Why has Firefox 4 been blacklisted?
I've tried upgrading to 5, but I see no benefit in features or performance. On the other hand, now I cannot use several add-ons that were fairly important to my work. So while I'd normally just go back a version until the add-ons catch up, everything on the site points back to version 3.6. So far i can't find anything about version 4; it's been dismissed like a bastard stepchild. So, what's the deal? If there's a good reason to avoid 4 i'd like to know; i have a couple other installs of 4, so if these need to be downgraded i should like to know why...?
All Replies (14)
if you don't have anything positive to contribute which helps the "owner" of a question, please refrain from posting
moderator
Okulungisiwe ngu the-edmeister
Firefox 5 is a stability and security update to Firefox 4.0.1. Firefox 4.0.1 was a security update to Firefox 4.0. You leave yourself/your system at risk by using Firefox 4.
Only Firefox 5.0 and Firefox 3.6.18 are currently being supported and updated.
Security issues fixed by version: https://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox.html#firefox5
Versions will be changing more often than in the past. In the past, like version 3.6.x, security updates were handled with minor revisions, like 3.6.17 to 3.6.18. Beginning with Firefox 4, there will be few (only one for Firefox 4) if any minor revisions. Firefox 5 will be updated by Firefox 6 within a couple of months and Firefox 7 will be an update for Firefox 6. Firefox 7 is projected to be released before the end of 2011.
Okulungisiwe ngu Helper7677
So removing my Avast! web rep was their answer? #5 is totally unstable. I even tried to reinstall #5, hoping it was a bad install. My PC blocked it as a danger.(Yes, from their site) I'm back on #4, and all is better...I'll take my chances. They screwed up royal with that update.
Your Avast application will still work with Firefox 5, but the toolbar that Avast installs into Firefox as an add-on will not. You need to ask Avast why they have not updated their toolbar component.
Firefox has built-in Safe Browsing. (see: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/phishing-protection/ ). You will see one of the following screens if you try to enter a site that has been rated as dangerous. You can click on "Why was this page blocked?" for information collected about the site; click "Get me out of here" to not enter the site; click "Ignore this warning" and proceed to the page at your own peril. I depend on Safe Browsing and refuse installation of the toolbar component in my own security application.
Some background about add-on compatibility
Included with every Firefox extension is a file named install.rdf. In that file is a parameter "em:maxVersion" which indicates the maximum Firefox version with which the extension has been tested and approved by the developer. Only the developer is responsible for changing that parameter. Firefox enforces that parameter.
That said, developers know where to find the Firefox release schedule for new versions and where to find the test versions (beta) to use to test their product. The location of the release schedule and the beta versions is no secret. Firefox 5, and all other versions, underwent several weeks of beta testing, during which third-party developers had an opportunity to do their testing and make necessary changes to make their product(s) compatible.
Okulungisiwe ngu Helper7677
To the moderator: this post WAS constructive, and did help me immensely. There is no reason to censor skipper68's comment, unless doing so was to remove his helpful link to the FF4 download, or because it was more helpful (and perhaps more honest) than the vague official response.
SpunkMonkey: I see nothing vague about the other replys. There is some good information here. I don't want to use FF4 with all of it's security problems; have you looked at the list of what is corrected in FF5 that is still left vulnerable in FF4? https://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox.html#firefox5
@SafeBrowser: They are rather vague on my main point, that being what makes 4 worth hiding away rather than maintaining it's availability as legacy code (as with 3). Yes there is a lot of interesting information here that goes around the question though, and while that's greatly appreciated it doesn't address the question. That's why the official responses were vague when compared to the censored (and most helpful) post. Additionally, when the most helpful contributor gets publicly chastised, that comes across as weirdly suspicious, dishonest, or both. Either way, it's an awkward reaction from a moderator. At any rate, I'll take another look at the known vulnerabilities list, although I didn't originally see what set 4 apart from 3. Cheers!
SpunkMonkey -
The question at the top of this is "Why has Firefox 4 been blacklisted?". The answer is that Firefox 4 is not safe. Nothing vague about that.
Second, I think they have a right get rid of information posted that would lead other Firefox users to an unsafe version of the product. Do you or the person posting the link want to take responsibility if someone's system is attacked while using a known unsafe version and their system made unusable? I would think not. Neither do the Firefox folks.
You can say it's not vague, but it still doesn't answer the question. "It's not safe" is only a hint more specific than "mo' better" or "just trust us". Besides, the difference between 3 and 4 has never been answered, which is the whole point to my question.
And if personal responsibility was the issue when choosing to remove that post, then an honest moderator would have said as much.
Look, U can post back with your responses about being vague all you want. This will be my last post on the topic. The personal responsibility comment is just my opinion, nothing else.
If ur curious about differences FF 3 to FF4, that is not the topic at top. Post a question about that. If doesn't really matter because it is history and you can not change it.
Good bye and good luck in your quest for answers.
Fine... perhaps next time you can read the whole post before you answer (which apparently only "skipper68" did). "if you don't have anything positive to contribute which helps the "owner" of a question, please refrain from posting."
Okulungisiwe ngu SpunkMonkey
I too would like to go back to Firefox 4, but understand it no longer being safe. However, not being able to access my Google bookmarks is extremely frustrating. I hate this new format.
My problem is that I didn't know I wouldn't be able to use the google tool bar with Firefox 5.0 and higher; thus, I wish to use a valid earlier version. Can you help me find one, please?
You can use this extension to be able to access your Google Bookmarks from within Firefox :
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/gbookmarks-google-bookmarks-fo/
The Google Toolbar "will not be supported on Firefox 5 and future versions."
http://googletoolbarhelp.blogspot.com/2011/07/update-on-google-toolbar-for-firefox.html
http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/answer.py?answer=1342452&topic=15356%29
The Google Toolbar 7.1.20110512W version does work pretty good in Firefox 5.0 by using the Compatibility Reporter extension. But not every feature works 100%.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/add-on-compatibility-reporter/
http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2011/06/enable-google-toolbar-in-firefox-5.html