# Firefox 5? Already? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364 "2011-06-22T01:03:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/1 "2011-06-22T01:03:56Z")
Wow, it just seems like yesterday I posted here asking about Firefox 4. Anyone have experience with 5? Is it worthwhile? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/2 "2011-06-22T01:12:57Z")
It’s almost 100% the same as Firefox 4. Even all your extensions should work. And Firefox 6 and 7 are coming out this year, too. They switched to a [new development model](http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9217813/Mozilla_ships_Firefox_5_holds_to_new_rapid_release_plan). ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/3 "2011-06-22T01:16:18Z")
Google Chrome is up to version 12 despite having been out for less than three years. Correction: 13 ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/4 "2011-06-22T01:25:44Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s almost 100% the same as Firefox 4. Even all your extensions should work Not quite all. FF5 doesn’t like **Unhide Passwords 1.2.6.0** and there doesn’t seem to be a more current version. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/5 "2011-06-22T02:08:00Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Not quite all. FF5 doesn’t like **Unhide Passwords 1.2.6.0** and there doesn’t seem to be a more current version. Right, there are a few that don’t work properly. But 99.9% of the time, it’s because the developer forgot to update the compatibility flags. Install the [Add-on Compatibility Reporter](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/add-on-compatibility-reporter/) to get around this. Furthermore, you’ll be able to mark in your Addons dialog whether something works–sending a note to developers. I wish someone had done that to me, as my addon works perfectly fine up through 6.0a2. Anyone who has my addon and downloaded Firefox 5.0 more than an hour ago will think the addon doesn’t work, as I thought Mozilla had implemented a new feature where working addons would automatically be marked as working. I guess it’s still not finished. Edit: Your addon works in 5.0 with the above addon. And it’s pretty nifty, so thanks! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/6 "2011-06-22T02:28:06Z")
Forgot to mention: I both used the automatic feature and emailed the developer about updating the flags. It takes just a minute or two–much faster than submitting a whole new version and waiting on it to be reviewed. ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/7 "2011-06-22T17:47:56Z")
It’s worthwhile for me since I was seeing stability issues with 4.x Programmers: check the return status of your memory allocation functions, pls…thx. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/8 "2011-06-24T06:38:37Z")
Hmm, interesting. Apparently, they’re [ending all support, security and otherwise, for Firefox 4](http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/06/22/172229/No-Additional-Firefox-4-Security-Updates). This makes me… hesitant about updating right now. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/9 "2011-06-24T07:24:25Z")
It can’t be that major of an update, I just did it and it took about 20 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/10 "2011-06-24T07:54:32Z")
My auto update just stuck 5 on my pc. ☹ Barely had 4 on the darn thing three weeks. Updates are a PITA. Seems silly to have a major version change every few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/11 "2011-06-25T01:51:31Z")
Most of my addons work. Some had never been fixed to 4. The update was quick, but updating flash and other plug ins took a while. I am noticing some minor performance improvements. I’ve not been very impressed by Firefox lately and I’m thinking of looking into Chrome. I haven’t figured out if it’s Netflix, Silverlight, or some incompatibility with one of my add-ons, but when I stream on Netflix (and not so much any other site), my whole system hangs and the plugin containers hog up all my memory, which never then releases it later until I restart FF. I haven’t noticed that in 5 yet, but I haven’t used Netflix much yet. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/12 "2011-06-25T13:30:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s almost 100% the same as Firefox 4. Even all your extensions should work. I installed it without thinking about it much but found that some plug-ins don’t work anymore, most notably the Google Toolbar. When I tried to redownload/install it I got a message that FF 5 isn’t supported. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/13 "2011-06-25T16:14:50Z")
Updating to Firefox 4 required a reinstall for me. Firefox 5 was just a “restart now to update” deal. Supposedly, Firefox 7 beta is already available I wonder when version numbers will be obsoleted. They should just switch to Firefox '11 right now, and call the first release of next year Firefox '12. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/14 "2011-06-26T03:55:24Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Hmm, interesting. Apparently, they’re [ending all support, security and otherwise, for Firefox 4](http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/06/22/172229/No-Additional-Firefox-4-Security-Updates). > > This makes me… hesitant about updating right now. Why? that’s the exact opposite reaction you should have. This means that, if a security hole is found, they will not backport a fix, and your browser will not be secure. They really can’t afford to be backporting now that they have to move at such a fast pace. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/15 "2011-06-26T04:12:53Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I installed it without thinking about it much but found that some plug-ins don’t work anymore, most notably the Google Toolbar. When I tried to redownload/install it I got a message that FF 5 isn’t supported. Again, that’s because they didn’t update the compatibility flags. If you use the Addon Compatibility addon I mention above, it works fine. While I would normally expect someone like Google to be on the ball, I guess it’s not exactly in their best interest to make the Firefox experience as painless as possible. And I think Mozilla needs to move towards getting away from versions and just having extensions check for the availability of features. Again, Firefox 5 is not even Firefox 4.1. It’s more like 4.0.6 or something. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/16 "2011-06-26T04:42:00Z")
Sorry to triple post, but I wanted to add that I filed a bug report about this. If even Google’s toolbar thinks it’s broken when it’s not, and that link shows so many people planning to leave Firefox, they really need to address this. Firefox 5 is a security release. Firefox 6, which will be here in a few months, will be too. Firefox 7 may even be, although I’m pulling for a complete overhaul of the addon install system, so my little addon that removes that pesky XPI install delay becomes unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/17 "2011-06-26T05:59:27Z")
> [@Strinka](#): > > Google Chrome is up to version 12 despite having been out for less than three years. > > Correction: 13 That’s interesting. I don’t think I have ever manually updated chrome, or been told that I need to do an update. Does it just update itself, quietly in the background? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/18 "2011-06-26T13:37:10Z")
Why does this new rapid-release plan have to also include a new full version number? Why can’t 5 be 4.05, 6 be 4.06, and go to 4.1 when they’ve got something more than just security fixes? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/19 "2011-06-26T14:00:20Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Again, that’s because they didn’t update the compatibility flags. If you use the Addon Compatibility addon I mention above, it works fine. I looked at your link and the first thing that pops out at me is > [@Firefox](#): > > Note: Recommended for alpha and beta users only! I am not using alpha or beta. Then it says > [@](#): > > After installing the Add-on Compatibility Reporter, your incompatible extensions will become enabled for you to test whether they still work with the version of Firefox or Thunderbird that you’re using. If you notice that one of your add-ons doesn’t seem to be working the same way it did in previous versions of the application, just open the Add-ons Manager and click Compatibility next to that add-on to send a report to Mozilla. Now, how does simply sending a report to Mozilla actually fix an add-on that reports as incompatible? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364/20 "2011-06-26T16:42:51Z")
Usually updates are labeled with points unless they’re major changes Acme 5.0 Medium update 5.5 Very minor update 5.0.1 Major update goes to the next number Acme 6.0 But obviously not everyone follows this convention. Perhaps there are major security flaws and they figure if they label it another whole number people will take the need to patch the hole seriously. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-5-already/586364.md?page=2)