Firefox 4 to include silent update system

According to Mozilla User Experience Specialist Alexander Faaborg, the next major release of the Firefox web browser – version 4.0 – will feature a built-in silent update system that will automatically apply updates to the open source browser as they become available. However, in a post on the mozilla.dev.apps.firefox Google Group, Faaborg says that only minor Firefox 4 updates will occur automatically and that users will be able to change the setting via the Options > Advanced > Update menu. When a major update is available, such as version 4.5 or 5, a dialogue box will appear giving users the option to upgrade.

The developers hope that the automatic installation of bug fixes and security updates will help users to keep up with current software and improve security. Google's Chrome web browser, for example, already has a built-in silent update feature that installs the latest security and stability updates.

Mozilla has already issued two beta releases of Firefox 4. The most recent beta added the new 'tabs on top' layout for Mac OS X systems and included support for new CSS transitions, a new Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) technology feature that provides a way to animate changes rather than having the changes take effect instantly. A third beta is scheduled to be released later this week.

Firefox binaries are released under the Mozilla Firefox End-User Software License Agreement and the source code is released under disjunctive tri-licensing that includes the Mozilla Public Licence, GPLv2 and LGPLv2.1. The latest stable release of Firefox is version 3.6.8 from the end of July.

See also:

• Mozilla releases second Firefox 4 beta, a report from The H.
• Mozilla's Beltzner announces Firefox 4 plans, a report from The H.
• Study says silent updates enhance security, a report from The H.

(crve)