Firefox 64-bit development for Windows gets 'turned off' by Mozilla

[safan80]

They are going to stop doing 64bit nightlys for Firefox.

first source
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/22/f...mozi/#comments

Looking to browse with the full weight of your 64-bit hardware? Well, if you're a Firefox and Windows user, you're going to have to look elsewhere, as Mozilla has announced it's closing the development of Firefox for the bigger computer architecture. Mozilla manager, Benjamin Smedberg outlined several reasons for the decision, including limited access to 64-bit plugins, a higher propensity for the browser to hang when using available plug-ins and difficulty distinguishing between 32- and 64-bit versions when dealing with stability complaints. After posting the announcement at Bugzilla, it riled plenty of nightly testers, with one Mozilla dev suggesting that around half of them were currently using the now defunct 64-bit version -- presumably due to the fact that an official release never made it out of the gates. What are the options then, if you need your browsing 64-bit? You could return to Internet Explorer or give Opera a try -- both offer a higher bit version, or make a switch to either OS X or Linux, both of which have fully-fleshed versions of the 64-bit web browser. Check out some of the (surprisingly vigorous) debate at the source below.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=814009

Per newsgroup discussion. Please stop building windows 64 builds and tests. This includes the following subtasks, which I'm not filing specific bugs on but you may want to break these out:

* stop building win64 nightlies
* repatriate existing win64 nightly users onto win32 builds using a custom update
* stop doing win64 "hourly" builds on mozilla-central and other branches
* disable the win64 option in try/trychooser

This bug is not the place to argue about this decision, which has already been made. If there is critical data which you think should be heard about this decision, please post it to mozilla.dev.apps.firefox.

[zalbard]

Not a big deal if you ask me... Since it hasn't made it into more stable channels, anyway.
There are still plenty of 64-bit builds (e.g. Pale Moon) around.

[El Mano]

So what is the problem? Was it so much faster?

[StAndrew]

Is 64bit really needed for a web browser? Mozilla probably came to the conclusion that the juice wasnt worth the squeeze.

[TimPrice]

Even games are still 32b, and the plugins issue it's a big deal.

[hersounds]

simple...use waterfox ( 64 native and full compatible) try it!

http://www.waterfoxproject.org/download.php

[Zaskar]

And there went the 1 cool thing about Firefox.

[EniGmA1987]

Personally I think Mozilla should have made a much stronger push the last few months to get its plugin dev's to move to 64-bit. Then Mozilla should have dropped the 32-bit altogether. Things need to keep progressing to only 64-bit version of everything and stop falling back to old versions. It doesnt matter if we *need* an x64 browser, the fact is software needs to progress and part of that is updating old stuff to the new architecture.

[zanzabar]

Personally I think Mozilla should have made a much stronger push the last few months to get its plugin dev's to move to 64-bit. Then Mozilla should have dropped the 32-bit altogether. Things need to keep progressing to only 64-bit version of everything and stop falling back to old versions. It doesnt matter if we *need* an x64 browser, the fact is software needs to progress and part of that is updating old stuff to the new architecture.

i think that we really need a 64bit browser in aurora, we really need to move on from 32bit even if there is no performance game or need for 4GB of ram usage in the next few years.

[Generic user #2]

And there went the 1 cool thing about Firefox.

....what are you talking about?

[ColonelCain]

Personally I think Mozilla should have made a much stronger push the last few months to get its plugin dev's to move to 64-bit. Then Mozilla should have dropped the 32-bit altogether. Things need to keep progressing to only 64-bit version of everything and stop falling back to old versions. It doesnt matter if we *need* an x64 browser, the fact is software needs to progress and part of that is updating old stuff to the new architecture.

Mozilla probably realized that there was no point as the future is mobile devices. Mobile devices are still a few steps behind desktops, and as such there is no point in working on 64bit.

[Zaskar]

....what are you talking about?

I'm saying the 1 cool thing about Firefox, its 64 bit developer branch has just been axed by Mozilla, having cited Lazy as their reason. This unfortunately lowers the grand total to 0 cool things about Firefox.

[mockingbird]

I am still getting regular updates for Firefox 64 Nightly in Windows (Using Win764). Yesterday the version jumped from 19 to 20. Anyone know what's up with that?

[Sparky]

I'm saying the 1 cool thing about Firefox, its 64 bit developer branch has just been axed by Mozilla, having cited Lazy as their reason. This unfortunately lowers the grand total to 0 cool things about Firefox.

In your opinion, which is fine.
What browser do you consider to be "cooler"? If you say Safari or IE I'll bust up laughing

[Zaskar]

In your opinion, which is fine.
What browser do you consider to be "cooler"? If you say Safari or IE I'll bust up laughing

I'm liking Chrome better right now, the sync system it uses seems to work better. The pepper API is pretty cool, especially if you also use Linux since flash development has been halted for that platform (but will continue to be updated in newer versions of Chrome due to the universal Pepper API version it comes with) and in my experience it handled simultaneously reloading a bunch of tabs much faster. Having a Chrome sync capable IOS browser skin is a pretty cool bonus also.

Always liked Firefox for their 64 bit branch though, they stuck through the stretch where there was no x64 flash or Java plugins in even alpha form, and now that they are stable releases they decide to kill it? Nice. Its absurd since they have a x64 Linux and Mac version (albeit out of necessity) yet the windows one is too much work. That last part goes for Chrome as well.

[JaD]

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...not-suspended/

[crash5s]

Mozilla probably realized that there was no point as the future is mobile devices. Mobile devices are still a few steps behind desktops, and as such there is no point in working on 64bit.

Yep, THIS. Most people are using their smart phone, and tablet penetration is going up as well, for their "internet and facebook" device. Unless you have to do something in MS Office, most people don't need a computer anymore. Also a computer, even a portable laptop, is a vastly inferior internet/email/facebook platform compared to a mobile device for a number of reasons. It came up in this election that more people get internet news (and also their favorite websites) from a mobile device instead of using a computer. Short of using the MS office suite, most people prefer there mobiles for anything they'd normally want a computer to do.

Using a web browser on a computer, ok there grandma. I bet you still send people snail mail, use a rotary phone, and drive a horse buggy.

[yojimbo197]

As someone else pointed out there is a 64 bit version of Firefox already called Waterfox. And contrary to another posters assertions, its easy to find 64 bit extensions.

As far as using smartphones and tablets, sure its true that they are used. However,smartphones suck for viewing a lot of websites. Not only that but there's a 4 window maximum on it, making it a pain for looking at multiple sites.

In addition, contrary to the previous poster, most of the people I know use desktops or laptops for web viewing. And no, I have a 4G LTE phone, don't use snail mail, and the only carriage I ride uses diesel engines.

[naokaji]

how useful smartphones are for webbrowsing in large parts depends on webdevelopers, look at Japan, you barely see any laptops / tablets here being used outdoors compared to America / Europe, instead its smartphones all the way, unlike elsewhere a lot of websites are optimized for small screens already.

[Sparky]

I'm liking Chrome better right now, the sync system it uses seems to work better. The pepper API is pretty cool, especially if you also use Linux since flash development has been halted for that platform (but will continue to be updated in newer versions of Chrome due to the universal Pepper API version it comes with) and in my experience it handled simultaneously reloading a bunch of tabs much faster. Having a Chrome sync capable IOS browser skin is a pretty cool bonus also.

Always liked Firefox for their 64 bit branch though, they stuck through the stretch where there was no x64 flash or Java plugins in even alpha form, and now that they are stable releases they decide to kill it? Nice. Its absurd since they have a x64 Linux and Mac version (albeit out of necessity) yet the windows one is too much work. That last part goes for Chrome as well.

Eh, Chrome is OK but I don't care that much for the interface. Plus if you ever uninstall it, it has a really bad habit of leaving pieces behind that can screw up URLs from other programs and stuff.

Personally I don't see how having some apple looking skin on your web browser is a plus, but whatev

[Mungri]

Once I used Opera, I just simply couldnt go back to Firefox / IE, nor Chrome.

Opera <3.

[Santas]

its a web browser... 64bit total overkill

[zalbard]

its a web browser... 64bit total overkill

It's good for performance if you do it right.

[madcho]

Performance is not all. 64bits will be usefull, now you don't use more than 4go of ram for your browser but some time, it's gonna be unthinkable to not be able to "break" this limit for a browser.

Evry web design is becoming more and more complexe, there is more and more data of all kind, ( movie, sound, ... even 3D games are coming ).

Most of time i use 400MB of data for firefox32. ( with around 10 tabs ) without any movie, just forums.

remember, <<512ko of memory will be enough for evryone.>>

... i don't think, turn off 64bit dev of firefox is a smart move.

[Zaskar]

Anyone notice how Firefox x64 Nightly is still getting updates?