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Firefox Release Notes

Firefox is a fast, full-featured browser that makes browsing more efficient than ever before. More information about Firefox is available.

These Release Notes cover what's new, download and installation instructions, known issues and frequently asked questions for the Firefox 1.0 release. Please read these notes and the bug filing instructions before reporting any bugs to Bugzilla.

We want to hear your feedback about Firefox. Please join us in the Firefox forums, hosted by MozillaZine.

What's New 1.0.1

Important Note

If you are experiencing a crash while typing in the Firefox address bar, you can fix the problem by uninstalling Firefox 1.0.1, completely removing the Firefox program folder (probably C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox on Windows or /home/<user>/firefox-installer/ on Linux), and reinstalling Firefox 1.0.1.

To avoid this crash and other problems, do not install a new version using the installer into the same folder as an older zipped installation.

Here's what's new in Firefox 1.0.1:

  • Improved stability
  • International Domain Names are now displayed as punycode. (To show International Domain Names in Unicode, set the "network.IDN_show_punycode" preference to false.)
  • Several security fixes.

Downloading and Installing

System Requirements

Before installing, make sure your computer meets the system requirements.

Downloading Firefox

Mozilla.org provides Firefox for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X in a variety of languages. To get the latest version of Firefox, visit GetFirefox.com or browse the FTP site. For builds for other systems and languages not provided by Mozilla.org, see the Contributed Builds section at the end of this document.

Installing Firefox

Once you have downloaded a Firefox, follow these instructions to install:

Windows

Double click the Firefox Setup 1.0.1.exe installer to start the install.

Mac OS X

Once you have downloaded the Firefox 1.0.1.dmg file, double click the Firefox Disk Image to open it in Finder, and then drag the Firefox application onto your hard disk. Drag the icon to your Dock if you want it to appear there.

For Firefox 1.0, double click the Firefox 1.0.dmg.gz Disk Image to uncompress and mount it. Your browser may have already done this for you. Double click the Firefox Disk Image to open it in Finder and drag the Firefox application onto your hard disk. Do not double click the icon in the disk image! Be sure to drag the Firefox application out of the disk image and onto your Hard Disk before running it. Drag the icon to your Dock if you want it to appear there.

Linux/GTK2

Extract the tarball and run the installer like so:

tar -xzvf firefox-1.0.installer.tar.gz
cd firefox-installer
./firefox-installer

If you have Nautilus set up to run Executable Text Files you can just double click firefox-installer to run.

Other Platforms

Extract the compressed archive and run firefox

Uninstalling Firefox

To uninstall Firefox, follow these instructions:

Windows

From the Start menu, choose Control Panel. When the Control Panel appears, double click Add/Remove Programs. Find "Mozilla Firefox (1.0)" in the list and click Remove to uninstall.

Mac OS X

Drag the Firefox application to the Trash.

Others

Remove the firefox folder.

These instructions leave your profile in place in case you install Firefox again in the future. If you wish to remove your profile folder, remove the location described below in the "Profile Folder" section. Note that by doing this you are destroying all of your Bookmarks, saved passwords, settings and other information and should you decide to use Firefox again you will be starting with a clean profile.

 

Other Information

Profile Folder

Firefox stores your user data in one of the following locations:

Windows 2000, XP Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox
Windows NT WINNT\Profiles\<UserName>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox
Windows 98, ME Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox
Mac OS X ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox
Linux and Unix systems ~/.mozilla/firefox

If you were using Firefox 0.8 as your default browser prior to upgrading to Firefox 1.0, data from your profile will be copied into the new location. You can remove the old "Phoenix" folder at your leisure.

Extensions and Themes

When you upgrade to a new version of Firefox all of your Extensions and Themes will be disabled until Firefox determines that either a) they are compatible with the new release or b) there are newer versions available that are compatible. This is because Firefox changes from release to release and as such the ways in which some extensions integrate changes, meaning there can be problems when running an older extension with a newer version of Firefox. If you find that your favorite Extension or Theme has not been updated to be compatible with this release of Firefox, write the author and encourage them to update it.

This automatic updating of Extensions and Themes does not apply to users of Firefox 0.8 or below who upgrade to Firefox 1.0. Those Extensions will be disabled when 1.0 starts, and users will have to download and install 1.0 compatible versions manually.

To prevent the kind of problems we had with the 0.8 release (users were having the browser not start with "No XBL Binding for Browser" errors, and finding that their theme was broken), all of your extensions will be disabled when you move to 1.0. If you were using 0.9 or 1.0PR, when you first run 1.0, Firefox will try and connect to update.mozilla.org to look for newer, compatible versions of your Extensions, and if they are available it will download and install them. If you were using 0.8, you will have to find newer compatible versions yourself.

Other Changes

  • On Linux, Firefox now follows GTK's setting for textbox keybindings, so pressing Ctrl+letters triggers application shortcuts instead of readline-like text-editing shortcuts. For details, see this document.

 

Known Issues

This list covers some of the known problems with Firefox 1.0. Please read this before reporting any new bugs, and watch it regularly (we'll update it as new bugs are found in the release).

All Systems

  • Prior to installing Firefox 1.0.1, please ensure that the directory you've chosen to install into is clean and doesn't contain any previous Firefox installations.
  • If you install Firefox on a multi-user system in an area in which there is restricted access privileges, you must run Firefox as a user with access to that location upon installation so that all initial startup files are generated. If this is not done, when a user without write access to the install location attempts to start Firefox, they will not have sufficient privileges to allow Firefox to generate the initial startup files it needs to.
  • When upgrading, all your Extensions and Themes will be disabled. This is not an issue, but it may appear to be one (hence its listing here). For rationale, see "Extension and Themes" above.
  • Software Update does not request proxy authentication and will fail if you are behind a proxy server. (bug) The workaround is to visit a web page in the browser and log in to the proxy server and then perform Software Update.
  • Software Update will not work if Firefox is installed to a location that you do not have write access to, since Software Update needs to replace or create files in this location.
  • The Help documentation refers to "Single Window Mode" options regarding "Force links opened in new windows to open in [New Tab, Same Tab]." This function was disabled at the last minute due to problems we were experiencing with it, so ignore this section of Help. To re-enable the Single Window Mode options (at your own risk - there may be crashes), use the Configuration Console (accessed by entering "about:config" in the Location bar and pressing Enter) to set browser.tabs.showSingleWindowModePrefs to true.

Windows

  • When installing as a restricted access user on a shared machine into a location that you can write to, there may still be negative side effects (default browser/other keys not being set correctly). The browser should still function however. When installing as a restricted access user do not attempt to install over an installation in a restricted-access/shared location as this may destroy that installation.
  • Firefox may hang when closing after viewing a PDF file in some older versions of the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug in. If you experience this make sure you are using the newest version of the plug in.
  • On Windows 98 systems, the Application icon may appear as a Windows icon.

Mac OS X

  • Do NOT run Firefox from the Disk Image! - doing this will cause an infinite restart loop (the symptom of which is a Firefox icon that bounces briefly in the Dock then disappears and reappears, bounces and disappears, over and over). To break Firefox out of this loop, open a Terminal and type "killall firefox-bin" and press enter. Install Firefox to a location you have write access to and try again. When installing on a multi- user limited access system, install it into a shared location as administrator, run it once and then all users should be able to access it.
  • If Firefox does not display a browser window, quit Firefox using Cmd+Q and open ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<garble>.default/ and remove localstore.rdf. Restart Firefox. Any toolbar customizations you have made or window placement will be lost

Linux and Unix systems

  • If Firefox is installed to a location with spaces in the path, Firefox may not be able to set itself as Default browser and may keep prompting at startup. The work around is to install into a path without spaces.
  • GNOME integration does not work properly with Fedora Core 3. Users of Fedora Core 3 will need to download and install linc-1.0.3-3.1.i386.rpm. After installing the RPM, perform the following command in the directory you installed Firefox into (you will need write permission):

    touch .autoreg

    The next time you start Firefox, GNOME integration should be functional.

Web Page Rendering

  • Firefox is powered by the same Gecko layout engine as other Mozilla software. If you encounter a problem with a website that does not correctly display then it is usually a problem with Gecko, not Firefox itself. Such problems should be reported in the Browser product (not the Firefox product) in Bugzilla. If you are technically minded, try and create a reduced test case and this will help get your bug more attention.

For additional issues, FAQs, Tips and Tricks plus general Firefox help be sure to check out Firefox Help and the Firefox forums hosted by MozillaZine.

The Configuration Console (accessed by entering "about:config" in the Location bar and pressing Enter) gives advanced/experienced users direct control over Firefox's preferences. This system is for use by people who know what they are doing only, by changing a value incorrectly you may damage or destroy your Firefox installation! Look to Help sites for handy preferences to tweak to customize Firefox further.

Troubleshooting

  • Poorly designed or incompatible Extensions can cause problems with your browser, including make it crash, slow down page display, etc. If you encounter strange problems relating to parts of the browser no longer working, the browser not starting, windows with strange or distorted appearance, degraded performance, etc, you may be suffering from Extension or Theme trouble. Restart the browser in Safe Mode. On Windows, start using the "Safe Mode" shortcut created in your Start menu or by running firefox.exe -safe-mode. On Linux, start with ./firefox -safe-mode and on Mac OS X, run:

    cd /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/
    ./firefox-bin -safe-mode

    When started in Safe Mode all extensions are disabled and the Default theme is used. Disable the Extension/Theme that is causing trouble and then start normally.

If you uninstall an extension that is installed with your user profile (i.e. you installed it from a web page) and then wish to install it for all user profiles using the -install-global-extension command line flag, you must restart the browser once to cleanse the profile extensions datasource of traces of that extension before installing with the switch. If you do not do this you may end up with a jammed entry in the Extensions list and will be unable to install the extension globally.

If you encounter strange problems relating to bookmarks, downloads, window placement, toolbars, history, or other settings, it is recommended that you try creating a new profile and attempting to reproduce the problem before filing bugs. Create a new profile by running Firefox with the -P command line argument, choose the "Manage Profiles" button and then choose "Create Profile...". Migrate your settings files (Bookmarks, Saved Passwords, etc) over one by one, checking each time to see if the problems resurface. If you do find a particular profile data file is causing a problem, file a bug and attach the file.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What can I do to help?

    We need all the exposure we can get. Make it your mission to convert as many of your friends, family members and coworkers as possible. If you're a student, get it distributed at your college. Submit a story to Slashdot and other news sites about the release. Make some noise on your blog. Mass distribution via the Internet is possible -- look at Kazaa. Spread the word!

  2. I use another browser because...

    If you're not using Firefox, tell the development team why. We read the feedback at the Firefox forums.

  3. Why haven't you responded to the mail I sent you?

    Use the forums. The Firefox team reads them regularly. We all get a lot of email and your email may get lost.

  4. Where can I get themes and add-ons (extensions)?

    Extensions and themes can be downloaded from Mozilla Update.

  5. Who is working on Firefox?

    Lots of people. See Help->About Mozilla Firefox, Credits for a list of some of the people who have contributed to Firefox.

  6. Where's the Firefox source code?

    A tarball of the 1.0.1 source code is available for download. The latest development code can be obtained by cvs. Firefox-specific source is in "mozilla/browser", "mozilla/toolkit", and "mozilla/chrome". Please follow the build instructions.

  7. Where is the mail client?

    Firefox works with whatever mail client is the default on your system. However, we recommend Mozilla Thunderbird, our next generation email client and the perfect complement to Firefox.

  8. How do I spell Firefox? How do I abbreviate it?

    Firefox is spelled F-i-r-e-f-o-x - only the first letter capitalized (i.e. not FireFox, not Foxfire, FoxFire or whatever else a number of folk seem to think it to be called.) The preferred abbreviation is "Fx" or "fx".

 

The following resources contain useful information about Firefox:

 

Contributed Builds

These are unofficial builds and may be configured differently than the official Mozilla.org builds. They may also be optimized and/or tested for specific platforms.

Other Systems

Firefox 1.0.1

Builds for platforms other than the trio officially offered by Mozilla.org can be found on the FTP site.

Solaris (Contributed by SUN Beijing team)
firefox-i386-pc-solaris2.8-gtk2.tar.bz2 (readme) (MD5SUM)
firefox-i386-pc-solaris2.8.tar.bz2 (readme) (MD5SUM)
firefox-sparc-sun-solaris2.8-gtk2.tar.bz2 (readme) (MD5SUM)
firefox-sparc-sun-solaris2.8.tar.bz2 (readme) (MD5SUM)
firefox-sparc-sun-solaris2.10-gtk2+xft.tar.bz2 (readme) (MD5SUM)
firefox-i386-pc-solaris2.10-gtk2+xft.tar.bz2 (readme) (MD5SUM)

JDS (Contributed by SUN Beijing team)
firefox-i686-pc-linux-gnu-jds2-gtk2+xft.tar.gz (readme) (MD5SUM)
firefox-i686-pc-linux-gnu-jds3-gtk2+xft.tar.gz (readme) (MD5SUM)

 

Firefox1.0

Builds for platforms other than the trio officially offered by Mozilla.org can be found on the FTP site.

Solaris x86
All 32 Bit x86 processors including AMD Opteron in 32 bit. Tested on AMD64 BETA!
firefox-1.0-i386-pc-solaris2.8.tar.gz - Sun Contributed SunOne Studio 8 Build (README) (MD5SUM)

Solaris SPARC:
firefox-1.0-sparc-sun-solaris2.8.tar.gz - Sun Contributed SunOne Studio 8 Build (README) (MD5SUM)

JDS: Sun Contributed Java Desktop for Linux version 2 and 3)
firefox-1.0-i686-pc-linux-jds2.tar.gz - Sun Contributed Java Desktop for Linux version 2 and 3 (README) (MD5SUM)

OS/2:
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-os2-1.0.zip, (Requires a libc0.5 based version of the GCC runtime library.)

AIX:
http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-powerpc-ibm-aix5.1.0.0-1.0.tar.gz http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-powerpc-ibm-aix4.3.3.0-1.0.tar.gz

 

Solaris (Contributed by SUN Beijing team) :
ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-sparc-sun-solaris2.8-gtk2.tar.bz2 (readme) ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-sparc-sun-solaris2.8.tar.bz2 (readme) ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-i386-pc-solaris2.8-gtk2.tar.bz2 (readme) ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/1.0/contrib/firefox-i386-pc-solaris2.8.tar.bz2 (readme)

 

Localized Builds

Many localized builds are now produced and distributed by Mozilla.org on behalf of their authors. Visit GetFirefox.com or view All Systems and Languages to see the set of official builds that we offer.

Builds that have not yet been certified as official Firefox 1.0 localizations are available by browsing the FTP site.

 

Previous versions of the Release notes: 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6.1 | 0.7 | 0.7.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9.1/0.9.2 | 0.9.3 | 1.0 Preview Release | 1.0