New in Firefox 13, 14, 15

Is anyone else slightly worried by the Firefox updating service?

 

I will never see it, I only use the portable version.

 

Yeah, there are definite advantages these days to portable versions of Firefox. I've turned off auto-updating on my desktop PC. I daresay I could uninstall the 'service' as well. I'm just suspicious of anything that Googzilla Mozilla add to my control panel without telling me. I just dunno why they don't just release a WebKit version of Firefox & call it Chromefox/FireChrome or something to get it all out if their system. Honestly, Mozilla are wrong about trying to 'Chromify' Firefox. It just doesn't need it. People loved Firefox for what it was. It doesn't need to be a Chrome-clone. I've nothing against Chrome, I use it sometimes. It's light & reliable. It's an alternative. I'm writing this in SeaMonkey. I really do hope that this madness will not cross over to the monkey ... I really do!

Sorry ... rant over.

 

OK thanks JR. I've done that. I've just heard some rumours of 64 bit computers crashing with this upgrade & many suspected this maintenance service as the culprit. It hasn't happened to me. I'm just being paranoid I guess.

 

It seems to me that the setting you are referring to would control how *Firefox* updates itself and how... if Mozilla Maintenance Service (MMS) is available and Firefox is configured to use it... *Firefox will utilize MMS*.

Per "The service is currently only used on Firefox, but we do plan to allow other products to use the service. Only one service will exist across all channels, and once other products are allowed to use the service they will likely also share the service.", it seems MMS should be considered separate from Firefox. If one doesn't want MMS at all, I think the best approach would be to uninstall it. IIRC, after I did so the option to use it was no longer available in Firefox advanced options.

 

So, hands up, who's uninstalled MMS?

 

I uninstalled 11. Then installed 12 using Custom and unchecked use "Mozilla Maintenance Service". Under the update tab in options I still have the option to "automatically install updates". MMS is not in Uninstall Programs.

 

That's clever. I wish I'd have thought of that.

 

I actually saw it in post #10 of this thread.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=320258

 

I manually updated 32-bit FF on 32-bit WinXPPro and 32-bit FF on 64-bit Win7Pro through the Check For Updates And Since We're Sure You Will Want Them Also Install Them button. MMS was installed without any disclosure and the option in question appeared under the Show Update History button with the checkbox checked by default.

I unchecked that checkbox, hit OK, and closed FF. Then using Add or Remove Programs on WinXP, Programs and Features on Win7, uninstalled Mozilla Maintenance Service. Launched FF again and that option is *poof* gone. There is no longer a checkbox with Use a background service to install updates text next to it.

I assume I'm not the only one seeing this behavior?

 

LOL my ADHD strikes again .... ooh look shiny ...

 

Code:

#ifdef MOZ_MAINTENANCE_SERVICE
536     // Check to see if the maintenance service is installed.
537     // If it is don't show the preference at all.
538     var installed;
539     try {
540       var wrk = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/windows-registry-key;1"]
541                 .createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowsRegKey);
542       wrk.open(wrk.ROOT_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,
543                "SOFTWARE\\Mozilla\\MaintenanceService",
544                wrk.ACCESS_READ | wrk.WOW64_64);
545       installed = wrk.readIntValue("Installed");
546       wrk.close();
547     } catch(e) {
548     }
549     if (installed != 1) {
550       document.getElementById("useService").hidden = true;
551     }
552 #endif

Isn't. FWIW, maintenanceservice_installer.exe remains available in the install directory after an uninstall.

 

Fortunately (or not), it's not an issue with ppas for Ubuntu. We get a modded Fx that lacks any sort of update facility

 

Running 13 Beta 1 now. I like the updates. The new tab page will be handy for getting to sites quickly.​

 

Okay, trying out Beta 13, and I like it...but I want that "most used website" crap gone. Anyone know how to disable it? I hated it in Chrome, and now Firefox is going down the "copy Chrome" road again. Damn it Mozilla, I thought you were working on your own browser?


Edit: Nevermind, I found out how to get rid of the crap. Whether it sticks or not I don't know yet. Again though, Mozilla needs to stop with the Chrome junk.

 

Everyone needs to stop. Everyone is copying and it is annoying. I don't like Chrome, and if I did I would use it instead of a cheap imitation anyway. Where is the innovation? Where is the individuality?

 

• The new tab page in Firefox has a visible option to use a blank page. This option is mentioned in a bunch of blogs and tech sites but we rant.
• Ubuntu introduced changes and everyone took great delight in trashing it.
• When Gnome 3 was out it was the end of the world.
• A change in KDE had the same welcome.
• Chrome was thoroughly ridiculed when it was introduced as was the IPad.
• If Google's devs had thin skins, Chrome's PDF viewer would have been smothered a couple of days after it was introduced.

Do "we" really want innovation? Individuality?

Edit: the list reflects my limited experience. But's it's clear that a vocal section apparently DON'T WANT CHANGE. Oh, there are others who claim they want change but they want it to be perfect from day one. Bugs are intolerable to them. They'll repeat themselves in various fora, often with different user names, mentioning just how buggy this is, how glitchy that is. Not only that, some people take great delight in trash-talking software they've stopped using or never used in the first place or tried for ten minutes before "rolling back".

 

Yes, if it's something like the Maxthon browser. No, if it's something like Windows 8.

 

People want innovation, they just can't handle the fact that the road to new great ideas is often paved with crappy ones.

 

Oh, I can handle crappy ideas myself, but at least make them your crappy ideas and not keep copying your competition instead of trying to out-do them. I thought Mozilla got past that phase, I guess they weren't through just yet. Business is business, but let's not put Chrome in a Xerox, and title it Firefox when it comes out. Other than that, more power to them and I'm still an avid user of Firefox.

 

Perhaps if you read a bit more you'd find that many of the things Firefox "copied" were originally conceived by them but not implemented before the competition because of obvious limitations or lack of internal consensus.

 

I read quite often, and am aware of that. However, that does nothing to change the fact that they are still trying to do the same as Chrome, meaning they are copying. The only things they should be copying are security measures, such as the upcoming Flash sandbox.