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Mozilla 1.6 Released

Posted by michael on from the version-inflation dept.

Jack Comics writes "Asa Dotzler of the Mozilla Foundation has announced this evening the release of Mozilla 1.6. The Mozilla 1.6 release notes can be found here."

18 of 756 comments (clear)

  1. Fantastic! by PovRayMan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Another release of Mozilla is a great thing, but I've been personally more interested in Firebird / Thunderbird. As we all know Mozilla will eventually fully break up into the seperate projects, and my interest is completely oriented on the progress of Firebird / Thunderbird.

    Firebird is a great browser about to hit 0.8 and stepping closer towards the great 1.0 release that took Mozilla years to obtain. Thunderbird is still in need of lots of work, but the progress is fantastic and I exclusively use it even in its immature state.

    For the Mozilla devs who browse /., thanks for all your hard work in making free software that suits my wants and needs. Keep up the great work!

    --
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    Check out my blackbox styles
  2. Mozilla Growing by lukior · · Score: 4, Interesting

    All slashdot readers know about the benefits of Mozilla but I am happy to see some more mainstream magazines giving props to the browser. I noticed it won some magazines comparo of browsers for the end of 2003. Perhaps this is due to the fact that we keep seeing improvements in Mozilla while it seems like IE has been a stagnant product for some time.

    --
    I would like to salute the ashes of american flags, and all the fallen leaves filling up shopping bags.
  3. Cool.. what about SVG? by Wheaty18 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm currently running the Windows version of Mozilla 1.5 over IE. I recently downloaded the SVG-enabled version of Mozilla, and it's pretty neat. Any ideas when SVG support will be officially merged into the Mozilla stable tree?

  4. Who uses the suite? by Trillan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just curious, who uses the suite instead of Firebird/Thunderbird... and why?

    I prefer the individual applications, primarily due to launch speed, but also due to what I think is a superior interface of components in the components-as-apps approach vs. the components-in-suite approach.

    1. Re:Who uses the suite? by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I was using Mozilla (the whole package) for a while. Then sometime last summer I switched to using Firebird/Thunderbird, and then about a month ago I switched back to plain Mozilla. Here's why:

      Most of the time I have a browser and e-mail open anyway, so why have 2 applications open when you can have one? Also, Mozilla, as it is, is far less buggy than Firebird/Thunderbird. I've encountered some really annoying bugs that just annoyed the hell out of me. Also, does anyone really notice the startup speed? (I haven't. I compile Mozilla with all the optimizations, etc., and I really don't see any `speed' difference between this and Firebird).

      Now, on my Windows machine, I do use Firebird, but that's simply because I have no need for e-mail there.

      (also, the occasional need for ChatZilla makes one more useful than the other).

      So as far as I'm concerned, I hope they still keep the intergrated package alive later.

      --

      "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

    2. Re:Who uses the suite? by snake_dad · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I like the Mozilla user interface better, and the preferences section too. In Firebird many things are being dumbed down, and to get the same functionality as in Mozilla you need to download and install several extensions, that may or may not work. And then do the same thing with each update :-/ Mozilla gives me one single archive to download, extract, copy plugins over, (make backup of profile directory just in case) and run.

      --
      karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
  5. The Mozilla Roadmap? by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The roadmap has implied for some time that 1.4 was the last unified (XPFE) Mozilla-based release. 1.5-1.6 was supposed to be the Firebird transition period, during which Mozilla-the-unified-browser was supplanted by Thunderbird and Firebird. Perhaps that was too ambitious, and they've changed their mind, but the roadmap still indicates otherwise.

    What's the deal? It really looks like the new roadmap is "build in all the features people REALLY bitch about into XPFE Mozilla, then once Firebird/Thunderbird is more stable, we'll transition to those". I'm fine with that, but shouldn't they just come out and say it?

  6. Re:Keep 'em coming... by ender81b · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Shudder. Ancient HTML 3 code... oh the horror.

    As an aside, Anybody know when Moz will officially be branched off into firebird/thunderbird components? I thought this was supposed to happen around 1.6 apparently I was wrong.

  7. I don't understand their QA process by pterry · · Score: 3, Interesting
    On 2003-06-01 I submitted a bug report (see my mirror if bugzilla doesn't let you follow a link from slashdot). I read the bug reporting guidelines and did all the right things. I created a stripped-down test case and attached it, adding the keyword "testcase". I set the Severity to Major since I think it's somewhat serious (see for yourself). The bug got confirmed by a QA person... and then ignored. There have been several releases since then (final, non-beta releases), and my bug has remained.

    What I'd like to know is: why are releases made with known Major bugs, and what does it take for a bug to get seen to and not sit in Bugzilla, ignored? It has certainly made me feel that there is little point in reporting any further bugs. Could someone explain Mozilla's QA process to me?

  8. Re:Keep 'em coming... by typhoonius · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually, the Eolas "president" (it's a one-man operation) is only going after Microsoft specifically to promote "alternative" browsers such as Mozilla. At least it'll give us an IE patch; it seems like the only way to get Microsoft to update the thing is to come up with a lawsuit. Anyone have patents on a "Faulty DOM Implementation"? Or maybe someone with a patent on "Buffer Overflows" could take out the whole company.

  9. Re:But No One's mentioned the most important featu by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting
    It was just recently updated. Here are two prior quotations from The Book of Mozilla:

    And the beast shall be made legion. Its numbers shall be increased a thousand thousand fold. The din of a million keyboards like unto a great storm shall cover the earth, and the followers of Mammon shall tremble.
    from The Book of Mozilla, 3:31 (Red Letter Edition)

    And the beast shall come forth surrounded by a roiling cloud of vengeance. The house of the unbelievers shall be razed and they shall be scorched to the earth. Their tags shall blink until the end of days.
    from The Book of Mozilla, 12:10

    It's a running gag type of easter egg.
  10. Re:Not bad by hendridm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You know how in Internet Explorer and Firebird you can type a word (like 'google') and hit Control+Enter, it will convert 'google' to 'http://www.google.com'. I like that feature. Sure, you can just type 'google' and hit enter while it tries to figure out what you mean, but Control+Enter shaves precious seconds off of the load time. In Firebird, there's also Shift+Enter and Ctrl+Shift+Enter too, but I don't use those. IE only has the Control+Enter feature. But Mozilla lacks all of them!

  11. Re:Keep 'em coming... by brasten · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "Once the *birds implement the same functionality from a UI and extensions perspective, and the same integration with each of the other components as the current suite, there is no reason to continue with this monolithic monstrousity."

    Yes, I happen to agree with you... being a Firebird/Thunderbird user myself. I don't think whether the current suite is a monolithic monstrousity or a multi-process paradise matters to some. There are - apparently - those who desire the integration between components that the suite has to offer.

    Hopefully, someday soon, the individual birds can acheive the same level of integration with each other while remaining separate processes... When that happens, the "Suite" will simply be the full collection of *birds. Until then, the single-process application lives on.

  12. "Mojira" by BitwizeGHC · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The name takes on new meaning when you realize that "moji" is a Japanese word for a character or ideograph. So "Mojira" could theoretically be the Japanese name of a "text-monster", which is somehow fitting for the Mozilla browser.

    --
    N4st0r, trixx0r h0bb1tz0rz! Th3y st0l3 0ur pr3c10uzz!
  13. Re:IE6 users.. by zcat_NZ · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I got the idea after seeing (in my inbox) a phishing email for "http://westpack.com.au^A@{some.ip}"

    Took me about an hour to edit the microsoft page for Mozilla-1.5 and get it working, and then hack the redirect so my homepage still validates. It took me 2 minutes from noticing Moz1.6 was out, editing the page with the new information, and posting the link here.

    If Microsoft sends me a C&D, I'm not sure what I'll do. I don't really have any assets or income worth sueing for but I guess that's never stopped them before.

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    455fe10422ca29c4933f95052b792ab2
  14. My favorite new feature by ahg · · Score: 3, Interesting
    From the release notes:
    "Remove from server after x days" has been implemented for POP3 mail accounts.
    I have been yearning for this feature that I loved in Eudora in KMail. This is the first Linux mail client that I've seen that supports it.

    Anyone know if Thunderbird has this option yet?

    I'm now very tempted to install Mozilla and switch mail clients but I'd rather just have a stand-alone mail client like Thunderbird, and only have to transition mail clients once to get this feature.

    Thanks Mozilla team!
    --

    --Aaron Greenberg

  15. Does anyone else... by anethema · · Score: 3, Interesting

    NOT want to have to install 3-4 seperate programs for all the stuff mozilla has? I occaisionally use mozilla composer for quick stuff, I use mozilla mail for my email, and I use mozilla for my browser.

    I like the mozilla preferences digalog, and i like the tools menu that has all the image, popup, and cookie controlls right there in a quick easy to use place.

    Also, its quickstart is very nice and its interface has some subtle differences from firebird..most of which I like better.

    I'm not saying discontinue firebird, since sometimes you just want a nice browser, and this is great.. But why discontinue the suite?

    Kind of like MS office, I dont wanna have to install all the programs seperate..its nice to just have them all together, and select what I want.

    Any thoughts?

    --


    It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
  16. Re:Keep 'em coming... by abertoll · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why would anybody want to run it all in one process space? Because... you can keep common parts of the program loaded into memory for faster startup.

    --
    "he drew his sword Ringil that glittered like ice... and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds..."