-tabstrip-in-firefox-57-quantum
[24] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YnFRrc3DfmWsrWCsaN9eMwAAAQY&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[25] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/09/brave_affiliate_links_bug/
[26] https://www.theregister.com/Tag/Microsoft%20Edge/
[27] https://www.theregister.com/2016/07/18/no_12bn_opera_buyout/
[28] https://www.theregister.com/2020/04/22/vivaldi_v3_ad_blocking/
[29] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/04/waterfox_firefox_fork/
[30] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The browser can also automatically fill in credit card details for you
Erm, thanks but no thanks. Sounds like a security disaster waiting to happen.
Re: The browser can also automatically fill in credit card details for you
Hasn't this feature been around since the Netscape 6 days anyway?
version 10^2
It automatically updated for me. Also, some of the changes were present before (like changing language), they're just turned on by default for clean installs now.
Long may firefox continue indeed.
Bit of a waste of time really. There are plenty of more mainstream purposeful browsers out there. Sometimes "being different" isn't worth the bother. It's even less popular than safari. Too much focus on 'your rights' when only a few people truly care. Like the Mozilla Thunderbird project, it's completely lost its relevance.
" Like the Mozilla Thunderbird project, it's completely lost its relevance. "
So, because YOU don't find it useful, therefore it's useless for all. Interesting perspective.
I use Mozilla Thunderbird for archiving POP emails so I can clear my web cache -- and for searching through them for older information (something I did again just yesterday). For my purposes, it's quite a useful tool.
As a long-time Firefox user (2+ decades), I still appreciate the product even as I realize that it has limitations and that I don't always agree with the direction of current development.
" Long may it continue. "
Amen to that! Congratulations and have one of these, Firefox development team!
Firefox is dead
But before you reply or downvote, let's look at some facts.
When it comes to usage Chrome is in the high 60% region. It dominates and has done for some time.
Firefox? About 8%
Safari mainly gets used - once - to download Chrome and it's usage (around 9%) is still higher than Firefox.
Twats still using IE? There are still some out there, and some people have no choice (*cough* NHS and those using similar intranets designed for IE).
It's over. Chrome won.
Facts mind, facts.
Re: Firefox is dead
Edge has overtaken safari and of course firefox.
I use safari only out of habit because I use a Mac. I use Chrome too.
Re: Firefox is dead
It's over. Internet Explorer circa 1995 has won. Everyone should give up on this new fangled Web browser nonsense. We all know things never change in computing...
Re: Firefox is dead
Yay! Blackberry is number 1 because you know, things can rise from stone cold dead!
Re: Firefox is dead
Apple did.
Chrome is popular because Google has money and promote Chrome through Google Search. Internet Explorer was popular because Microsoft had money and promoted it through Windows.
If Google starts to fall out of favour because of privacy revelations that are bound to come out in the upcoming Epic Games trial, Chrome will go with it.
Re: Firefox is dead
-> Chrome is popular because Google has money and promote Chrome through Google Search.
That may be so, but Chrome is also a good browser.
Re: Firefox is dead
Internet Explorer had a 70% market share in 2007. It was 30% 5 years later.
Its very compatible these days - everything I use works now
Over the last few years, as Chrome has replaced its non-standard WebRTC for the standard one I no longer have sites I regularly use (GMail etc., office.com, Discord.com, etc.) just work TM.
It doesn't routinely send strong identifies back to "home base" - Edge, I'm looking at you for hardware IDs, Chrome, I can't remember your latest strategy but I am dead sure Google has you, and that is 90% of the internet.
I for one am also very glad they flat out refused to implement some insane "Browser is an operating system" standards e.g. the WebUSB standard, which allowed javascript-in-browser drivers to be written, and others (File System Access, which, get this, can enable cross site access to local filesystems, Generic Sensor API, Idle Detection API, Low-level (Raw) Sockets API - this is another hilarious one where javascript in browser could just create and read UDP/TCP packets on adaptors etc., Web Serial, Web Bluetooth, Web NFC, WebHID API, etc. ).
Then you get the amazing plugins (for example one with local versions of CDN resources such as Icons, Fonts and libraries for speed and to avoid the tracking that comes with Google fonts, etc.) and that
LocalCDN is the lesser known plugin: https://www.localcdn.org/
I'd mention all the useful things Mozilla has removed from Firefox, but I don't think El Reg has that much bandwidth.
Mozilla and its stupid numbering scheme
I never thought it was a good idea to have this stupid numbering scheme. Can anyone here tell me the difference between version 100 and version 99 without referring to any notes? I expect a few people can, and I pity them. How about the differences between 100 and 98, or between 100 and 90? In terms of actual new features (I don't include rewrites), Mozilla is at about version 7 or 8, or maybe even 6. It's hardly a bug-free or user-friendly experience either. The fact is has so many plugins is not a good indication - it means after 100 frickin' versions so much is still missing from Firefox.
-> Version 100 is not an extended support release – the next one of those is currently planned to be version 102 next June
What is extended support in Mozilla terms? A few weeks until the next version rolls around complete with changes which are mostly invisible to the end user.
It's sad that Mozilla declined. I had some hopes at the beginning. But those hopes faded away like Mozilla OS. I still have Firefox installed, I update it once in a while. But I use it maybe a couple of times a year. Thunderbird is horrible. How did that ever turn out so bad?
A well worn story.
Mozilla is a company in which a few woke people at the top (don't they always land there?) drove out many competent people at the base (aren't they always there?). They keep the worms fed by sacrificing the fruit. It's much like with Blackberry.