Firefox 1.5 Beta

Firefox Browser Upgrade Expected This Week

[Neo541]

Users will find significant enhancements in usability, performance, extensibility, security, and privacy in the upcoming test version of Firefox 1.5, the first major upgrade of the popular open-source browser since the launch of Firefox 1.0 in November of last year.

From:

[pcworld.com...]

[Neo541]

Beta download now available here:

[mozilla.org...]

[bcolflesh]

Nice - overflow divs can scroll now with a wheel mouse.

[bcolflesh]

One strange thing - UA hasn't been updated - reports itself as Firefox/1.4

[MatthewHSE]

Nice - overflow divs can scroll now with a wheel mouse.

Didn't they always? Leastways, it always worked for me, clear back from Firebird 0.6.

Nice to hear about the beta. Off to grab my copy...

[Neo541]

In add/remove programs, it still shows 1.4 as well...

[MatthewHSE]

Man, this thing is blistering fast! Rendering speed has never been so quick, and even the UI seems "snappier" somehow.

Looks like they added on to the built-in tabbed browsing options, too. It finally seems to work pretty well without any extensions.

And has anyone noticed the new "Report Broken Website" toolbar button? Kind of interesting...

[bcolflesh]

Didn't they always?

Never worked for any of my/client installs.

"Report Broken Website"

This is a new optional (default checked) item in the list if you do the custom install, but they don't use the incendiary word "broken" there :)

[edited by: encyclo at 12:40 am (utc) on Sep. 10, 2005]

[Robin_reala]

The 1.4 version is in there on purpose - it indicates '1.5 beta'.

[MarkHutch]

I just downloaded my copy. So far, so good!

[bumpaw]

Do we have to dump 1.0.6 and present extensions to try the new 1.5 beta?

[Robin_reala]

No, just select a custom installation and choose a different directory. It'll use the same profile but just temporarily deactivate the incompatible extensions.

[JAB Creations]

bcolflesh - I suggest taking a look at the "Firefox Roadmap".
MatthewHSE - The DIV overflow was fixed in a very early nightly build jusxt after the official 1.0 release which is why I've been using NBs for a LONG time now.

* * * EXTENSIONS * * *

If anyone needs ANY extension they like to work they should visit...
Nightly Tester Tools
[users.blueprintit.co.uk...]

This will allow you to OVERRIDE version conflicts. While it will not negate actual bugs, it will let you enable extensions for versions deemed not compatible.

Extensions I also suggest...

Adblock
[adblock.mozdev.org...]

Paste and Go
[tecwizards.de...]

Menu Editor
[menueditor.mozdev.org...]

User Agent Switcher
[chrispederick.com...]

Web Developer
[chrispederick.com...]

These tools will all benefit anyone who is dedicated to designing and testing their work with Firefox.

There are precompiled adblock lists that you can download around the web including from yours truly.

Also be sure you do a clean install...that includes cleaning out program files\mozilla firefox and document s and (ab)users folders. Be sure to BACK UP your bookmarks as well (bookmarks.html) if you clear out the mozilla folder in your docs folder.

[edited by: encyclo at 12:08 am (utc) on Sep. 13, 2005]
[edit reason] linked URLs [/edit]

[dillonstars]

well this release is just one step closer to Opera... I do like the drag and drop tabs, but then again i have always liked them in Opera too :)

[asquithea]

...drag and drop tabs...

I know you meant that in jest, but there are at least 36 different extensions to tweak or improve tabbed browsing in Fx:

[addons.mozilla.org...]

TabMix [addons.mozilla.org]is my favourite, but there are others. I guess you can't keep everyone happy with a given feature set, so the devs add only the most basic and stable features and let people pic'n'mix the rest.

[MatthewHSE]

I gave up testing 1.5 when I found that most of my favorite extensions didn't work with it yet. I tried repackaging a few but ran into some really bizarre issues. Now that it's been out for a few days longer, it may be time to give it another try. The list of compatible extensions seems to be growing at a pretty nice rate.

Re the scrolling div's, I've been scrolling them with my mouse wheel as you describe ever since I first started using Firefox (then Firebird). I'm on W2K with a MS Optical Trackball mouse. I knew there were issues with it on other installations, but I never dreamed that I was the exception! ;)

By the way, did anyone else notice that the delay before installing XPI packages has increased from three seconds to five? I haven't really looked for a pref to change that, but surely there is one somewhere...

[garyr_h]

Regarding the 1.5 Beta 'still showing as 1.4' there is no 'still'.

Firefox 1.5 Beta is the next Firefox after 1.06. There isn'ta 1.1 or 1.2 or even a 1.3. The 1.4 is Firefox's way of saying the 1.5 is in Beta and when it comes out it will show as 1.5.

[Receptional Andy]

Nice error pages! :)

[ionchannels]

All my extensions have been deactivated and are said to be incompatible with 1.5... and now I can't access the old version of FF... boo... does anyone know a way to reactivate the extensions (I have about 30) quickly in the new FF? Also, all my modifications to the configuration were not carried over and now the rendering is terribly slow... not what I'd expect from FF.

[bumpaw]

1.5 is not ready to drop in place of 1.0.6. You may have to uninstall and grab 1.0.6 for reinstall.

[elektrodish]

Crashed on OS X too many times.

[nanotopia]

I quit using Firefox on OS X, because it was sooooo slow. This version is super fast, and now I've switched back to it from Safari. The Firefox team is doing a great job, and I appreciate the OS X enhancements.

As for crashing, I haven't had too many of those. It just occurs on the occasional quirky site.

[JAB Creations]

For goodness sakes...

All the questions I see can be answered here...
[mozillazine.org...]

[Hanu]

Also, the betas should install to a different folder by default, so they don't mess up stable installations. Otherwise, GREAT JOB!

[MatthewHSE]

It's seeming better and better. I managed to get all my favorite extensions working just by installing "Nightly Developer Tools" first, then selecting the compatibility checkbox on the extension install window. The back and forward functions are lightning quick, and it seems to open well, too. It also looks like the infamous "find as you type" bug has finally been fixed, which is important to me but not such a big issue since the "Findbar Switcher" extension came out.

The only real problem I've had so far was when I installed the "Smart Middle Click" extension. Somehow, it managed to totally get rid of my address bar and all toolbars except for the main menus.

I just can't get over the new tabbed browsing features, though. Finally, no more need to install extensions just to get basic tab functionality! :)

[amznVibe]

Unfortunately 1.5 breaks too many extensions I am using, and not just because of version number checks (which can be bypassed).

This is the first time I will actually have to adopt it AFTER the official version comes out. In fact it may even be a week or two after that before I upgrade.

Looks like they took some ideas from "tab mix plus [tmp.gary.elixant.com]" - draggable tabs, etc.
I've been a big fan of TMP - it replaced half a dozen other extensions I was using.

[JAB Creations]

Vibe...
[users.blueprintit.co.uk...]

This is the most useful extension of all time because you can make ANY extension work with your version/Nightly Build even if it's been disabled.

Keep in mind there are the occasional times where it IS a good idae to have some extensions disabled but I have yet to experience any NB/NTT/Extension issues myself.

[bcolflesh]

Anyone using it in conjunction with a Hotmail account? I get random crashes when invoking the javascript functions that open/delete/forward the messages. Same thing on pages with embedded JAVA objects.

[JAB Creations]

I've had it crash a few times myself. I disable JAVA as it's the only way I've ever had any issues with Firefox.

[podman]

Sometimes does weird things with single apostrophes when entering text into forms and treats them as a "find" command.