frequency and tone of "please update to firefox 6.0" nag seem suspicious
I don't remember Firefox nagging with such insistence that the only safe version was one major release number higher than the fresh install of the default download of the day before (5.0.1 on August 15).
What was even more baffling was that I knew from my wife's computer that the 6.0 nag with the same text had started long before 6.0 became the latest default download of Firefox from mozilla.com (because when I saw that message on her Mac one too many times I finally checked my own machine and found I was still running 4 point something, at which point I went to mozilla.org and I landed on the standard download page and was issued 5.0.1).
So, what gives? An explanation would restore confidence. Thanks! We don't know how paranoid to be any more.
Athraithe ag ebrunar ar
Réiteach roghnaithe
Firefox is on a new "rapid release" program with new versions being released more frequently, about every 6 weeks.
- There will be few, if any, minor versions (i.e., 6.1).
- There will be no interim releases unless urgent problems in a version dictate, as there was with Firefox 5.0.1 to address the release of the latest OSX version (Lion)
- -- NOTE: For all OSes except OSX, Firefox 5.0 and 5.0.1 were the same.
- There was also a security release for all OSes from Firefox 4.0 to Firefox 4.0.1.
The goal of rapid release can be summed up by this statement: ""The goal of the process is to provide regular improvements to users without disrupting longer term work." (meaning longer term work and work towards goals at Mozilla).
With each release, the prior version will be no longer supported or updated, so it is important to keep up to date, as any security or stability improvements will not be back-ported to the prior version.
Update notifications are done once per day when a new version is released.
Changes in Firefox 6:
- https://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/6.0/releasenotes/ (click "What's new in Firefox")
- One critical security issue fixed: https://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox.html#firefox6
Still on tap for 2011, Firefox 7 (09-27-2011), Firefox 8 (date not set, but maybe early to mid November), and possibly Firefox 9 (possibly before year end).
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (8)
- Be sure auto update is on: Options > Advanced > Update, check "Firefox"
- If you do not want to respond to those pop-ups (I don't) you can
- manually check at any time (marginal file is downloaded and installed; smaller file = faster download): Help > About Firefox > Check for Updates
- download/SAVE the current version and install over the top of your current installation (full installation file = larger file).
On the Help > About Firefox display, just under "Check for Updates" what is shown. If your wife's system says beta, you can only cure that by downloading and installing the release version; see below.
- Firefox 5 was released on 06/21/2011
- Firefox 6 was released on 08/16/2011
Download current release version: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html
If this reply solves your problem, please click "Solved It" next to this reply when signed-in to the forum.
Not related to your question, but...
You need to update some plug-ins:
- Plug-in check: https://www-trunk.stage.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
- Adobe Shockwave for Director Netscape plug-in: Installing (or Updating) the Shockwave plugin with Firefox
- Shockwave Flash (Adobe Flash or Flash): Updating Flash in Firefox
Thanks for these technical tips. I wasn't really having a technical problem, but since you are a "Firefox user just like me", I can't really expect you to give me Mozilla's official position on a) why the 6.0 release was pushed so much more heavily at such an early stage in the 5.0 life cycle than any previous version of Firefox, but b) only through the mechanism of the dodgy nag popup, not just every time I start up FF but at some cadence of once a day or something.
Firefox 6 isn't worth the effort. They have to do a lot more work on it. For now, stick with Version 5.1.
moderator note - if you don't have anything helpful to contribute to actually help a user, please don't post anything. If you have a support issue, Ask a New Question and let us try to help you. BTW, there was no 5.1 version released.
Athraithe ag the-edmeister ar
Réiteach Roghnaithe
Firefox is on a new "rapid release" program with new versions being released more frequently, about every 6 weeks.
- There will be few, if any, minor versions (i.e., 6.1).
- There will be no interim releases unless urgent problems in a version dictate, as there was with Firefox 5.0.1 to address the release of the latest OSX version (Lion)
- -- NOTE: For all OSes except OSX, Firefox 5.0 and 5.0.1 were the same.
- There was also a security release for all OSes from Firefox 4.0 to Firefox 4.0.1.
The goal of rapid release can be summed up by this statement: ""The goal of the process is to provide regular improvements to users without disrupting longer term work." (meaning longer term work and work towards goals at Mozilla).
With each release, the prior version will be no longer supported or updated, so it is important to keep up to date, as any security or stability improvements will not be back-ported to the prior version.
Update notifications are done once per day when a new version is released.
Changes in Firefox 6:
- https://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/6.0/releasenotes/ (click "What's new in Firefox")
- One critical security issue fixed: https://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox.html#firefox6
Still on tap for 2011, Firefox 7 (09-27-2011), Firefox 8 (date not set, but maybe early to mid November), and possibly Firefox 9 (possibly before year end).
Athraithe ag SafeBrowser ar
On updating to Firefox 12 I started getting a pop-up saying Windows 2000 would no longer be supported and that I should upgrade (which for me means buying a new computer which I can't do as I'm unemployed) or use Opera (which doesn't work that well).
Why do I need to see this annoying pop-up every time I start FF12? And why would they start warning me about 13 when 12 was just released? Not cool Mozilla, not cool!
Hi ajc_trw, there's a new thread that's more on point over here: I keep getting a pop-up that tells me to upgrade my operating system. How do I turn this pop-up off?
SWEET! Thanks for the link dude! :-D
Locking this ancient thread.