Firefox Release Calendar

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

For those of you interested in either testing base levels of Firefox or using various versions, or perhaps to find out what the current and future release schedule is, the site:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar
is periodically updated to provide that information.

FYI, Firefox Version 97 and Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) 91.6 are planned to be released on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. The calendar also includes projected release schedules out to the fourth quarter of this year (up to Firefox 107, and Firefox ESR 102.5). The page also provides information about past Firefox Branch release dates.

Brian Masinick

[Member alanwake82]

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I was looking for such list and this will really help me schedule things up according to the dates for the complete year.

Thanks.

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Firefox 98 “Go To Build” took place on February 28; the “Release Notes” deadline was March 1; March 3 was the beginning of the “Soft Code Freeze” for Firefox 99, and March 8 is the “Go Live” date for Firefox 98, the “Merge Day”, and the first day for Firefox 99.0b1. Firefox 99.a1 (Nightly) is already underway.

The detailed, most up-to-date calendar with 99%+ reliability, is currently listed at
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=bW96aWxsYS5jb21fZGJxODRhbnI5aTh0Y25taGFiYXRzdHY1Y29AZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ

The high level Firefox Release Calendar is at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar

Brian Masinick

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Firefox 98.0 did indeed release today; I made my own copy of it and I’m running it today on a USB instance of antiX! Works great!

Brian Masinick

[Moderator ModdIt]

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Maybe for some, especialy new users unclear,
the Firefox ESR from the repo is slightly behind the version from Mozilla download.
Sometimes as much as three days before it is ready and in all the repos.

For those who think that is a massive security risk please do read the announcements on Mozilla site,
vast majority of serious vunerability is windoze only. If a fix is urgent for linux Debian antiX moves
very quickly.

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Another Web browser, which is a “rewrite” of Firefox, so I’m not certain to what degree it has any remaining “back door features” found in Firefox or not, is Waterfox. Recently it was G4.0.7, and I was running that today when I got an available update, G4.0.8, so I updated it. I find it to be a solid, reliable Web browser, similar in function to Firefox, possibly slightly behind Firefox in certain things, but considering that Firefox 98.0 was released earlier this week and Waterfox now has an update too, depending on the exact details of what’s there, this may be something for a few of you to consider too.

If interested you can get it here: https://www.waterfox.net/download

Once initially installed, when updates are available, the browser itself will notify you, or you can explicitly check for updates by clicking through its menu — Help —> About Waterfox

The developer was once a student and has been developing this browser for some time now. He’s professionally employed now and his company supports this effort. You decide whether this is your kind of browser or if you prefer something else. That’s what is nice about “freely available software”: choice!

Brian Masinick

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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For those of you looking ahead, March 31 is the soft freeze for the next release, April 4, 2022 is the merge date, and April 5 is the release date.

On these dates, we’ll see changes for Firefox 101 Nightly, Firefox 100 Beta, Firefox 99 Release and Firefox 91.8ESR.

Look at the calendar at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar for the Q2, Q3, and Q4 release dates for each of these respective versions. By Q4 end, according to the calendar, we will have Firefox Nightly 109, Firefox Beta 108, Firefox Release 107, and Firefox ESR 102.5.

Brian Masinick

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Update: We’re getting close to the next Firefox set of releases.

We’ve discussed this in various threads. For those of you wanting the most “automatic” experience, not having to adjust or manage anything, simply use the Package Manager to install or update whatever Web Browser(s) you want to run. They are updated at a reasonable pace, but they typically do not include Nightly, Beta, or other forms of “test versions” of browsers.

Personally, on the other hand, I often choose to maintain a collection of “personally managed” Web browsers, which I store in my own private directories, test and modify them at my own pace. I use them for “testing”, so I do also install the “standard”, distribution supported versions of browsers. The reasons that I also grab my own versions are:

1) I was a professional software tester for many years. Though I was also a developer in the early part of my career, a significant, perhaps even primary, part of development work was and is testing; I enjoy it, so I test.

2) As part of my testing these days as a retiree, I simply test the things that are of interest to me; I test what I use. Because of this, the browsers that I use and test, though not necessarily “perfect” in every way, DO work and function very well for my own personal use cases.

I therefore comment, and suggest, that if more people used and tested Nightly, Beta, or Development builds of their favorite tools, whether browsers, editors, desktop environments, or applications, they could: a) improve the overall quality of the environment b) get the features they use more likely to work and continue to function as expected and c) along with getting things to “work” for personal tasks, it also contributes to the functionality and overall stability of systems, applications, and tools, so I’m a big advocate of testing, maybe a little, maybe a lot, depending on what time you can spare and what you are willing to “contribute”. Even if you can’t code a single line, this is a way to contribute and assist in the efforts of free software.

With that said, the calendar at https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/Calendar for the Q2, Q3, and Q4 release dates is still available. If you use any Mozilla software, consider testing once in a while or as often as your usage allows and permits. The same is true for whatever projects you use – HINT: this DEFINITELY includes the use of our favorite distribution, antiX!

Brian Masinick

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Firefox 99 is in the final stages of testing; here are the milestones leading up to the release, and the beginning of Firefox 100 (which is already under development in Firefox Nightly).

1) Firefox 99.0B8 was released on Thursday, March 24.
2) Firefox 99 “Go to Build” is planned for Monday, March 28. (in the Beta build, this is Firefox 99.0B9)
3) Firefox 100 soft code freeze is the last day of March, next Thursday, March 31.
4) The “string freeze” for the next release is the following day, April 1 (a.k.a. “April Fools Day” – so you may see some “jokes” about various software projects on that day, be careful what you read on April 1; it MAY be a JOKE!
5) Firefox 99.0 “Go Live” is on Tuesday, April 5; this is the Firefox 99.0 RELEASE and Firefox 100 will also be in full BETA test.

Look at this calendar, and switch between March and April to see the work; if there are any changes to these dates, they will be minor and slight; this calendar has been pretty solid:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=bW96aWxsYS5jb21fZGJxODRhbnI5aTh0Y25taGFiYXRzdHY1Y29AZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ

Brian Masinick

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Firefox 99 is now current in the Firefox Beta channel.
The official release is in the calendar; April 5.

Brian Masinick

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