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Netscape Releases Security Update
daria42 writes "Less than 24 hours after releasing Netscape 8, Netscape has released a security patch bringing the browser up to version 8.0.1. The patch address security vulnerabilities in version 1.0.3 of the Firefox code on which Netscape is based. The update comes amid online criticism from Firefox developers that the browser was insecure."
i prefer to get my browser from the organ grinder, not the monkey
Don't you think it is wiser to wait 24 hours longer (or maybe a week or so) and then release a quality product rather than issue patches. Imagine if civil engineers started doing the same with buildings and bridges.
fuvoo: watch something
huh ? Netscape ?
What's Netscape ?
ZDNet Australia has a scathing report on problems with Netscape's original 8.0 release, which shipped with known critical security bugs. ZDNet notes that several key Mozilla devs have lashed out at Netscape, including Firefox lead developer Ben Goodger, who posted a live exploit of the known vulnerability. Gervase Markham, another Mozilla employee found Netscape's claim that Firefox 1.0.4 is "outdated" ridiculous. Ali Ebrahim, another contributor commented that Netscape's claim of "more security choices" is based on a false premise. To their credit, Netscape has since released Netscape 8.0.1, based on Firefox 1.0.4 which plugs the most severe known issues, though the question still remains as to why they released 8.0 in the first place if it contained such severe security issues.
I did not understand why it was based on 1.03 anyway; were they completely unaware of what was going on at the firefox project?
Humor from a Genetically Molested Mind
What is the deal with Netscape 8? It sounds like they basically downloaded the source code for Firefox, recompiled it, and then distributed it as something new.
First, why isn't Firefox going after Netscape and second, why would anyone start using Netscape when Firefox knows their own code better and fixes it faster?
I think I might get the Firefox code myself and create a browser called LOL-I'm-Really-Just-Firefox. It will be huge.
/. ++
Are the browser wars really back? Has anyone tried the new Netscape? Given that they pretty much peaked around 4.7 or something like that, or earlier depending on who you ask, I just don't see any reason to even try it. What is Netscape likely to give me that Firefox can't?
There were only 3 bugs fixed in 8.0.1, not 44! See the Release Notes for yourself.
Netscape just wanted to show off how they can produce patches faster than Microsoft and Firefox.
The promo goes like this: "Miscrosoft leaves holes unpatches for weeks, maybe months. Firefox sometimes takes a few days. But *we* can produce a patch in less than 24 hours! Na na!"
Life is like a web application. Sometime you need cookies just to get by.
It's so Not A Good Thing(TM) that a commercial product needs a security upgrade on the first day of going official.
It must be Windows. It needs half a gig of RAM and a hardware-accelerated graphics card just to run Solitaire.
The patch address security vulnerabilities in version 1.0.3 of the Firefox code on which Netscape is based.
Was this vulnerabilty already known and patched in Firefox? And if so, why the heck did they release a program that had a known security hole with a known fix?
Don't take life so seriously. No one makes it out alive.
Netscape released a statement saying that people who downloaded the browser labeled 8.0 actually got a mis-labeled copy of 7.9.9.9.9. The new version 8.1 will actually be 8.0 and the following patches labeled 8.1.1, 8.1.2, and 8.1.2.1, which will be released daily starting tomorrow, will be relabeled as 8.0.1, 8.1.0, and 8.1.2, respectively. ***NO CARRIER***
We apologize for the above post. Those who were responsible for sacking those who were just sacked, have been sacked.
Windows isn't the answer... it's the question. NO is the answer!
Proof positive AOL/Netscape != Microsoft:
If this were Microsoft:
We'd wait several months while they verified the problem, then a few weeks while they fixed it, a few weeks for them to pretent to test the fix, then wait up to 4 weeks more for the next patch day.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
As I recall from yesterday's news, one thing Netscape will give you that Firefox does not is "a toggle which allows switching between Mozilla and Microsoft's rendering engines as needed." The Best of Both Worlds(TM)
http://nerdfortress.com/
Why did Mozilla release Netscape 8, based on Firefox 1.0.3, AFTER they had released the fix? (1.0.4) Why wouldn't they just wait an extra day? Now there will be vulnerable Netscape 8's floating around if people aren't consciencious enough to check for updates daily.
Just been to Netscape's website and no Linux version available. Some web site will work only with IE or netscape. I still prefer Netscape over IE anyday.
Another thing from yesterday's post (Linked in previous comment): The netscape browser seems to come with a lot more 'features' built in than firefox. And many of those features can be quite difficult to disable. One user reported that Netscape would not stop asking him if he wanted it to remember his passwords, even after unchecking "remember passwords" boxes in 3 different places in his preferences.
Need I say more?
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Firefox also has the best of both worlds...hehe
The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
Has anyone discovered if this can be used with wine and IE on Linux? If not, such an extension could actually be useful to provide the catch all support for a browser on Linux. Of course to actually use this legally you have to have a legal copy of IE and a desire to ever let the code onto your machine, but if your online banking (or some other personally _vital_ site) won't work any other way would it not be better to be able to enable the working rendering engine in your normal browser, rather then firing up a seperate browser or changing browser for one site? Of course the best solution is to ensure all sites stop depending on specific browsers and doing something like the above may actually be counter productive to that at this stage.
Never underestimate the dark side of the Source
As I recall from yesterday's news, one thing Netscape will give you that Firefox does not is "a toggle which allows switching between Mozilla and Microsoft's rendering engines as needed."
Cool. Where do I download the linux version that has that feature?
Software Wars
Regardless of the reasons why - For a software company to release a patch for a product they released 24 hours ago is , to say the least embarassing.
I would imagine there are quite a few red faces around netscape today
Imagine if software developers were held to the same standards as engineers.
I get tired people comparing software development to real engineering when developers refuse to follow the same rigorous standards that engineering disciplines have to follow. There are some software engineers out there, but most of the people with that title are simply software developers. Not that every piece of software needs to be engineered, but way too many "software engineers" have no business using the word engineer when they refuse to follow any type of rigorous process around software development.
Again - most software doesn't need to be engineered, but some does. The term "software engineer" is grossly misued most of the time.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
The big deal with Netscape 8 is that it offers the choice of using the IE or Firefox/Gecko rendering engine on different pages.
The fundamental security flaws that are inherent in the Microsoft HTML Control can't be fixed by a wrapper, because they're in the HTML control itself, not the IE "shell". So you're no safer using the "IE Engine" inside Netscape than just using IE.
So this is no different than just using IE for the pages that need IE, except that people who think they're being safer using Netscape instead of IE are likely to let their guard down when using this feature.
Internet Explorer rinses and uses paper towels in the bathroom.
Netscape washes thoroughly and uses the automatic air dryer.
Firefox doesn't piss on its hands.
stuff |
I'm really curious if this is indeed an incremental patch or Mozilla's idea of one--namely a complete download of the product.
It's patetic what Netscape turned into.
The website is some kind of news/portal site, with nothing interesting just bullshit like "How to Handle an Angry Woman" or "Top searches: American Idol", and hidden between all that "All New Netscape Browser 8.0", it is a shame (not to mention it's firefox with other GUI).
I think it's time for Netscape to dissappear and leave their browser as the legend it was years ago not the piece of crap it's today.
What is Netscape likely to give me that Firefox can't?
Browser exploits, thanks to it's embedded IE control. The likely tracking of your browsing information, thanks to AOL's proprietary additions.
Oh boy, Netscape now has to watch both sides of the flaming candle stick, less they get burned with additional vulnerability (from EITHER side).
I installed Netscape 8 the day it came out for testing purposes. I saw this story, went to Netscape with their default skin and found they had nothing similiar to the Firefox's red ! to alert me that updates were necessary. I went to Tools->Advanced->Software Update and found Automatically Download and install updates was checked by default, so I checked my UA string to find it was still Netscape 8.0. Went back to Software Update and ran Check Now and it did not find any updates. Switched to their other theme (I do appreciate it coming with two themes provided for users to choose from) and found no icon next to that throbber either (as one might expect). Will this be turned on/fixed in the future, or was the functionality for this in the 17 MB minimum hard drive space system requirements difference between it and Firefox?
This coupled with the fact that Firefox themes/extensions do not work and the fact that it has twice the recommended system requirement for processor speed and memory (which seems accurate as it seems slower than Firefox and I am somewhere in between Firefox and Netscape's recoomended CPU speed) are just a few of the reasons I will not switch back.
The reason that companies release their software then patch later, is so that they gain a competitive advantage in the market.
For instance, Microsoft releases a new version of Office that has a few holes that need patched. Microsoft decides though that it would be cost beneficial to release the version now. This way people get the new fun features of Office NOW and Microsoft becomes the largest marketshare holder of a new feature.
It's much more beneficial for a company to release a new version quickly and patch, than it is to engineer a secure version and lose a foothold in the market.
I'm using 8.0.1 now and I'm very pleased. The fact that you can switch between rendering engines was all I needed to hear to sell me on it. It gives you the security of Mozilla/Firefox browsers and the option to render in IE.
Just as an aside; I noticed a lot of people whining because it was just like Firefox, and why didn't Firefox raise hell about basing Netscape on their 1.0.3 Browser. Well it's because Netscape contributes to the Mozilla foundation. They're all one big happy family.
I just briefly used Netscape 8, so I'll write up my impressions.
The interface is very cluttered with "potentially" useful information, like movie theater show times, weather, news, etc. If you prefer Yahoo's front page portal to the simplicity of Google's front page, this browser is made for you. Otherwise, stick with Firefox.
The browser renders all "unknown" sites as Firefox, which was annoying to me because the only purpose for me trying this out was to test out some IE-only web pages. Luckily, it took little effort to set most of them to display in IE.
The rendering engine switch is very fast and seamless. I thought speed would be a major issue here, but it is not and issue at all.
This pretty much sums up any immediately noticable differences between this browser and Firefox. I uninstalled it because, for my normal browsing, Firefox works well and is un-cluttered. If I use Netscape 8 just because it has IE rendering, it would be no different than what I do now when I just open up an IE window whenever I need to view a banking website or things of that nature that are not compatible with Firefox.
Also, upon installation, the Import Wizard crashed, but that didn't matter much to me since I wasn't going to use the thing as my default browser anyway.
UNIX: A computer user is defined as a programmer. WINDOWS: A computer user is defined as a consumer.
Reminds me of my favorite slashdot poll of all time: "Netscape 6 is out. Do you care?" The resounding winner was "no," as I recall.
Well I can't find it in the poll archives. I was pretty sure it was a slashdot poll. Funny anyway.
RP