gHacks technology news » firefox 3.5 http://www.ghacks.net A technology blog covering software, mobile phones, gadgets, security, the Internet and other relevant areas. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:35:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Firefox Release Schedule http://www.ghacks.net/2009/11/03/firefox-release-schedule/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/11/03/firefox-release-schedule/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:47:24 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=18043 Most Firefox users could probably care less about the date the next release of the web browser gets published publicly. But there are some users who like to know. This can be extension developers who want to make sure that their Firefox add-on is compatible with the next releases of the web browser, system administrators who want to make sure they can update the web browsers of their clients in time or advanced users who just like to be up to date with all technology news.

The Firefox web browser, like Google Chrome, is developed in several branches simultaneously which makes it kinda hard to track. There are currently three different versions of Firefox under development not counting the future releases of Firefox 3.7 and 4.0. First there are the two official public releases Firefox 3.0.15 and Firefox 3.5.4 and second there is the soon to be released Firefox 3.6. The release schedule looks like the following currently (subject to change, source: FF Extension Guru).


Firefox 3.5.5 – November 6th
Firefox 3.0.16 – December 15th
Firefox 3.5.6 – December 15th
Firefox 3.6 RC1 – Late November 2009
Firefox 3.6 – Mid December 2009

According to this list two versions of the Firefox 3.5.x branch will be released this year, one Firefox 3.0.x version and the final version of Firefox 3.6 which is likely to replace the Firefox 3.5.x branch. If you are a Firefox user: Which version of the web browser are you currently running and why?

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/11/03/firefox-release-schedule/feed/ 14 Mozilla Posts Firefox 3.6 Beta and 3.5.4 Release Candidates http://www.ghacks.net/2009/10/15/mozilla-posts-firefox-3-6-beta-and-3-5-4-release-candidates/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/10/15/mozilla-posts-firefox-3-6-beta-and-3-5-4-release-candidates/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:37:46 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=17292 firefoxThe first release candidate of the upcoming Firefox 3.6 Beta has been posted at the Mozilla ftp server. Next to it the second release candidate for Firefox 3.5.4 which is also available at the ftp server. Both releases are so called release candidates which means that they are close to the final version. Firefox users who want to give those versions a try can download them directly from the ftp server or one of the mirror ftps. Both final versions of the Firefox release candidates that have been posted are slated for a final release in the upcoming week.

Firefox 3.5.4. is a stability and security update for the latest stable release of Firefox. Users who are concerned about security might want to consider switching to the release candidate right now to patch the security holes.

The release candidate for version 3.6 Beta of the web browser on the other hand promises better performance not only executing JavaScript but also for other factors like starting Firefox or loading pages.

You can download both versions of Firefox from the Mozilla ftp server.

Firefox 3.5.4 RC 2
Firefox 3.6 Beta RC 1

Firefox users who do not want to install beta and release candidates need to wait until October 21 which is the scheduled date for the Firefox 3.5.4 release.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/10/15/mozilla-posts-firefox-3-6-beta-and-3-5-4-release-candidates/feed/ 1 Firefox 3.5.2 Released http://www.ghacks.net/2009/08/03/firefox-3-5-2-released/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/08/03/firefox-3-5-2-released/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:29:05 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=15007 firefoxThe latest version of the Firefox 3.5x branch is currently being distributed to all official Mozilla mirror servers around the world. Some are already hosting the latest version Firefox 3.5.2 for all supported languages and operating systems while others are only showing the directory structure but no files yet. It is likely going to take at least a few hours, maybe even more than a day before all servers are populated with the latest version and the release can be officially announced on the Mozilla website. It usually takes between 24-48 hours before the automatic update checker in Firefox picks up on the new release and offers it for download as well.

Ghacks readers can – as always – download the US-English version of Firefox early from a free file host. The new version of Firefox is hosted at Mediafire. Downloads for Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh and Linux are provided as a courtesy to my readers.

firefox 352

The beta release notes of Firefox 3.5.2 mention several security and stability issues that have been fixed in the new version. This makes it a recommend update for all Firefox 3.5x users. A issue with images with ICC profiles has been fixed as well which now render properly on all computer monitors. The full list of bug fixes and issues can be accessed at Bugzilla.

Please be advised that there might be last minute changes to a release which would then not be covered in this current version of Firefox. While it is usually safe to download and install these releases it is advised to stay away from them if you are a cautious user. Wait for the official release announcement then.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/08/03/firefox-3-5-2-released/feed/ 8 Another Critical Firefox Vulnerability Emerges http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/19/another-critical-firefox-vulnerability-emerges/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/19/another-critical-firefox-vulnerability-emerges/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:49:10 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=14523 firefoxIt has been only a few days ago that the Mozilla Firefox team released an update for Firefox 3.5 to Firefox 3.5.1 that would close a recently disclosed critical security vulnerability that allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on the attacked computer system. Earlier today another Firefox vulnerability was disclosed to the public that affects the latest version of Firefox. The vulnerability can be remotely exploited and uses an stack based buffer overflow that is triggered by an overly long string of Unicode data. It can lead to remote code execution or to crashes, freezes or the allocation of a lot of computer memory.

A proof of concept has already been created that demonstrates the vulnerability. No patch has been made available yet. Firefox users are encouraged to disable JavaScript until a patch is issued to avoid leaving their computer system vulnerable for the attack.

Users working with security add-ons like NoScript might consider their Firefox installation safe without disabling JavaScript. It is however theoretically possible to compromise websites that are in the whitelist of the add-on (if the whitelist is used) which would make the system vulnerable to this kind of attack.

javascript

JavaScript can be disabled in the Firefox options in the content tab.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/19/another-critical-firefox-vulnerability-emerges/feed/ 6 Firefox 3.5.1 Update Available http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/16/firefox-3-5-1-update-available/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/16/firefox-3-5-1-update-available/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:56:15 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=14447 firefoxA recently disclosed vulnerability in the Firefox 3.5 web browser forced the Mozilla Firefox development team to release version 3.5.1 of the web browser early to fix the vulnerability. The vulnerability, which is affecting all operating systems that Firefox can be installed on, is linked to the Firefox JavaScript Tracemonkey engine. A temporary fix was published soon after that would disable part of the Javascript engine.

The Mozilla Firefox team is currently distributing the Firefox 3.5.1 update to all mirror websites. It is expected to be announced publicly in the next 48 hours giving Firefox 3.5 users a change to update their web browser to fix the security vulnerability.

The release is not available on any of the popular download portals yet. We took the liberty to upload the US version of Firefox 3.5.1 for the Windows operating to a free file host from where it can be downloaded. Users who use a different operating system or language will have to wait a while longer before they can download and update their version of Firefox.

The big download portals are expected to offer Firefox 3.5.1 soon as a download on their website. Cautious users might want to wait until the new version has been announced officially by the Firefox team. Users who have applied the temporary workaround to Firefox 3.5 should undo the changes by doing the following:

Type in about:config in the Firefox address bar and hit enter. Now filter for the term javascript.options.jit.content and double-click it afterwards to set it to true which enables the Tracemonkey JavaScript engine.

Firefox 3.5.1 US for Windows can be downloaded from Mediafire.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/16/firefox-3-5-1-update-available/feed/ 8 Firefox 3.5 Portable http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/02/firefox-3-5-portable/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/02/firefox-3-5-portable/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:27:04 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=14060 firefoxThe long awaited new version of the Firefox web browser has been released in the last days. Users who have been using version 3.0x of the web browser are now facing the decision if they should upgrade to that new version or wait until they are sure that all their add-ons, websites and settings are working under Firefox 3.5 as well. Probably the easiest way of finding out if they can upgrade to Firefox 3.5 is by testing the Firefox 3.5 portable release.

Portable in this case means that it will not interfere with the Firefox installation on the computer system. It is possible to migrate add-ons and settings to the portable version by using Firefox add-ons like the Firefox Environment Backup Extension (FEBE).

This turns the portable version of Firefox into a 1:1 copy of the installed version; Ideal for testing and analyzing the new web browser. Firefox 3.5 portable has been published at the portable apps website from where it can be downloaded. The portable version is only compatible with the Windows operating system although it has been reported that it will work in Wine on the Linux operating system as well.

The portable version can simply be extracted to a folder on the local computer system from where it can be started afterwards. Everything else in the portable version of Firefox works like in the installed version including the installation of add-ons.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/07/02/firefox-3-5-portable/feed/ 8 Firefox 3.5 Final http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/30/firefox-3-5-final/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/30/firefox-3-5-final/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:05:17 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=14002 firefoxThe Mozilla Firefox development team has finished the final version of Firefox 3.5. The new version is currently distributed to all official mirror websites with the official announcement expected to hit the web later today. No download portal is currently offering the new version for download which is surely going to change in the next hours once they get notice of the new release.

Once the release has been officially announced it can be downloaded from the Mozilla website or by using the built in update checker in the web browser. Considering that the release of the third release candidate of Firefox 3.5 is just a few days ago it is likely that there are not many considerable changes in this version compared to the release candidate.

No changelog has been posted yet to verify this statement. We took the liberty to upload Firefox 3.5 final US for Windows users to a free file host from where it can be downloaded. Users who need other language or operating system installers of the web browser might need to wait until the release becomes officially announced or uploaded to download sites.

You might be interested in the Firefox 3.5 feature set if you have not been using Firefox 3.5 yet (as you might have been waiting for a final release before doing so). You can take a look at the features at the Mozilla Wiki.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/30/firefox-3-5-final/feed/ 17 Tab To New Window Annoyance In Firefox http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/29/tab-to-new-window-annoyance-in-firefox/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/29/tab-to-new-window-annoyance-in-firefox/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:15:34 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=13980 firefoxFirefox 3.5 comes with an annoying problem that I’m not able to solve. The developers – for unknown reasons – have decided to make it possible to drag tabs which has the effect that they spawn a new Firefox window and close the tab in the old Firefox instance.

The big problem is that this happens from time to time without intention on my part. One way to activate tabs is to left-click on them. If that button is pressed to long and the mouse moved downwards just a bit it will move the website in the tab to the new window.

There is apparently no way of disabling the feature to drag and drop tabs into new windows in Firefox at this point. It happens about once a day that a tab gets accidentally dragged to much around so that it spawns in a new window. The only solution then is to copy the url, close the new web browser window, open a new tab and load the url again in the main browser window. It is not even possible to undo closing the tab in the main browser window as its history will be completely moved to the new browser window as well.

Please leave a comment if you know of a way to disable the spawning of new Firefox windows when dragging and dropping tabs.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/29/tab-to-new-window-annoyance-in-firefox/feed/ 50 Firefox 3.5 RC3 Released http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/25/firefox-3-5-rc3-released/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/25/firefox-3-5-rc3-released/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:25:16 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=13847 firefoxThe third, and most likely last, release candidate of Firefox 3.5 is currently being uploaded to Mozilla ftp mirror servers throughout the world. the distribution can take between 24-48 hours to complete before users will receive update notifications in the web browser or on the Mozilla Firefox website.

Firefox 3.5 RC3 introduces several non-critical changes to the web browser including localization corrections, performance tweaks and changes to the Firefox icon. The final release of Firefox 3.5 is still expected to be released by the end of June. The third release candidate has already been uploaded to some major download sites such as Betanews from where the English version of Firefox 3.5 RC3 can be downloaded for all supported operating systems.

Cautious users are again encouraged to wait for the official Mozilla announcement before they start updating their web browser. The announcement is expected to hit the web in the next 24 hours.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/25/firefox-3-5-rc3-released/feed/ 2 Firefox 3.5 RC2 http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/19/firefox-3-5-rc2/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/19/firefox-3-5-rc2/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:27:25 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=13700 firefoxA new Firefox release appeared on the Mozilla ftp site in the release directory only a day after the release of Firefox 3.5 RC1. The new Firefox release is currently being distributed to all Mozilla mirror websites before it is being made available to the public. The web browser can then be downloaded directly from the Mozilla website or from within Firefox using the automatic update option.

Third party download sites are already hosting Firefox 3.5 RC2 so that users can download it from there without having to wait until the distribution of the release to all mirror servers has been finished. Users can download it from Major Geeks for example already.

No news yet on what changes have been added to Firefox 3.5 RC2 as the release notes have not been updated yet. Cautious users are encouraged to wait for the official announcement before they start downloading, installing and using Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate 2. Everyone else might just want to give it a try right now.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/19/firefox-3-5-rc2/feed/ 16 Mozilla Firefox 3.5 RC1 http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/17/mozilla-firefox-3-5-rc1/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/17/mozilla-firefox-3-5-rc1/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:55:15 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=13632 [...]]]> firefoxThe Mozilla Firefox development team is currently releasing the latest public build of the upcoming Firefox 3.5. The first release candidate of Firefox 3.5 has already been transferred to all mirror servers. Users who already work with a Firefox 3.5x version can perform an update check right in the web browser in the Help > Check for updates menu to download and install Firefox 3.5 RC1 automatically. The version has not been made available for public download yet but major download portals such as Betanews are already providing users with the download of the latest version.

This version of Firefox seems to contain bugfixes which will be also included in the final release of Firefox 3.5. according to a post on the Mozilla Developer News blog. This update does fix the incompatibilities with the Wordpress blogging platform that were introduced with Firefox 3.5b99.

The release notes that have been written for the release candidate release of Firefox 3.5. also contain a download link which users can use to download and install the latest browser version. They do not reveal many information about this particular release though but concentrate on Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate information.

Firefox 3.5 RC1 should be definitely installed by users of previous versions of Firefox 3.5 especially those who have been stuck with 3.5b4 because of the bugs introduced in 3.5b99.

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]]> http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/17/mozilla-firefox-3-5-rc1/feed/ 4 Firefox 3.5 Preview http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/09/firefox-35-preview/ http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/09/firefox-35-preview/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:58:23 +0000 Martin http://www.ghacks.net/?p=13400 firefoxThe Mozilla Firefox team has released a new version of the upcoming Firefox web browser. The version is called Firefox 3.5 Preview by the team and is listed as Firefox 3.5b99 on the Mozilla ftp site and about pages in the web browser. Users who are already working with the Firefox 3.5x branch can update the web browser by going to help > check for updates. This checks if a new version of Firefox is available with the option to download the new version right away.

The Firefox team has put up a What’s New page on the Mozilla website asking beta testers to test some features specifically in this release. Webmasters might want to stay away from this release as it seems to break some site functionality. One thing that I noticed right away was that some features of the Wordpress admin interface were not working properly anymore. This includes the capability to upload and add images to the blog post (the image uploader loads in the same tab as the post) and the word count.

firefox

There are probably other problems that users will encounter over time both in Wordpress but also other software suites. I will go back to Firefox 3.5b4 after finishing this post. The only Firefox add-on that was found to be not working was the Microsoft .net Framework Assistant 1.0.

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