Mozilla has just released the English version of Firefox 3 Alpha 2 (codename Gran Paradiso) and it is the first release of Firefox that passes the Acid 2 test. Well, it is still a pre-release version but it is on its way to be the final version that will be released later this year. If you haven’t heard by this point, the big thing with Firefox 3 is replacing the rendering engine with Cairo…which has improved a lot of things including how it scales images. Here is a list of what’s new from the Firefox 3 Alpha 2 release notes:
- Core layout code affecting the calculation of widths in tables, floats, and absolutely positioned elements has been rewritten. The code for handling incremental layout of pages (as data arrives over the network, as images load, or as dynamic changes are made) has also been changed extensively.
- Resolved remaining issues with ACID2 test compliance.
- Support for the Web Apps 1.0 API for changing stylesheets.
- The inline-block and inline-table values of CSS 2.1’s display property are now implemented.
- XML documents can now be rendered as they’re downloaded instead of only after the full document has been loaded.
- Greatly improved Mac widgets support since Alpha 1.
- Improvements in the Cairo graphics layer.
I’m definitely excited about this release, but I just can’t bring myself to switch to this as my primary browser at this point because my GMarks extension doesn’t work. I know that I could just use the built-in bookmarking system but it is always nice to have my bookmarks available wherever I go. I’ve contacted the extension developer and he is currently looking into it, and once that gets fixed I plan on permanently switching over.
So what does the future look like for Firefox 3? As of right now the Alpha releases will be every 6 weeks or so, but they do not mention exactly how many of them they plan on doing. That puts us at the End of March before we see the next Alpha release and my estimation for the final release date is sometime this summer (probably the June/July timeframe). It will definitely be fun to see what the future has in store for us!
Note: In case anyone is wondering Places has not been put back in yet.
Portable Firefox 3 Alpha 2 for Windows
Windows: Gran Paradiso Alpha 2 exe
Mac OS X: Gran Paradiso Alpha 2 dmg
Linux: Gran Paradiso Alpha 2 tar.gz
Thanks to natmaster for the tip!
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Tags: Firefox, Freeware, Pre-Release, Software, Apple, Downloads, Firefox 3, Firefox Extensions, Microsoft, Screenshots
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Digg it!
And what, no credit to me?
Oh, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend this as your primary browser due to the huge memory leaks. From the release notes, under general issues:
And believe me, this is no exaggeration. I found myself easily exceeding 200mb of memory after 20min of usage.
Oops, I meant to credit you but it slipped my mind since you sent me the link this morning when it hadn’t been released yet. After that I was watching the FTP all day waiting for it to show up.
Yeah, I did see that bug but it still seems to be a little better on my memory usage than Firefox 2 which is currently taking up 300MB of memory. I’m actually really excited to see if their new garbage collection system will fix the memory leaks or just create new ones that will never seem to be tracked down.
There’s lots of memory improvements, but a few new bugs that are high profile, so it kinda counter-acts it. Good thing tho - there are only a few of those and they should be fairly easy to fix. So alpha3 should have BETTER memory consumption compared to Fx2.
I’m sorry guys but using a Aplha version as my primary browser seems a bit premature. I can see myself using a beta version but that’s as extreme as I go. There are too many extension and themes that won’t work.
I’ve been using Firefox 3 as my primary browser since before the final alpha 1. I get the new nightly builds as they’re available. Only had one or two days with any problems, where it crashed a few times. All my extensions work without a hitch.
Maybe in some instances but it normally isn’t a problem for me. I was using Firefox 2 before it even hit the alpha stage and there was only a couple of times where I found it to be unusable for a short period.
Alright you are dugged in my book. And it is good to know that it passes the Acid2 test. Kudos Mozilla team.
I don’t get it.
When Firefox2 came out everyone was upset that it had “few improvements.” I found Fx2 to be the biggest improvement in my Firefox usage. I though that they had pretty much added all there was to put in a browser, and that Fx3 would be short of potential updates.
Then, I read that page here of brainstormed Fx/browser improvements, and I saw a ton of good ideas. I knew they couldn’t implement them all in 1 release, but expected at least a few.
Now Firefox3 to the average user is EXACTLY THE SAME as Firefox2 (entirely under the hood modifications) and everyone seems excited at the new browser. I understand that it’s still only alpha 2, but I would have expected at least one of the brainstormed features (other that the standards compliance) to be implemented.
Unbelievably, it seems the Places feature Mozilla controversially removed from Fx2 won’t even be put in Fx3.
Am I the only one that sees it like this?
Also, I really want the feature to minimize Firefox to the tray. I tried the minimize to tray extension but it seems to be defective. Any other options for Fx2?
The thing is that they only need to have all of the new features implemented (not even perfect) before the first Beta version is released. They have been trying to focus on the rendering engine which is pretty obvious but according to their plan page they still have at least two more Alpha’s planned. That means the new features are still yet to come, but I am really excited about this release simply because I am a Web developer. Fonts look a lot crisper, pages load faster, images scale better, and overall I am very impressed with what Firefox 3 offers thus far.
I haven’t tried to find a minimize to tray extension because I just use TrayDevil now:
http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2.....stem-tray/
That way I can use it for more than just Firefox.
Please give a list of add ons (extensions) that will work with this version FF3A2, here is mine:
Adblock Plus 0.7.2.4
Allow Right-Click 0.4
Always Remember Password 0.6
Bookmarks Scrollbar 1.0.5
DOM Inspector 1.9a2
MR Tech Local Install 5.3.2.3
Nightly Tester Tools 1.2.1
NoScript 1.1.4.5.061221
Talkback 3.0a2
Updated list:
About This Site 1.4
Adblock Plus 0.7.2.4
Advanced Dork: 2.1.1
Allow Right-Click 0.4
Always Remember Password 0.6
Bookmark Backup 0.4.2
Bookmarks Scrollbar 1.0.5
BugMeNot 1.3
DOM Inspector 1.9a2
ErrorZilla 0.2
FlashGot 0.5.97.03
IE Tab 1.3.1.20070126
MR Tech Local Install 5.3.2.3
Nightly Tester Tools 1.2.1
NoScript 1.1.4.5.061221
Screen grab! 0.8
Splash 1.2.2
Talkback 3.0a2
Toolbar Control 2.5
Toolbar Extras 2.5.3
UI Tweaker (Formerly Toolbar Cleanup) 1.7.0
Word Count 0.4
Well, it is tough at this point to find out what extensions are compatible because most of the developers haven’t even tried them out in Firefox 3. With all of the extensions that you have listed I’m sure one of them is bound not to work.
Wuhu, the minimize to tray guy fixed the ext https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2110/
The external app is probably good, but this is really the only program I need this feature for (that doesn’t already have it by default).
I think your confusion fundamentally derives from your ignorance about the Firefox development process. Hopefully some explanation there will clear up a few things.
First, Fx3 has been worked on since Fx2 has been worked on, so even when 2 was being released there were several improvements already in the trunk, and even more waiting on braches. What is a branch? This is probably the most important part to understand. See, when developers are working on a major feature, they don’t want to screw up what everyone else is working on until they have it pretty much ready and got rid of most of their lone bugs by themselves. To do this, they work in a sandbox environment called a branch, so whenever they make changes, it doesn’t screw with other people’s code. When they are done with the major parts of a feature, they will then merge it back with the rest of the code on the trunk. Whenever this happens, they usually tell everyone else to lay off the trunk so they can QA out regressions for about a week after they merged a major change.
Why are branches so important? I’ll get to that in a bit, but I think you should understand one more thing for this to all make sense. Browsers are not just user tools, but development platforms - so browser developers have to develop for two audiences. It takes a while to update websites and make sure they work (well) with new features to the development aspect. They need some extra time to make their sites compatible before they can expect people to be actually using it. Because of this, Mozilla works on major changes to the core first (also because their UI is based on the core too). They then release alphas for developers (not users) to test new features in the core with their sites, extensions, and programs built on XULRunner.
How does this all come together? Well, you might not notice and user changes in the trunk alphas - they are NOT meant for users, so why include those changes? Get the core bugs ironed out, and then add user changes when they are actually needed. However, don’t think user changes aren’t happening - this is what branches are for! When places was removed from inclusion in Fx2 it was still kept on its branch and is still being worked on. This is also true of other features, in fact some of the core rendering changes existed on a branch until recently. However, not all the user interface changes that will exist in Fx3 have their own branch. Mozilla just barely released Fx2 so they are still working on what they think should really be included. The development work that has already gone on is stuff they knew they wanted included a long time ago. So expect a lot of new Fx3 user changes to come when it is closer to release time. I don’t expect any changes until the first beta, maybe the last alpha (but who knows which will be the last). But, as a developer, I am indeed very excited with the backend changes. That doesn’t leave you out though, a lot of the backend changes will be readily beneficial to you. Besides having more powerful, faster websites, you will notice significant speedups, especially with graphics hardware for acceleration. Also, some of the core changes lend themselves to cool user features like better printing support, and full page zoom. These features are impossible without some of the core changes. The two backend changes for better printing support and full page zoom are the units patch, and Cairo.
I hope this cleared things up, and you’ll be hearing more from me with every release.
All of the extensions I listed above are working in FF3A2.
Please add any others you know that will install and work.
@natmaster: That was a really great explanation and I think you explained it on a level that a lot of people can understand. Even I learned a few things from that!