Okay, this one was a little bit of a tongue twister so I wasn’t quite sure how to say it. Technically I should say Firefox 2 RC1 RC1 but I guess it would make more sense if I refer to it as the first Release Candidate of Firefox RC1. Well, it doesn’t really matter how you say it, instead all that matters is that the download is available.
Here are the direct links for the downloads of the English versions (the only language currently available):
There have been quite a few great visual changes going on since Firefox 2 Beta 2 was released. I think everyone will be much more pleased with how the theme is progressing as we head into the final homestretch. The tabs look much more streamlined and the navigation buttons don’t look so washed out. Oh, and we can’t forget about the cool new Refresh button in this release. 
I have also put together a portable version of the RC1 to make it a little easier to try. All you have to do is download the Firefox Portable file. Then you unzip the file and browse for the file FirefoxPortable.exe. Just execute that file and you will be running the first Release Candidate of Firefox 2 RC1! The profile is kept with the FirefoxPortable folder so you don’t have to worry about messing up your other profile and the uninstallation process is simple…just delete the folder!
NOTE: Yes, the final release of Firefox 2 RC1 was supposed to be today but it has been pushed back until September 26. I would also expect to see the final release of Firefox 2 pushed back into early November because of the recent unexpected delays.
This rocks Ryan, I’m so excited for Firefox 2.0 final to be released whenever it is. I’m using Windows Vista RC1 right now too and I love it! All thanks to your news updates about the downloads and the keys. So thanks again. Rock out, fight the power.
When I did my nightly update it was a 7 mb file so I was interested in why it was so big. I guess this answers it!
It was offered to me as, [weblogs.mozillazine.org] Whatever it is, it didn’t wreak havoc on my extensions like the one nightly over the weekend did. I think it was Saturdays that disabled all my incompatible extensions I had made compatible prior with the Nightly Tester Tools. But once I finished the install, simply re-ran the Nightly Tester Tools and got all my extensions back.
Same here…
When I click on about, it states at the bottom
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20060919 BonEcho/2.0
Where as the picture you posted ends in 918, so does that mean we have RC1 w/ an update already? :p
I’ll still wait for the actual Firefox 2 release.
Mee too. I am playing with portable versions, from time to time, but I still use 1.5.0.7 in current work/surf.
Will the nightly release update to this?
If you missed a nightly build then it will have to download the WHOLE Firefox installation in order to update. This happens for all versions of Firefox, for example, if you are running 1.5.0.5 and Firefox prompts you to install 1.5.0.7 you will have to download the full installation again instead of the small update file.
The nightly release is already beyond this version. Mozilla had already “taken a build” from the nightly releases and they are trying to see if it is stable enough for Firefox 2 RC1. Of course, if you are using the nightly releases then you will not get the pretty Firefox branding, it will still be Bon Echo.
I’m waiting for the RC1 for quite some time. Will download it tonight. So far, Beta 2 was working fine.
The new theme looks great, but none of the extensions I had working in 2.0 b2 are working any longer. Can’t wait for RC1.
If you are using the Nightly Tester Tools to make them compatible you’ll just have to re-open your “Add-ons” window and select the “Make All Compatible” option.
Psst… extensions.checkCompatibility if set to false.
use at your own risk though.
Seems to render pages slower than Beta 1 and much slower than 1.5.0.7 . Improved theme is a plus.
Is anyone else having problems with external applications routing URLs through to Firefox? For some reason since installing rc1 of rc1 of Firefox 2, clicking URLs in emails and IRC does absolutely nothing.
It was fine in beta 1 and beta 2 so it’s definitely an issue introduced with this release candidate.
I’ve been having that problem on Vista and I have to restart my machine every time I update Firefox.
I’m on XP — weird. Does using the nightlies help you?
Nope, I even have to do it when I use the nightlies. Once I restart my computer it is always fine…until I update again. I think when it updates itself it unregisters the program from Vista and never registers that it has been installed until after I restart the computer.
Weird. It remains wrecked even if I reboot.
Ah well. Hopefully it’ll be gone by final release. If not, then I’ll get worried.