Update: Mozilla extends Firefox 1.5 support to mid-May
An auto-update to Version 2.0 is in the cards
Computerworld - Mozilla Corp. yesterday extended support for its 17-month-old Firefox 1.5.0.x browser until mid-May, citing the need to roll out a patch so users can automatically update to the newer Version 2.0.
The company had earlier said that yesterday would be the termination date for Firefox 1.5.x support -- meaning it would issue no new security updates after that. But when it released 1.5.11 last month, Mozilla hinted that the final security fix would not make that deadline.
This week, in fact, developers decided to delay freezing the code of that last update, Firefox 1.5.0.12, because of a higher-than-expected number of bugs awaiting attention.
Only after 1.5.0.12 appears will Mozilla tackle what it's been calling Major Updates, an automated upgrade from 1.5.0.x to 2.0.0.x. Initial testing of the upgrade, which will update all Firefox 1.5.0.x users who have the browser's auto-updating tool turned on, has been completed. But Mozilla will wait until after 1.5.0.12 is out before dealing with that upgrade.
"Major Updates will come out a couple of weeks after [1.5.0.12] ships," said Basil Hashem, senior director of Firefox product development.
A fix to the browser's Major Update notification mechanism will be included in the 1.5.0.12 update so that when Mozilla "triggers" the update from its end, users will see the correct messages. "They will be able to accept the update [to 2.0] or say no, or say they never want to see [the message] again," said Hashem.
Until then, Hashem urged Firefox 1.5 users to update to 2.0 manually by downloading the latter from the Mozilla site.
According to the most recent schedule on its Web site, Mozilla has pegged May 15 as the release date for 1.5.0.12 (and a similar security update that brings the newest version to 2.0.0.4). Even with the delayed code freeze, Hashem said that his team is still shooting for that date.
Mozilla has committed to supporting older software for only six months after the release of a major update. The policy affects not only Firefox, but also the Thunderbird e-mail client, which recently shifted to Version 2.0.
Read more about Web 2.0 and Web Apps in Computerworld's Web 2.0 and Web Apps Topic Center.



- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- Why Business Ethernet Services?
- Everybody's heard the cliché, "the network is your business." But that's not going to help you choose the best wide area networking service...
- Overcome Top 7 Admin Challenges of Active Directory
- As Active Directory's role in the enterprise has drastically increased, so has the need to secure the data. Gain insight on creating repeatable,...
- Insiders Can Ruin Your Company. Take Action.
- Did you know that 80 percent of threats to an organization come from the inside? The threat from insiders is often overlooked in...
- Top Solutions and Tools to Prevent Devastating Malware
- Custom malware frequently goes undetected. According to Forrester Research, the best way to reduce risk of breach is to deploy file integrity monitoring...
- Streamline Compliance and Increase ROI
- Streamline, simplify, and automate compliance related activities; especially those that impact multiple business units. This white paper from NetIQ, outlines solutions that will... All Web 2.0 and Web Apps White Papers
- Optimizing Networks for the Cloud
- Join guest speaker, Rohit Mehra, IDC Director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure, to explore current trends, discuss best practices for optimizing Data Center and...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 2: Designing and Deploying SQL Server on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn about the design considerations for virtualizing SQL workloads, performance and scalability information and high-availability options, as well as...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 1: Designing and Deploying Exchange 2010 on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn the virtual hardware design considerations for Exchange 2010, deployment using the building block approach, options for high-availability and...
- Customer Spotlight: How IPC The Hospitalist Company Implemented Oracle on VMware
- Have you been looking to hear about customer's experiences with the new VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager product? View this webcast to learn...
- Virtualize Business-Critical Applications with Confidence
- Virtualizing business-critical applications has become a key focus for organizations as they move along their virtualization journey. With the launch of VMware vSphere®... All Web 2.0 and Web Apps Webcasts