Any Other Firefox Users Upgrade to 2.0?

[Ryan Ruck]

So, any other FF users here upgrade to the new 2.0 version yet?

If so what do you think of it?

I just upgraded on Monday and am finding it to be a big improvement. I've noticed much faster program loading times, faster page load times, and best of all no outrageous use of memory!

I only have one gripe about it so far and that is that, at least with me, the tabs will occasionally get a funny look to them. See:



It is like they somehow get other images from the screen imprinted on them (sometimes it is the Google bar, other times the drop down from the address bar, etc.). When there is activity with the tab, they go away however. I'm not quite sure what is causing it though. At first I thought it might be my Windows skinning program so I disabled that but no luck. Then I tried disabling the Tab Mix Plus extension thinking that was it since it is still technically in "release candidate" phase and that did nothing. So, short of disabling all extensions and going through them all one by one, I am at a loss.

But, as I said that is the only gripe I have with it though. I'm very glad they did such a good job on this new version!!

[Malsua]

No problems whatsoever cept my favorite theme hasn't been updated yet.

5 machines so far.

[Luke]

A friend of mine has a PC running Firefox but I am not sure if he has tried 2.0. As for me I have enough trouble using Microsoft Exploder.

I am curious if anyone uses Linux? I have been told by several of my geekoid friends that it is the way of the future.

[MagnetMan]

I've been using it since the beta and haven't had any real issues that 1.5 didn't have.

[eversman]

i tried the new 2.0 for about an hour. none of my extensions worked and i have a TON of them i depend on, so i had to switch back. that, and the theme i like doesnt work with 2.0 yet either. so that said, i have to sit back and wait for the updates to be made to my extensions before i can switch over. lame. oh well. life goes on. hope it works for you guys.

ev

[falcon]

EV; We had to take down the computer at my office this morning. One hour ago I downloaded Firefox the latest, everything seems to be working fine. Try removing the link and then do a complete new download.

[Phil Fiord]

I just upgraded. It really is MUCH MUCH faster. Explosively so to me. Makes my broadband seem worthy. Most of my extensions were not valid anymore, but to me that is no big deal as others will develop and say for the weather one, no biggie as it was a dupe to a separate program I use.

The speed trade off is what has me pleased.

[Ryan Ruck]

Phil and ev,
When I upgraded, I too had a number of extensions that were not updated to be compatible with 2.0 and would not auto-upgrade.

I found that there are two ways to get a majority of them to work.

The first is to go to http://www.mozilla.com and visit each page for each extension. Since FF is open source, sometimes other users have updated the extension but since they are not the original author cannot upload it to mozilla.com for auto-upgrade. They will often put a link in the comments section for the extension for the new file.

The other way is to do some very easy coding on the extension. First, visit the page for the extension on mozilla.com. Then right click on the extension download link and "Save As" instead of just left clicking and going through the auto-install. Make sure that your computer preferences are set to show extensions for known file types (in an open folder window click on "Tools" option in the file bar at the top then click on "Folder Options…" then click on "View" and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types" and "OK" or "Apply".). Then go to the location where you have saved the downloaded FF extension and rename it from "xxxxxx.xpi" to "xxxxxx.zip". Use either WinRAR or WinZIP to unzip the file to its own folder. In the new folder you will find a file named "install.rdf". Change "install.rdf" to "install.rdf.txt". Then use Notepad to open the file. Search for "1.5" in the document. When you find that change that to 2.0, 2.5 or what ever you want (though I recommend just 2.0). This is the part of the file that disables it for newer versions of FF if the extension isn't updated. Now, change "install.rdf.txt" back to "install.rdf". Then drag "install.rdf" back into the "xxxxxx.zip" file. Windows will add the file to the .zip file overwriting the old one. Then change "xxxxxx.zip" back to "xxxxxx.xpi". You can then change your folder options back to hiding known file extensions. After all that, open FF and open up the "Extensions" window. Then just drag the updated "xxxxxx.xpi" file into the "Extensions" window. FF will go through the steps to install the extension. Then restart FF. Your old extension should now work. I'm sure that eventually most extensions will get updated and you will simply be able to install the new version over the old one with no problems. Just note that this may not work on all old extensions but, I have yet to find one that it doesn't work on.

Hope that helps!

[MagnetMan]

Ryan, an easier way to force extensions to be compatable is to install the nightly tester tools. Adds a button in the add-ons list to "force them to be compatable"

http://users.blueprintit.co.uk/~dave...irefox/nightly

[American Patriot]

I upgraded before I left. I didnt have problems, until today. I'm having issues with the site here for some reason. I can't get to some of the threads I started, but this could be a problem with the site. I've posted something in the ADmin area for Ryan to look over.

Thanks

[American Patriot]

I am curious if anyone uses Linux? I have been told by several of my geekoid friends that it is the way of the future.

luke, I have several computers. My main one running email and other stuff is Linux. I use a version of RedHat called CentOS. Works very well, never had any trouble with it.

I use it for traceroutes, and a lot of tools that Linux has built in that windoze doesn't have

[eversman]

ok, guys, upgraded to firefox 2.0 yesterday and you guys were right! i love it! definitely worth the change. every single one of my 14 extensions/addons works too, thanks Ryan! only one b#tch though, the one and ONLY theme i like will NOT work, period. i wrote the author and asked that he PLEASE update it. and seeing the rest of the comments on teh link for the theme i am FAR from the first. oh well, i guess i will just have to do without.

But.....im still a very happy guy. firefox 2.0 is absolutely awesome. puts IE7 to shame. coincidentally, have any of you tried IE7 yet? i just got that via windows updates the other day, and while i think its a good product, it just cant compete with the new FF. not even close. its at best, a half-done ripoff of firefox 1.5 in my opinion.

ev

[Ryan Ruck]

MM,
Thanks for the heads up on that extension. I've got it installed now.

ev,
No, haven't tried IE7. I upgraded to FF about 3 years ago and never looked back. Coincidently I have had only minor spyware problems since then! I'll probably get around to trying it sometime soon to see what it is all about though...

[eversman]

Ryan,

if you are running windows XP, IE 7 will be issued as a security update through windows automatic update. its going to totally phase out IE6, and at some point windows update site will accept only IE7. so you wont have to go find it, itll just kinda show up on your updates list one day and youll have it. i went to firefox about two years ago and havent looked back either.

once IE7 came through in the update process, i just decided to field test it and see how it stacked up. since its there, i figured why not? and it does not hold a candle to FF. not even close. IE 7 is a big improvement on IE 6, but at the same time, 6 was a long long ways behind firefox and 7 hasnt even caught up to earlier versions of firefox. the tabbed browsing scheme is clunky and not as easy to use or effective as FF, the browser doesnt have nearly as many addons as firefox has/had, and simply isnt as user friendly. im not impressed with microsofts latest offering. no reason to change from firefox.

ev

[Phil Fiord]

Well, I have been running FF2 for a little while now and have only 1 small issue/annoyance. On this site, not on others yet, I sometimes have a problem when I select a forum. The page jumps to the top of the current page instead. Oddly, when I scroll back down and select the forum again it works fantastic. Seems to be a first time select off teh main BBS page.

I'll mention it if I see it elsewhere as I plug along.

[Ryan Ruck]

That is odd... Only time I have had something similar happen is when I start scrolling down a page before it has completely loaded and when I had navigated there using the "Go To Latest Post" button. If I do that, it will finish loading and then take me back to that post if I have started scrolling down.

[Phil Fiord]

Hey Ryan,

I have had that load scroll thing happen too. Long ago really. I have been on near instant page loads for years now, so thats not the issue. I can handle it though as it is still a better browser than any I've used thus far and does improve over past versions of FF.