Firefox Release Notes

Nov 14, 2016 Firefox's features are robust and generally competitive. The most important feature in the modern Firefox is Sync.Sync now smoothly syncs your bookmarks, passwords, preferences, history, and tabs, not only with other computers, but also with your Android version of Firefox. According to StatCounter data March 2021 Firefox was created by Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross as an experimental branch of the Mozilla browser, first released as Firefox 1.0 on November 9, 2004. Starting with version 5.0, a rapid release cycle was put into effect, resulting in a new major version release every six weeks. Get Firefox, a free web browser backed by Mozilla, a non-profit dedicated to internet health and privacy. Available now on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. Jun 20, 2011 Mozilla Firefox 5.0 (Beta 1) Mozilla Firefox 46; Mozilla Firefox 45.0.1; Mozilla Firefox 4.0.1; Mozilla Firefox 4.0 RC1; Mozilla Firefox 4.0 RC 2; Mozilla Firefox 4.0.

Extensions installed under Firefox 1.0 may be incompatible and/or require updates to work with Firefox 1.5.0.1. Please report any issues to the maintainer of the extension. When you install Firefox 1.5.0.1, your Extensions and Themes may be disabled until Firefox 1.5.0.1 determines that either a) they are compatible with the Firefox 1.5.0.1 release or b) there are newer versions available that are compatible. This is because Firefox changes from release to release and as such the ways in which some extensions integrate changes, meaning there can be problems when running an older extension with a newer version of Firefox. If you find that your favorite Extension or Theme has not been updated to be compatible with this release of Firefox, write the author and encourage them to update it.

All Systems

• Some firewall software may silently block Firefox from running. Most firewalls will ask you whether to allow a program to connect to the Internet. It's important that you always grant Firefox access. If you deny access, you must go into the firewall's configuration program and re-allow access. Even when disabled, some firewalls deny access. Here is some more information on configuring your firewall.
• If Firefox 1.5.0.1 is installed on a multi-user system in a location which is not writable by users, Firefox must be run once by a privileged user. If this is not desirable, an empty file must be created in the following directory: <install-directory>/extensions/talkback@mozilla.org/chrome.manifest
• Software Update will not work if Firefox 1.5.0.1 is installed to a location that you do not have write access to, since Software Update needs to replace or create files in this location.
• If you disabled xpinstall in Firefox 1.0.x by unselecting the Allow Web sites to Install Software preference (changed in Firefox 1.5), go to about:config and set the xpinstall.enabled preference to true to re-enable installs.
• Older versions of Adblock may cause the Clear Private Data confirmation window to appear when Firefox 1.5.0.1 starts. If you experience this, make sure you are using the newest version of Adblock or Adblock Plus.

Windows

• When installing as a restricted-access user on a shared machine into a location that you can write to, there may still be negative side effects (default browser/other keys not being set correctly). The browser should still function however. When installing as a restricted access user do not attempt to install over an installation in a restricted-access/shared location as this may destroy that installation.
• Firefox 1.5.0.1 may hang when closing after viewing a PDF file in some older versions of the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug in. If you experience this, make sure you are using the newest version of the plug in.

Mac OS X

• Intel Mac users may run Firefox 1.5.0.1 under Rosetta. We are planning to natively support Intel Macs starting with Firefox 1.5.0.2.

Linux and Unix systems

• If Firefox 1.5.0.1 is installed to a location with spaces in the path, it may not be able to set itself as default browser and may keep prompting at startup. The work around is to install into a path without spaces.
• GNOME integration does not work properly with Fedora Core 3. Users of Fedora Core 3 will need to download and install linc-1.0.3-3.1.i386.rpm. After installing the RPM, perform the following command in the directory you installed Firefox 1.5.0.1 into (you will need write permission):

  touch .autoreg

  The next time you start Firefox 1.5.0.1, GNOME integration should be functional.

• firefox -remote (mozilla-xremote-client) no longer works on urls containing commas, and is deprecated. firefox -new-window /url/ will open the url in a new window; firefox -new-tab /url/ will open the url in a new tab.

Web Page Rendering

Troubleshooting

• Poorly designed or incompatible Extensions can cause problems with your browser, including make it crash, slow down page display, etc. If you encounter strange problems relating to parts of the browser no longer working, the browser not starting, windows with strange or distorted appearance, degraded performance, etc, you may be suffering from Extension or Theme trouble. Restart the browser in Safe Mode. On Windows, start using the 'Safe Mode' shortcut created in your Start menu or by running firefox.exe -safe-mode. On Linux, start with ./firefox -safe-mode and on Mac OS X, run:

  cd /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/
./firefox-bin -safe-mode

  When Firefox is started in Safe Mode, all extensions are disabled and the Default theme is used. Disable the Extension or Theme that is causing trouble and then start normally.

If you uninstall an extension that is installed with your user profile (i.e. you installed it from a web page) and then wish to install it for all user profiles using the -install-global-extension command line flag, you must restart the browser once to cleanse the profile extensions datasource of traces of that extension before installing with the switch. If you do not do this you may end up with a jammed entry in the Extensions list and will be unable to install the extension globally.

If you encounter strange problems relating to bookmarks, downloads, window placement, toolbars, history, or other settings, use the Firefox Safe Mode to disable all extensions, themes, and optionally attempt to clean up any corrupted data.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What can I do to help?

   We need all the exposure we can get. Make it your mission to convert as many of your friends, family members and coworkers as possible. If you're a student, get it distributed at your college. Submit a story to Slashdot and other news sites about the release. Make some noise on your blog. Mass distribution via the Internet is possible -- look at Kazaa. Spread the word!

2. I use another browser because...

   If you're not using Firefox, tell the development team why. We read the feedback at the Firefox forums.

3. Why haven't you responded to the mail I sent you?

   Use the forums. The Firefox team reads them regularly. We all get a lot of email and your email may get lost.

4. Where can I get themes and add-ons (extensions)?

   Extensions and themes can be downloaded from Mozilla Update.

5. Who is working on Firefox?

   Lots of people. See Help->About Mozilla Firefox, Credits for a list of some of the people who have contributed to Firefox.

6. Where's the Firefox source code?

   A tarball of the Firefox 1.5 source code is available for download. The latest development code can be obtained by cvs. Firefox-specific source is in 'mozilla/browser', 'mozilla/toolkit', and 'mozilla/chrome'. Please follow the build instructions.

7. Where is the mail client?

   Firefox works with whatever mail client is the default on your system. However, we recommend Mozilla Thunderbird, our next generation email client and the perfect complement to Firefox.

8. How do I capitalize Firefox? How do I abbreviate it?

   Only the first letter is capitalized (so it's Firefox, not FireFox.) The preferred abbreviation is 'Fx' or 'fx'.

Other Resources and Links

The following resources contain useful information about Firefox:

Contributed Builds

These are unofficial builds and may be configured differently than the official Mozilla.org builds. They may also be optimized and/or tested for specific platforms.

Solaris(Contributed by SUN Beijing team)

Tar ball format

firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.10-i386.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.10-sparc.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.8-i386-gtk1.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)

Firefox 5.0 Download

firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.8-sparc-gtk1.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
(readme)

Pkgadd format
firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.10-i386-pkg.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.10-sparc-pkg.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.8-i386-gtk1-pkg.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
firefox-1.5.0.1.en-US.solaris2.8-sparc-gtk1-pkg.tar.bz2(MD5SUM)
(readme)

Localized Builds

Many localized builds are now produced and distributed by Mozilla.org on behalf of their authors. Visit GetFirefox.com or view All Systems and Languages to see the set of official builds that we offer.

Builds that have not yet been certified as official Firefox 1.5 localizations are available by browsing the FTP site.

Previous versions of the Release notes: 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6.1 | 0.7 | 0.7.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9.1/0.9.2 | 0.9.3 | 1.0 Preview Release | 1.0 | 1.0.1 | 1.0.2 | 1.0.3 | 1.0.4 | 1.0.5 | 1.0.6 | 1.0.7 | 1.5

A faster, more secure and customizable Web browser.

Firefox 5.0 1 Download

Mozilla Firefox (64-bit) - Mozilla Firefox is a fast, light and tidy open source web browser. At its public launch in 2004 Mozilla Firefox was the first browser to challenge Microsoft Internet Explorer’s dominance. Since then, Mozilla Firefox has consistently featured in the top 3 most popular browsers globally and this is set to continue thanks to the release of Firefox 30. The key features that have made Mozilla Firefox so popular are the simple and effective UI, browser speed and strong security capabilities. The browser is particularly popular with developers thanks to its open source development and active community of advanced users.

Easier Browsing

Mozilla put of a lot of resources into creating a simple but effective UI aimed at making browsing quicker and easier. They created the tab structure that has been adopted by most other browsers. In recent years Mozilla has also focused on maximizing browsing area by simplifying toolbar controls to just a Firefox button (which contains settings and options) and back/forward buttons. The URL box features direct Google searching as well as an auto predict/history feature called Awesome Bar. On the right side of the URL box there are bookmarking, history and refresh buttons. To the right of the URL box is a search box which allows you to customize your search engine options. Outside of that a view button controls what you see below the URL. Next to that you have the download history and home buttons.

Speed

Mozilla Firefox boasts impressive page load speeds thanks to the excellent JagerMonkey JavaScript engine. Start up speed and graphics rendering are also among the quickest in the market. Firefox manages complex video and web content using layer-based Direct2D and Driect3D graphics systems. Crash protection ensures only the plugin causing the issue stops working, not the rest of the content being browsed. Reloading the page restarts any affected plugins. The tab system and Awesome Bar have been streamlined to launch/get results very quickly too.

Security

Firefox was the first browser to introduce a private browsing feature which allows you to use the internet more anonymously and securely. History, searches, passwords, downloads, cookies and cached content are all removed on shutdown. Minimizing the chances of another user stealing your identity or finding confidential information. Content security, anti-phishing technology and antivirus/antimalware integration ensures your browsing experience is as safe as possible.

Personalisation & Development

Firefox 5.0.1

One of the best features of the Firefox UI is customization. Simply right click on the navigation toolbar to customize individual components or just drag and drop items you want to move around. The inbuilt Firefox Add-ons Manager allows you to discover and install add-ons within the browser as well as view ratings, recommendations and descriptions. Read about the top recommended add-ons for Mozilla Firefox on TechBeat. Thousands of customizable themes allow you to customize the look and feel of your browser. Site authors and developers can create advanced content and applications using Mozilla’s open source platform and enhanced API.

• Firefox keeps getting faster as a result of significant updates to SpiderMonkey, our JavaScript engine, you will now experience improved page load performance by up to 15%, page responsiveness by up to 12%, and reduced memory usage by up to 8%. We have replaced part of the JavaScript engine that helps to compile and display websites for you, improving security and maintainability of the engine at the same time.
• Firefox introduces HTTPS-Only Mode. When enabled, this new mode ensures that every connection Firefox makes to the web is secure and alerts you when a secure connection is not available. You can enable it in Firefox Preferences.
• Pinch zooming will now be supported for our users with Windows touchscreen devices and touchpads on Mac devices. Firefox users may now use pinch to zoom on touch-capable devices to zoom in and out of webpages.
• Picture-in-Picture now supports keyboard shortcuts for fast forwarding and rewinding videos: use the arrow keys to move forward and back 15 seconds, along with volume controls.
• When you are presenting your screen on a video conference in Firefox, you will see our improved user interface that makes it clearer which devices or displays are being shared.
• Firefox supports AcroForm, which will allow you to fill in, print, and save supported PDF forms and the PDF viewer also has a new fresh look.
• Selecting a search engine at the bottom of the search panel now enters search mode for that engine, allowing you to see suggestions (if available) for your search terms. The old behavior (immediately performing a search) is available with a shift-click.
• When Firefox autocompletes the URL of one of your search engines, you can now search with that engine directly in the address bar by selecting the shortcut in the address bar results.
• We have added buttons at the bottom of the search panel to allow you to search your bookmarks, open tabs, and history.
• Our users in India on the English build of Firefox will now see Pocket recommendations in their new tab featuring some of the best stories on the web.

Firefox Reports A TLS Error For A Website That I Trust ...

Firefox 5.0 Download Filehippo