Mozilla makes Firefox 60 next ESR target
Mozilla plans to make Firefox 60 the next ESR (Extended Support Release) version of the Firefox web browser, and not Firefox 59.
New major Firefox versions are released every six to eight weeks. Mozilla introduced a fixed six week rapid release cycle back in 2011, but switched to a flexible 6-8 week release cycle in 2016.
The organization introduced Firefox ESR specifically for organizations to increase the time between major releases. Firefox ESR is available for organizations and home users. While ESR versions of Firefox do get security and bug fix updates whenever a new major version of Firefox is released, feature updates are only introduced after several release cycles.
The next major Firefox ESR update was scheduled to be Firefox 59, but it appears that Mozilla will postpone the move to Firefox 60.
Note: Plans may change. We will update the article if changes to the schedule are announced.
Firefox 60 ESR
The main source that indicates that Mozilla plans to make Firefox 60 the next ESR candidate is the EnterprisePolicies page on the Mozilla Wiki website.
We want to make customization of Firefox deployments simpler for system administrators and we want our next ESR version, Firefox 60, to include a policy engine that increases customization possibilities and integration into existing management systems.
Mozilla reveals the reason why Firefox 60 is the next ESR target on the same page.
Our key objective is to meet the demand for enterprise customization post-57 in time for the next ESR.
System administrators could use CCK2 Wizard in Firefox 52 ESR and earlier versions to configure Firefox before distribution. The switch to WebExtensions exclusivity in Firefox 57 makes the add-on incompatible with the next Firefox ESR version, regardless of whether it is Firefox 59 or Firefox 60.
Mozilla has to create new options for the large scale deployment of Firefox, and the organization's answer is Enterprise Policies. The new policy engine won't be limited to Firefox ESR.
The Policy Engine will be a component in Firefox that reads some admin-specified configuration during Firefox's startup and properly configures features to respect those configurations.
The new engine uses .json files initially, but Mozilla plans to support operating system level administration features such as Windows' Group Policy later on. The plan is to implement support in the json configuration file first before implementing the "most important ones" through GPO.
Mozilla is still working on the list of policies. Discussed right now are policies to disable Telemetry, disable features such as Pocket, Printing, or Firefox Screenshots, whitelist and block domains, pre-populate permissions, add bookmarks, or disable internal configuration features such as about:config or about:addons. (via Sören Hentzschel)
@makina:
Well just because something isn’t dead, doesn’t mean it’s not obsolete. The remaining user base are just stubborn for the most part. And every time something is unpatched, there is a possible security hole. Sure there are unpatched problems in current Windows versions. But at least with support, they will be addressed. You need that with a corporate environment.
As for support until 2019, that isn’t support. That’s patches from another system being applied to another with a registry patch to spoof a different identity. That’s like me saying I have Windows 8 support until 2023. No I don’t: I am applying updates from Server 2012 successfully, but that isn’t “support”.
How are you defining Windows 7 as “pure junk”? Is it just because XP is more lightweight? That not a good criterion to use. Windows 7 DOES MORE. It’s WAAAAAAAYYYY more stable than XP ever was (though I will say that Windows XP x64 Edition) was pretty good. But on current hardware, Windows 7 and 8 will take better avantage of more hardware.
As for Firefox Quantum, it is smooth. It’s way smoother than the browser has been in ages. And at work, I run Quantum on Windows 7. It runs great. So I don’t know where you’re getting your user experiences from.
And just because certain countries or government bodies are running XP, doesn’t make it a smart thing to do. Government is THE LAST thing I would ever use to validate good practices on ANYTHING.
thanks for your input
obsolete means that something is unusable-useless as IE6 for example
by your wise logic you might say that W7 will be obsolete within 2 years ?? (January 2020)
hackers usually don’t waste their time hackig XP computers they target the most used windows systems W7,W10.. for abvious reasons.
isn’t W8 and 8.1 the same thing ? if so the extended support will end by 2023 why do you need Server 2012 patches ?
pure junk = not intuitive
I love the ”show desktop” icon, it only takes 2 clicks to add it to the quick launch bar on XP
this option has been missed deleted from W7, you need to google and seek a long time.
another thing I can’t do on W7 is to manually place icons next to each other inside folders.
btw the X64 version was not stable for me at all.
aside from the non compatibility of many software and drivers I often got a BSOD
I get the user experience on facebook. as I’m scrolling down all the time
that site is pretty much annoying for browsers I find the Yandex browser a little smoother than the Chrome itself
I have to test the Waterfox but my experience says the Quantum leaves much to be desired..
@makina:
No Windows 8 is a non-supported version of Windows (similar to XP). However, it is a modern and modular Windows NT 6x based OS, which runs modern software as well as Windows 7, 8.1 and 10. Server 2012 updates (not R2) will patch Windows 8, just like POS Ready updates patch XP.
The Show desktop icon still exists in Windows 7 and 8x. It’s a small rectangle on the bottom-right hand corner. But I’ve also restored the Quick Launch Bar in Windows 8, so my taskbar looks more like XP or Vista.
Windows XP x64 compatibility with esoteric drivers and hardware was scarce but if you had a workstation that worked well with it (my HP xw8200 was fully compatible), it was a dream to run.
What issues are you having with Quantum?
I have downloaded a ”modern” software (video editor) a few weeks ago which was no longer supporting W7 (only W8 and up)
I wonder if the software maker gets funds from M$ ?
I don’t use internet on my smartphone, NOKIA switched over to Android.
Why do the retardeds from M$ want me to use their newest OS aimed at tactile devices ?
I have used W10 for some months and my big brother (34) has a tablet based on W10 ¡what a headache!!
the show desktop icon and the right corner square are two different things.
the way to add the classic icon into the quick launch bar is not that simple.
no issues with Quantum I know of, the few times I had to use it I didn’t find it that fast and smooth
I had to left the FF 3.6 when it became obsolete I hope I never have to do it with the current 52 version :(
the latest version of Opera seems to be faster than Quantum ? time will tell…
@makina:
Uhm, makina…
> Why do the retardeds from M$ want me to use their newest OS aimed at tactile devices ?
Windows 10 is not really aimed at tactile devices. It’s layout is pretty much identical to Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, ’98, ’95… In Windows 8’s case, yes. But then, I have Windows 8 up and running here on an older laptop. I use it with classic shell. I have seen the Metro UI exactly once, that was before installing classic shell. But never since. People just don’t know appropriate solutions for their problems.
My older PC runs amazingly fast, much faster than it did under Windows 7. Once you have hidden / effectively disabled Metro Windows 8 is a very fine OS.
> I hope I never have to do it with the current 52 version :(
You shouldn’t use it past June 2018, as future security holes won’t be fixed anymore after that.
> the latest version of Opera seems to be faster than Quantum ? time will tell…
Even Safari is faster than Quantum. Much of Quantum’s revolutionary speed is marketing BS, and stems from the fact that Firefox was not the fastest browser to begin with.
W10 identical to XP ? LOL if it was even true…
although you are right the sliding style buttons are not aimed at tactile displays. ironic/ off
the last news I did read about that crappy OS is that they will remove the classic control panel.
they wanted us to buy their LUMIA phones this is the only reason they ever decided to mix a desktop UI with a tactile UI
now that their phones are dead or switched over to Android there’s not need to keep destroying windows
”You shouldn’t use it past June 2018, as future security holes won’t be fixed anymore after that.”
no updated browser will prevent me from being infected (virus, malware, ransomware…)
I don’t use any antivirus for a long time now
the only thing that scares me is if it ever becomes useless like FF3.6
will the next FF60 ESR support windows XP or Vista ?
regards
Absolutely NOT. XP and Vista are DONE in June.
I don’t know why they call it ESR then…
extended support meaning to me is something that was created for old systems.
I’m afraid if the FF ever becomes unusable in many sites like IE or Chrome
the Chroome based browsers are way smoother but the interface design is pure junk.
@makina:
ESR was not made for older systems. ESR releases were made for corporate IT environments where software needs to be rolled out after extensive testing. ESR allows a longer term rollout for end users.
It’s in NO ONE’S and I mean NO ONE’s interest that Windows XP survive. Doing everything that one can to speed up its demise is just good business. No revenue or improvements are made from its continued use. No innovations come to fruition from using it either. Time just stands still. We have better CPUs, media codecs and hardware that Windows XP cannot fully utilize.
And there are more and more security holes, which XP fanatics hate hearing because they think it’s just FUD. But look, just because a nuclear reactor hasn’t blown up doesn’t mean that it’s never dangerous to live next to one. Similarly, even if you’ve never had your system exploited, doesn’t mean it won’t be one day. So when people say, “It’s none of your business what I run”, well if your less than locked down system can be exploited or used as a bot to spread malware, then YES!!! It ‘s very much my business.
Windows XP belong either on a non-connected old-functioning system, or else it belongs in the graveyard.
security holes where ? until 2019 you can’t say XP is dead at all. WannaCry was born in W7 environment.
FCC company (indian president = net neutrality) is still running XP laptops.
I’d like to enjoy a smooth FF even though it doesnt get updates any more.
anyhow they only release crappy design updates so we need to make use of third party add-ons to have the tabs below address bar and so on…
I have W7 on my testing PC it’s pure junk as is W10 which is merely based on a smartphone OS
the FF is not better on W7 unlinke any other chromium browser
I have had it with Firefox. I tried their Quantum only to find out they have destroyed some fine add ons, i.e. Noscript, Privacy Settings, etc. For me the browser is not useful anymore, for now I am going to put up with the ESR version.
There is more to complain about it, but why ? It won’t change anything since all the big Corporations are starting to push their rules onto the customer. Not only in IT. I am planing to go back to Vivaldi despite some of its disadvantages and slowliness. I guess we will see more and more loss of control of privacy and self-determination because the lemmings ignorance is deeper than the deepest hole. We are being sold and they are applauding. Imagine they would be allowed to vote. Oh dear, ………..they are and they did !
What’s all the fuss about FireFox and why do we need to update every time? I’m here on Xp with FF 48 on Avant Browser and the FF 52ESR and all this with the ghacks prefs is all you need to surf fast and secure. You do not need to update every time. It’s all fear mongering in my mind…
What’s all the fuss about FireFox and why do we need to update everytime? I’m here on Xp with FF 48 on Avant Browser and the FF 52ESR and all this with the ghacks prefs is all you need to surf fast and secure. You do not need to update every time. It’s all fear mongering in my mind…
Firefox 56 is fast in terms of loading 150+ tabs and it supports legacy addons. Of course, use uBlock+Noscript at least, for basic safety. Will stay on it until most websites works with Firefox 56, this is gonna be at least few years, unless something revolutionary in web development really come up ;-)
@Larson: I‘d recommend to switch to Waterfox in this case. It is basically Firefox 56 + future security patches (currently at Firefox 57 security level). This would certainly be better than to use an unpatched Firefox 56.
in response to #16 mr anon; i like it, it’s secure against the ET’ag nonsense, and Pant’s settings
were on target as well as those in the comment section, and if anyone tries to hack me they’re just hitting a mirror. Havent had to mess with it for a long time and dont plan
on updating, it’s everything i need.
Not to mention I took all the google
scripts out of about:config before freezing.
ITT Millenials who feel important for an adware webextension regarding MR. ROBOT in their latest Fireofx Botnet edition.
Keep growing
Last good version was:
Firefox 3.6.24
okay. Thanks for the tip.
That’s a way to deal with old farts
Am still using and enjoying FF51 with
ghacks/pants privacy
settings;partitioned off, frozen in time,
you cant break it, i do update the Ublock0 once a week(cloud setting off) thanks MR Martin it’s sweet.
51 ? What in 52 did you not want ?
I no longer use Firefox. It is practically unusable. They have messed up a good thing. Happens a lot, improvements that render things useless, lol.
@K Huber:
What is it that you find unstable about it?
Actually at work, most are finding it VERY MUCH improved over the old Australis Firefox. The others use chrome.
Just a note to those implying they actually are using FF ESR and are all butt-hurt about that Mr. Robot add-on debacle, that’s an issue affecting the standard release version, not the ESR version. Troll much?
I’m staying with Firefox ESR, but keeping WaterFox as a backup.
I’ve switched to Basilisk full time now although their support forum on the Pale Moon site is a bit too hostile for my liking.
Yup @TelV! I’ve check and there does seem to be a tad more of a discontented mood since I was booted from there. However, if I had to choose now from two forks, I’d choose Waterfox over Basilisk. Pale Moon works well for now, but it’s only a short term solution.
Make sure you spoof Firefox properly if you care about tracking
What’s the best way to do that, nowadays?
Hi Jody,
What I don’t like about Waterfox is that it’s based on FF56 which doesn’t support separators between buttons anymore. This means that even though CTR is supported, spaces and the like can’t be added giving buttons a cluttered appearance since they’re all squashed up together.
Basilisk on the other hand is based on FF55 and therefore separators can be added. But Basilisk doesn’t support language packs while Waterfox has them built in as can be seen here: https://imgbox.com/vjbEs2xb
Lack of language packs means Basilisk will never catch on in countries like Thailand where menus written in the local language are essential.
Swings and roundabouts I guess, but if Basilisk turns out to be a one-way street, then I’ll switch to Waterfox and look for a workaround for the separators problem. Using the Status-4-Ever addon might offer a solution since buttons can be added to the toolbar at the foot of the browser in additon to the top toolbar.
Make sure you spoof Firefox properly if you care about tracking
> We want to make customization of Firefox deployments simpler for system administrators and we want our next ESR version, Firefox 60, to include a policy engine that increases customization possibilities and integration into existing management systems.
Oh did they finally found out why no sane person deploys their browser in a corporate environment? Well took them long enough.
My company runs them. But they are insane.
It’s a shame that there is no Fennec ESR. :(
WaterFox for Android is a promising alternative but it’s not quite there yet.
For the Linux fans…
https://launchpad.net/~jonathonf/+archive/ubuntu/firefox-esr
Lost their integrity with Eich forced to leave and now this ‘Mr Robot stunt’. Thanks but no thanks.
Eich would have killed legacy add-ons even more brutally.
I would have said he would have waited until the webextension api’s were more stable. But who knows. I agree that he was treated badly though.
“Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) is intended for system administrators who deploy and maintain the desktop environment in organizations such as universities and other schools, county or city governments and businesses.”
Unfortunately I think with the new Firefox, “ESR” will lose its meaning. Do you really think that “universities and other schools, or worse county or city governments” will install a browser “as a service”?
The new ESR is not as a service.
“The new engine uses .json files initially, but Mozilla plans to support operating system level administration features such as Windows’ Group Policy later on. The plan is to implement support in the json configuration file first before implementing the “most important ones” through GPO.
Mozilla is still working on the list of policies. Discussed right now are policies to disable Telemetry, disable features such as Pocket, Printing, or Firefox Screenshots, whitelist and block domains, pre-populate permissions, add bookmarks, or disable internal configuration features such as about:config or about:addons. (via Sören Hentzschel)”
Mozilla is still working very hard to persuade people this has nothing to do with this article though.
That has nothing to do with this article though. Shield studies can be disabled in 3 clicks by a normal user, and for the kind of administrators this article is talking about, it’s one line in a mass deployed configuration file.
Here: https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17771&sid=4b65c48a72005aa5fc827d4bf51a9550#p130176
@Anonymous
This change is especially geared at making total control of a large fleet of Firefox installs easier for administrators.
Normal users can use it if they like but they can also stick to the normal way. I have total control over my Firefox install.
As for “browsers as a service”, I have no idea where you got that from reading that article.
There’s still enough control. You can still customize quite a bit underneath the hood. Rendering and paint delay, cache settings and the like are still customizable.
Even Mozilla itself has no longer control on its own site, AMO. And they talk about “system administrators”, no thanks.
People thinking they will still have full control on that browser are naive in my opinion. Except maybe experienced computer scientists, which is not my case.
I’ve decided to give up with it. The latest cock up was the last straw.
Looks like the foreseeable future will include comments on Every article about Firefox, complaining about FF and using the Looking Glass extension as one example. Personally, I don’t care because I chose “beforehand” to not have to deal with it (FF add-ons).
Instead of hiding the add-on like what is done with Screenshots and Pocket they made it visible on the add-ons page, with the ability to uninstall it. Also, in the add-ons page, it clearly states: “Participating in this shared world experience requires explicit user opt-in. If you are not actively participating in the ARG (Augmented Reality Game) no modifications will be made to Firefox.” Not only could it be uninstalled but there was also a link that provided additional information.
How many people actually got the add-on and were surprised when it “mysteriously” showed up? These will be the same people whose reading comprehension is suspect because it is clearly indicated in the Options that you will “Allow Firefox to install and run studies.” Duh! This is in the “Privacy & Security” section of the Options. Easily The Most Important group of settings included in the Options. It’s not like it was buried deep in a ten thousand word TOS/EULA. Actions and non-actions have consequences. You’re either capable of dealing with it or not (browser configuration) just don’t expect a trophy for participating when you get it wrong.
The “cock up” is not a reason to move to a different browser and I can’t help but wonder if all the drama queens are actually even using FF or saw the extension. Heck, I even did a clean install when the Looking Glass extension was first reported and couldn’t entice it into installing on my desktop. Anyway, we all know that Google Chrome is just one big “Safe Space” and the hell with FF. Am I right? ;)
This venting opportunity was created by yours truly for your entertainment pleasure, no thanks necessary. Which reminds me, for all the haters…
“You are physically repulsive, intellectually retarded, you’re morally reprehensible, vulgar, insensitive, selfish, stupid, you have no taste, a lousy sense of humor and you smell. You’re not even interesting enough to make me sick.†– Cher (The Witches Of Eastwick) That was a joke! LoL
Also people like you need to learn there’s more choice than just ff and chrome.
@crambie, website developers build their websites around those browsers (along with Edge) so they are the ones who are setting the standards in a mutual relationship with them.
The alternate choices you speak about need to keep up. That’s something Pale Moon can’t seem to grasp.
@crambie
“for people like you”? How dare you?!? For someone whose DNA is .25 Native American and .75 Spanish that’s just a little offensive. I feel so violated! LoL
I had to cut short my previous comment because I had to take care of some business and wanted to clarify that I honestly don’t care what browser anyone uses. I have in fact setup Chrome for many different people over the years and I never try to talk anyone into using a specific browser. I will be the first to admit that years ago, I learned the hard way, that talking people into using FF was just an invitation for repeated call-backs. UI changes, extensions not working and many other problems seemed to be never ending and I’ve been using FF for almost 10 years, some of those using ESR. It’s only with the release of FFv57 that I would feel comfortable setting it up for someone used to Chrome and not familiar with FF. It is my personal opinion that every browser has its own positives and negatives. Which is why I recommend for people to have both a Chromium and FF based browser installed. I could literally bore everyone to death with my list of positive and negative observations of all eight browsers on my system, 9 including IE11. Is FF perfect? Hell no! But it does have a lot more potential than any other browser that I have installed. JMHO
If it was just Looking Glass you could perhaps overlook it, but it isn’t. People like you need to face facts, they’re the not the Mozilla people used to know and love. They’ve turned in to a do as I say not as I do company.
Also people like you need to learn there’s more choice than just ff and chrome.
Oh and btw it was enabled by default, so not reading comprehension failure neither was it by any stretch of the imagination a study.
@Frank
You must have missed my many pro comments about Chrome, Vivaldi, Pale Moon and Waterfox. I have eight browsers installed and consider myself an equal opportunity browser user, I use them all to some degree. That said, I see no need to apologize because FF is my primary browser.
Chrome Dev
Chrome
Vivaldi
Pale Moon
FFv56.0.2
FFv57
Nightly
Waterfox
Well, the past always included your pro Firefox comments complaining about people not perceiving or doing things exactly as you do.
It also might have to do with the fact that ESR is Mozilla’s last outpost for users who liked the pre Quantum FF better.
Anyway I have decided to move to WaterFox. All my legacy add-ons working again and I like No Script much better than their new version in Quantum.
Nice move with Waterfox. Welcome to the club :)
I do not think that that Mozilla’s decision described in ESR has something with keeping pre Quantum FF alive. See the link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/7gqv65/apis_needed_for_session_manager_to_become/dqlacan/
I would wish for them to get FF56 ESR in time schedule for FF60 ESR, but they do not care about us much (advanced users).
Would give legacy add-on users a bit more time.
That last paragraph could be a bit worrying to some. To quote Sören Hentzschel through google translate
“Examples of possible enterprise policy configuration options include disabling configuration features such as about: config or about: addons, predefining bookmarks, displaying the menu bar by default, disabling the telemetry feature, or features such as Pocket and Firefox screenshots, lists of Domains that may or may not be called, or predefined permissions for cookies or pop-ups, for example. More information is available on the Mozilla Wiki.”
But doesn’t that mean that system admin staff at a company could disable about:config themselves using the policy editor, rather than Mozilla disabling it?
Waterfox is the ESR for me. No thanks Mozilla. You’ve done goof.
Another reason for this decision is probably the fact that they wanted to have the webrender as mature as possible for their ESR release. For those who use the Nightly FF know that webrender is still very buggy and there was not enough time to release it in a stable state on Firefox 59.
But I don’t think that WebRender will be mature enough at version 60, either. Maybe 61 or 62? Current status of it is TBD[1].
[1] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/mozilla.dev.tech.gfx/sfj09LZN6AA/bqYqDMSxAwAJ
I have my doubts also but they have made some significant gains recently and there is still 5 months until the release of FFv60. So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Here some inside about decisions made by Mozilla managers about extensions, APIs and ESR (advanced users are not important):
https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/7gqv65/apis_needed_for_session_manager_to_become/dqlacan/
Sorry, after years of Mozilla ESR on our organization, simply Firefox has failed. Too complex to configure it, there’s no official MSI and even any configuration via Group Policy.
Chrome is much better in this aspect.
CCK2 was a great tool for configuring FF for deployment. Have used it for years here. What’s even more nifty is that the guy who created CCK2 now works for Mozilla, no doubt helping craft the new in-house enterprise customization tools :)
Why sorry ? This article explains specifically that this is going to change. Group Policy was mentioned as a target.