Firefox 5.0

[Brother Esau]

Ditto; I switched back to 3.6 myself. I find the new interface of Firefox 4 very cumbersome and clunky, Not functional at all in my opinion and the general layout sucks!

[m^2]

Interesting to see so many FF 3.6 users. I didn't switch to 4 yet because my addons are still not ready.

[XSAlliN]

Personally - i find it sad, seeing so many of you are so lazy or don't know how to customize a browser - Firefox being one of the most modular browsers available, if not the best from this point of view.

I mean, seriously?! That's a problem, a reason to complain.. you don't like the "default" layout of a highly customizable browser... ?!

Sad, sad and lame...

You guys should know that with Firefox 4+ they didn't changed just the default layout - they also added a list of improvements...

Firefox 4:

Firefox 4 is based on the Gecko 2.0 Web platform. This release features JavaScript execution speeds up to six times faster than the previous version, new capabilities for Web Developers and Add-on Developers such as hardware accelerated graphics and HTML5 technologies, and a completely revised user interface. Please read below for more detailed information about what's new in this version of the release, as well as the known issues.

Firefox 4 is available in over 80 languages
Uses JägerMonkey, a new, faster JavaScript engine that is up to six times faster than Firefox 3.6
Support for the Do Not Track ("DNT") header that allows users to opt-out of behavioural advertising
Firefox Sync is included by default, allowing you to securely synchronize between multiple computers and mobile devices
Certain graphics rendering operations are now hardware-accelerated using Direct3D 9 on Windows XP, Direct3D 10 on Windows Vista and 7, and OpenGL on Mac OS (OpenGL on Linux will be supported in the future)
Direct2D Hardware Acceleration is now on by default for Windows 7 users
WebGL is enabled on all platforms that have a capable graphics card with updated drivers
Native support for the HD HTML5 WebM video format, hardware accelerated where available
Firefox button has a new look for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users
Tabs are now on top by default on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux
You can search for and switch to already open tabs in the Smart Location Bar
The stop and reload buttons have been merged into a single button on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux
The Bookmarks Toolbar has been replaced with a Bookmarks Button by default (you can switch it back if you'd like)
Crash protection for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X when there is a crash in the Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime or Microsoft Silverlight plugins
You can turn any tab into an "App Tab" by right-clicking on it and selecting "Make into App Tab" from the context menu
The default homepage design has been refreshed
Overhaul of the bookmarks and history code, enabling faster bookmarking and startup performance
Per-compartment garbage collection is now enabled, reducing work done during complex animations
Additional polish for the Firefox Add-ons Manager
Improved web typography using OpenType with support for ligatures, kerning and font variants
Web developers can animate content using CSS Transitions
Responsiveness and scrolling improvements from the new retained layers layout system
HTML5 Forms API makes web based forms easier to implement and validate
Support for the new proposed Audio Data API
Support for HSTS security protocol allowing sites to insist that they only be loaded over SSL
A new feature called Panorama gives users a visual overview of all open tabs, allowing them to be sorted and grouped
An experimental API is included to provide more efficient Javascript animations
Firefox now supports the HTML5 video "buffered" property
Changes to how XPCOM components are registered in order to help startup time and process separation
New Addons Manager and extension management API (UI will be changed before final release)
Significant API improvements are available for JS-ctypes, a foreign function interface for extensions
CSS Transitions are partially supported
Core Animation rendering model for plugins on Mac OS X. Plugins which also support this rendering model can now draw faster and more efficiently
Web developers can update the URL field without reloading the page using HTML History APIs
More responsive page rendering using lazy frame construction
Link history lookup is done asynchronously to provide better responsiveness during pageload
CSS :visited selectors have been changed to block websites from being able to check a user's browsing history
New HTML5 parser
Support for more HTML5 form controls
Web authors can now get touch events from Firefox users on Windows 7 machines
A new way of representing values in JavaScript that allows Firefox to execute heavy, numeric code (used for things like graphics and animations) more efficiently

Firefox 5:

The latest version of Firefox has the following changes:

Added support for CSS animations
The Do-Not-Track header preference has been moved to increase discoverability
Tuned HTTP idle connection logic for increased performance
Improved canvas, JavaScript, memory, and networking performance
Improved standards support for HTML5, XHR, MathML, SMIL, and canvas
Improved spell checking for some locales
Improved desktop environment integration for Linux users
WebGL content can no longer load cross-domain textures
Background tabs have setTimeout and setInterval clamped to 1000ms to improve performance
Fixed several stability issues
Fixed several security issues

Please see the complete list of changes in this version. You may also be interested in the list of changes in the previous version.

So yeh, stick to FF3 cause you're to lazy or maybe just recently switched from IE to FF and don't know this one can be customized... :P

[Greg83]

I tried to deal with firefox, but after 4 and 5 beta. Then switching back to 3.6 for a bit. I gave up it entirely. Didn't like the plugin container and all the things i had to turn off just to use it how i enjoyed it.
Switched to Comodo Dragon and haven't been happier. Even with ssd's its just faster starting and extension have come along way. Its not as annoying as chrome was.

[Generic user #2]

...

i'm with you. i'm not sure why you're using firefox if you're not making use the customization functions. i didn't even realize people liked the default layout.

EDIT: its been awhile since i used 3.6, but i'm pretty damn sure you can change the look of ff4 to look near identical to ff3.6

[Kingcarcas]

Xsallin says what i want to say, but i'm not the confrontational type

I just hate how they jumped on the bandwagon off upping the version number to try and catch up to the rest of the browsers because somehow people will think those are better.

[IFMU]

as i did say in my post, i know that some, if not all, of the layout can be made the same as 3.x.
However, due to a number of different things going on, I do re-installs rather frequently. Different motherboards, video cards, you name it. So, when it comes down to it, i want to do as little as possible with things like ff. making 1 or 2 changes to 3.x v unknown number of changes to 4.x/5.
then you include extensions, that's a whole new matter.

if anyone would be willing to explain a bit on how to go to a newer version, yet keep my extensions, layout, etc, with as little time/effort as possible, i might give the new versions a try.

so before you go out saying people are lazy and all that BS, maybe actually take a minute to think, things aren't the same for everyone.

[danielkza]

as i did say in my post, i know that some, if not all, of the layout can be made the same as 3.x.
However, due to a number of different things going on, I do re-installs rather frequently. Different motherboards, video cards, you name it. So, when it comes down to it, i want to do as little as possible with things like ff. making 1 or 2 changes to 3.x v unknown number of changes to 4.x/5.
then you include extensions, that's a whole new matter.

if anyone would be willing to explain a bit on how to go to a newer version, yet keep my extensions, layout, etc, with as little time/effort as possible, i might give the new versions a try.

so before you go out saying people are lazy and all that BS, maybe actually take a minute to think, things aren't the same for everyone.

Firefox installs do not touch your profile by default, and that's where all your extensions and customizations are. Obviously if some of those are not compatible with the new version you'll need to make some changes, but if you're using something like Stylish that has a good style database you should find new versions of whatever changes you want quickly.

If what you want is keeping your profile between formats you should try Firefox Portable.

[Pontos]

Thanks for the heads up, will give it a try.
Installing the update, it wouldn't let me download the full version.

Edit: hm, how do I install .mar file?

Here, it's kinda a chore really: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Software_Up...ing_a_MAR_file

You can download the installer now, btw.

[XSAlliN]

I don't use the portable version and had no problem with my profile which i have saved on a stick since FF 2.xx. I learned to do this manually - but there's also a step by step way with MozBackup.

[th3pwn3r]

I had been having some weird freezing issues where I'd have to wait a solid 30 seconds before being able to do anything with FF but with this new version that is a thing of the past. I really hadn't looked into it but it was as hell was annoying.

[vitaminc]

Besides the new leap frogging development method, I hate FF5. Its poorly planned out with many incompatible add-ons. Annoying. If they updates more frequently with no backward compatibility, its time to go back to IE.

[Pontos]

ff5 is the equivalent of ff4.1. so yes, it is a bug fix version.

No, the third number is the one that represents bug fixes (4.0.1 is first bugfix revision, 3.6.19 means the nineteenth bugfix revision).
The second number used to mean small amount of changes, like 3.5 to 3.6.
The first number used to represent a mayor release with lots of changes, so saying that Firefox 3 or 4 was coming was the equivalent of getting lots of new stuff.

Since Firefox 5 contains a few new features and improvements it can't be considered a bug fix release for FF4.
They essentially gave the second number a promotion, and forced the former first number into retirement :P

[Generic user #2]

dear lord. please don't go into these technical documentation issues with me. we all know that new versions fix older bugs, create new bugs, reopened previously fixed bugs.

i am speaking practically from the experience of using firefox since forever and having actually used ff5 and ff6. trust me, there are no major features coming through, its all standards and performance enhancements.

[mockingbird]

So I "upgraded" to 5.0.

Everything looks exactly the same as before.

[Generic user #2]

don't look forward to ff6 either lol.

[dstedman]

So I "upgraded" to 5.0.

Everything looks exactly the same as before.

Yeah - me, too. It's like nothing was changed except the internals.

[Blaber]

Upgraded to ff5.0 , few add-ons are not compatible , other than that its all ok

[Solus Corvus]

With firefox if your extensions don't work when you upgrade versions it is often the fault of the extension maker, not firefox. But it is easy to bypass and force extensions to be used anyway.

When a new FF version comes out the browser often didn't change enough to make your existing extensions broken. However in each extension there is a string that tells FF which versions it works with. Obviously there could be problems with using an extension that wasn't made for your particular browser. So to keep noobs from shooting themselves in the foot FF only allows extensions that say they are compatible to be run. It is up to the extension maker to update the compatibility string in the extension if it still actually works with the newer browser, or rewrite the extension if it doesn't. But if you are tired of waiting for an extension to be updated you can just bypass the compatibility check and see if the extension works yourself. It may not work and load an extension that crashes or destabilizes the browser, but it usually works and I don't bother waiting for extension updates before trying them out on new FF versions.

To do this: In the location bar type "about:config" without the quotes. On that screen right-click and add a new boolean. For the name type "extensions.checkCompatibility.<version>" where <version> is the current version of your browser (5.0 for most people, or nightly for the latest nightlies). For the value set it to "false". Then close and reopen FF. Incompatible extensions will be indicated on the addons screen, but you can still enable them.

Obviously there is some risk when doing this. If your browser is unstable afterwards then you should disable all of the incompatible extensions and re-enable them one at a time until you have found the broken one. But in my experience, when there is such a small change in the browser (as there was between 4.0 and 5.0) the vast majority of extensions work perfectly without an update at all.

[eXa]

Firefox introduced a new bug for me.

When i start up firefox 2 of 3 windows doesnt show the first tab. if there is only 1 tab in thw window it doesnt show any tabs, just the + for new tabs...

[miahallen]

i'm with you. i'm not sure why you're using firefox if you're not making use the customization functions. i didn't even realize people liked the default layout.

I'm guilty....I've downloaded dozens of add-ons/plugins over the last few years and was never very impressed. The default has always worked fine for me. I already upgraded to 5, but I adapt quickly, and I like change, so upgrades are always nice IMO.

Is there a good thread of "the best" or most popular add-ons/plugins for us power-user types that can help me find the good ones without having to wade through all the junk?

For instance, I have my start tabs set up how I like with about 7 tabs opening by default. However, I just upgraded to a 30" monitor, and would like to have it broken into two browser windows (or two pains within the browser) so I can view two pages side by side. Right now I have to drag 3 of the tabs into a new window then select "view windows side-by-side" (making sure first that the two browser windows are the only active) to get the look I want. It'd be nice to find a plugin that allows native support for dual browser panes open side by side for high res setups.

[Ket]

I like FF5, far fewer bugs, much faster, uses less resources too. Only thing I don't like is I can't figure out how to make this new FF remember the pages I was on is various tabs so I don't have to keep bloody opening a million new tabs every time I start FF. Anyone figured out how to get FF5 to remember all the tabs you were on?

[Solus Corvus]

For me the essential plugins are noscript, adblock plus, and tab mix plus. That last one has lots of features, though I don't know if it will do what you specifically want, Miahallen.

Ket, in options->general there should be an option under startup to "open tabs and windows from last session" (IIRC). Or that Tab Mix Plus plugin does it too.

[Sparky]

Well FF5 upgraded smoothly on my home desktop.

Still screwball on my work desktop however. I think FF just didn't install right in the first place on there so I might need to totally reload it.

[Aerwidh]

Ditto; I switched back to 3.6 myself. I find the new interface of Firefox 4 very cumbersome and clunky, Not functional at all in my opinion and the general layout sucks!

I feel the same way, but wanted to suggest a combination of the following add-ons:

Firefox 3 theme for Firefox 4+ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...e-for-firefox/
Status-4-Evar (you may have to change an option or two to make it closer to 3.6) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...status-4-evar/

It's not perfect, but if you also choose to show the Menu Bar, disable Tabs on Top and show the Add-on Bar (required for Status-4-Evar, I think), you get a pretty decent interface even in FF5

Anyway, just thought it might be of interest.