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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Home / News & Blogs / Hardware 2.0

Firefox 5.0 is live!

By | June 21, 2011, 7:06am PDT

Summary: Mozilla has released Firefox 5.0 web browser.

Mozilla has released Firefox 5.0 web browser.

Three months following the release of Firefox 4.0, Mozilla has released the next incarnation of the browser in line with its new rapid development cycle.

It is important to note that Mozilla sees this release as a minor update for those already running Firefox 4.0.

Along with the desktop versions for Windows, Mac and Linux, there is also a version for Android.

Here’s a list of changes:

Complete list of changes here.

The known issues are worth bearing in mind, especially this one:

  • For some users, scrolling in the main GMail window will be slower than usual (see bug 579260)

I’ve been using the Firefox 5.0 beta for a few weeks now and while there aren’t any major UI changes of features, it’s been a rock-solid release as far as I can tell so I can’t see any problems for people moving up from 4.0.

By the end of the summer Firefox 6.0 will be out, and a few months after that expect to see Firefox 7.0

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Topics

Mozilla Firefox, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Mozilla Corp., Firefox 5.0, Web Browsers, Internet

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.
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So they really are moving to Chrome-style release times...
DevJonny 21st Jun
...interesting!

Although this really looks like a 4.1 or 4.5 release much like Chromes iterations!

Well as long as it all still works (Selenium hasn't been updated yet) then I'm a happy browser! happy
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Google made its version count ridiculous; Mozilla now does the same thing;
DeRSSS 21st Jun
@DevJonny: it is obviously 4.5 version release at best; more like 4.2 one.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Bob_DaBoob 21st Jun
Firefox "5.0" is really Firefox 4.1 or maybe even 4.01

I am currently using Firefox 7.01a and on the surface there is virtually no difference. That's because it's really just Firefox 4.3

For some strange reason Mozilla has become obsessed with imitating Chrome. Both in features in ridiculous version numbering.

Looking forward to Firefox 27!!
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
MrElectrifyer 4th Jul
@Bob_DaBoob LMAO grin
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
lorisinclair 14th Sep
@DevJonny I agree with your opinion and fully support it, you have been a great contributor and I always come to your blog as I know you always share the best of your information
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0 Votes
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
PetersonJose 29th Sep
@DevJonny I really appreciate your work, you have been a great contributor and always share news that I can???t find on other resources.
Belford University
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
jmiller1978 Updated - 21st Jun
Seems a little misleading to change the major version number for moderate/minor changes.

If Microsoft did this, we'd be on Windows 85.0
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Michael Kelly 21st Jun
@jmiller1978

And if MS did what Firefox did up until now, they'd only be on Windows 4.1
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Bob_DaBoob 21st Jun
@Michael Kelly "And if MS did what Firefox did up until now, they'd only be on Windows 4.1 "

Which would be a lot more honest way of doing things.

Windows XP was a minor upgrade from Windows 2000. Windows 7 was a minor upgrade from Vista.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Michael Kelly 21st Jun
@Bob_DaBoob

Not to mention Windows 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 realistically should have been 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9. And I'm being generous with the first two.
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LOL!
Will Pharaoh 21st Jun
@jmiller1978
happy
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
kirovs@... Updated - 21st Jun
@Will Pharaoh
Yes, I am pretty sure you would be still using IE 5.5 if not for FF. But come one, I am destroying your nice, cozy alternative reality...
Oh, yes, keep using Win7, which is really Vista SP.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Gis Bun 21st Jun
@jmiller1978 : You are showing your colors - anti-Microsoft to the core. Actually, unlike Google's Chrome and Firefox to a lesser degree, Microsoft doesn't release these "minor" upgrades. Chrome browse is at version 11 and was at beta 1 maybe 2 years ago. Firefox went from 3.0 to 3.5 to 3.6 - with each of those what it seems to be monthly updates for each. Microsoft has release 3 IE browser versions in the last 10 years.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
I12BPhil 21st Jun
@Gis Bun ...Perhaps you need to work on your reading comprehension. He wasn't bagging on MS. Now, put on your blindfold and repeat after me. "I pledge allegiance to Redmond and to the four colors for which it stands..."
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
jmiller1978 Updated - 21st Jun
@Gis Bun

LMFAO!!! Dude I work for a MS partner and am deploying Exchange 2010 for a large federal agency. Anti-MS? That's rich. In case you missed my point, I was dogging on the silliness of Firefox's incrementation of the major version number for a maintenance release at best.

FTR: I also own a MacBook, supplied my family with iPhones and run Mint Linux in a VM on my Windows 7-powered HP 8540w so that I can learn Ruby On Rails as a hobby.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
auntaru 21st Jun
@jmiller1978
there was once Windows 95 and even Windows 2000 !
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
ballkrussher 21st Jun
I don't see what's wrong with having minor release updates being point upgrades. "5.0" is literally 4.1 -- full numbered releases should feature major upgrades and overhauls. Google is especially confusing with the way they number their releases, as Chrome is at 12.0 (when in reality it probably should be around 3.9) while Android gets point upgrades for major releases (2.2.1, 3.1, etc.).

This version of FF is still rock solid and I'll continue to use it as long as it still has the best ad-blocking plugin available.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Greenknight_z 24th Jun
@ballkrussher - Google created the impression that Chrome was a much more mature program than it really is by version number inflation. Since casual users don't realize what a scam that is, Mozilla followed suit in order to compete. It looks ridiculous to knowledgeable users, but the mass market doesn't know any better.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
MrElectrifyer 4th Jul
@Greenknight_z LMAO grin Well said.
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As long as it runs NoScript.
Norm76 21st Jun
As long as it doesn't break any of my main websites and allows me to run NoScript so I can be in control of what runs in my browser, then I am in.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
shellcodes_coder 21st Jun
Well, out of top three browser competitors, Firefox is the only one w/o sandbox. So no thanks, Firefox; am happy with much faster and secure Chrome
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
kirovs@... 21st Jun
@shellcodes_coder
if you refer to OOPP, than it has been in FF since 3.6.4. And unlike the other browsers, there is FlashBlocker and NoScript. So, yes I feel more secure in FF than Chrome, thank you very much.
On the speed I agree, but all the extensions I need are simply not to be found in other browsers. So it is FF for me.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
ScorpioBlue 21st Jun
@kirovs@...

Ditto that. A browser without Adblock is a no-go for me.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
armingaud@... 21st Jun
? If it works, do not fix it ! ?, I was told a long time ago (also about computers)
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
LoverockDavidson 21st Jun
That was unexpected. Time to uninstall FF4 and install FF5.
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Perception
davidr69 21st Jun
They want to get the numbers up to the IE and Chrome numbers.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
fatman65536 21st Jun
They need to update their web page for "Firefox Future Releases" (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/channel/) because I just checked and found that they are serving Firefox-5.0b7 as the "Beta" channel. "Aurora" is still on 6.0 and "Nightly" is still at 7.0. I would have expected those versions to have "bumped" at the same time.

Anyway, this "full point" version change IMHO amounts to who has the bigger d---!
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
sully0208 21st Jun
Chrome is pushing FF and MS to keep adding improvements and features. I like it!
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Firefox changed because of Zdnet and others
dowlingm 21st Jun
The trade press fell for the line that major number versions were a big deal when Google had a new one every other week. At best FF5 is FF4.1 or FF4.5 and it's sad to see a former innovator feeling it has to adopt the herd mentality.
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OK, whiners, how about the one ** I'M ** using?
Rick S._z Updated - 21st Jun
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:6.0a2) Gecko/20110621 Firefox/6.0a2 ID:20110621042010

live dangerously wink
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
Sb1 Updated - 21st Jun
This is just stupid. Absolutely nothing wrong with naming it 4.0.2 . I skipped version 4 all together because I heard they were coming out with version 5 very soon.

What really what happens in 10 years. How many software programs out there are named version 25, 30. Once they get too high they start calling them by the year, 2021... But that won't work for Firefox since they want to release so many version numbers in a year now.

It's just F'in stupid. Who cares how Chrome is numbering theirs. I try Chrome every 3-6 months and can't stand it. Also last time I tried Chrome in Sandboxie, it wouldn't install (rather have real install in Sandbox than just use original Chrome as run in the Sandbox) Yes I know Chrome has it's own Sandbox, but with Sandboxie and Firefox I can have 2 different ones running at the same time, more if have paid version. Chrome is faster but I'd much rather have Firefox slower if I can use: NoScript, AdBlockPlus, Tab Mix Plus, DownThemAll!, Highlighter, IE Tab 2, SearchWP, Scrapbook and a few others. Just hope CookieSafe gets real support for Firefox 5. Actually isn't a bigger pain for the addon makers to say there compatible with v5 and v6 if they come out so fast?

I've tried v4 and kind of liked the way it groups the Menu bar and such, but if they update too much and addons can't keep up, then I'll just be 1-2 versions behind and they'll just piss people off.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
MatsSvensson 22nd Jun
When we hit FF 666 in a couple of months,
IT ALL ENDS...
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Change of culture required
keebaud@... 22nd Jun
Firefox users will have to get used to the idea that patches now mean version changes. The idea of sticking with a particular version will become a security faux pas.
Certainly running Firefox 2 and 3 should be considered just as bad as running IE6 now.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
harikrismg 22nd Jun
this is stupid actually from my point of view.. Copying the Chrome in the most ridiculous way if you ask me.. there is plainly just no need to run through all the numbers you have for no reason whatsoever.. and totally misleading too..
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
NSL 22nd Jun
Adrian, I put Firefox 5 on yesterday and had so many problems with Add-on which weren't yet compatible, stability, and disappearing favicons, that I'm back to Firefox 4.0.1 until 5 is ready for prime time.
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Yahoo toolbox
ptrinque 22nd Jun
After updating to 5.0 my yahoo toolbar disappeared. I can't seem to get it back. Any suggestions?
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Yahoo toolbox
ptrinque 22nd Jun
After update to 5.0 my yahoo toolbox disappeared. Can't seem to get it back. Any idea's?
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
pauljr@... 1st Jul
.... but since they changed the major version number, half my add-ons think they don't work because they were only listed as being compatible with v4. Most of them, I don't care, but Norton Identity Safe, I have kind of gotten dependent on because I use different passwords all over the place for security.
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Don't see the point of rushing to chrome's numbers
MrElectrifyer 4th Jul
This should be update 4.02. Making the numbers bigger don't make it any more enjoyable.

Sheesh Mozilla, there's no need to be copy-catting Google's chrome this much silly Oh well, competition is competition; no matter how lame your move is plain
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
MACKENZI 11th Sep
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0 Votes
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
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0 Votes
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
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0 Votes
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
TOCCAR 25th Sep
Well welcome, hopefully you can become a vital member of the community and really help to push far ahead of google. Which Im sure the development team would love. This will of course earn you alot points too and get you on the leaders board. z d n e t t h a n k Im not sure i come to an agreement with you on every level, howevor it absolutely was a good posting, many thanks for taking the time to put up your ideas.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
MCKNIGH 26th Sep
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0 Votes
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
JOYCEwe 26th Sep
I really enjoyed reading this post !!!have bookmarked w e b s will come back to read more.
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
RICHMONFT 30th Sep
Fantastic news about the new release.I positively enjoying each little bit of it and I have you b o o k m a r k e d to check out new stuff you weblog post.Im not sure i come to an agreement with you on every level, howevor it absolutely was a good posting, many thanks for taking the time to put up your ideas
0 Votes
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RE: Firefox 5.0 is live
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.

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