Mozilla Plans Silent Updates for Firefox

[Win7User512]

Computerworld - Taking a page from rival Google's playbook, Mozilla plans to introduce silent, behind-the-scenes security updating to Firefox 4.

The feature, which has gotten little attention from Mozilla, is currently "on track" to make it into the final of Firefox 4, the major upgrade slated to ship before the end of the year. Mozilla has released two beta previews of Firefox 4 in the last four weeks, and has set a third beta for next week.

Firefox 4's silent update will only be offered on Windows, Mozilla has said.

Details...



I don't like this...

I like to be able to decide when to update.

 

[Borg 386]

Same here Win7User512.

I'd prefer to know when something is updating and decide if I want to do it now or wait for the bugs to get cleared out.

What if one of their updates crashes a bunch of systems (Take a lesson form McAfee hosing all those XP systems)

 

[BugOutMachine]

I also agree. I don't want software installed on my PC without my knowledge or permission. Even if they benefit my browsing experience it should be my decision if I want the updates or not. Especially for those of us using x64 versions. Mozilla has really been loosing momentum in my eyes lately and that's just a shame.

 

[Phone Man]

Saw this one quote in the article.

Unlike Google, Mozilla will let users change the default silent service to the more traditional mode, where the browser asks permission before downloading and installing any update.

So all is not lost, just have to change the default option.

Jim

 

[scoopeeedoo]

If these are security updates, isn't it necessary to apply them anyway...?
I don't have opinion, just wanna undestand...

B.O.M, would you please explain me with especially for x64 users?
I have to make my opinion, i use Beta4 and maybe will have a choice to make soon...
Edit : and i am a x64 user...

 

[Win7User512]

Saw this one quote in the article.

Unlike Google, Mozilla will let users change the default silent service to the more traditional mode, where the browser asks permission before downloading and installing any update.

So all is not lost, just have to change the default option.

Jim

Thanks for pointing that out. I missed that detail. I'll certainly do that. However, I'm still going to write to them, and encourage everyone else concerned to do so as well. Maybe enough pressure will change their minds. IDK.

If these are security updates, isn't it necessary to apply them anyway...?
I don't have opinion, just wanna undestand...

Suppose there is a huge bug in the "security update." It could crash your browser, rendering it unstable. Or open you to yet another attack.

 

[fseal]

This is a little sneaky and ironically exactly the kind of thing that MS gets dinged about by these very same people.

There is very good reason know always know when something is being updated. At inimum so that when you next try to use it and it's broken you KNOW it was because of an update. And better, if you are running some sort of critical process, you can decide to delay it. Without that knowledge then you are just left with "It worked yesterday and broke today, I have no idea why..."

XBOX game updates are manditory but you are always told that they are happening. That is bare minimum required info IMHO

 

[BugOutMachine]

Saw this one quote in the article.

Unlike Google, Mozilla will let users change the default silent service to the more traditional mode, where the browser asks permission before downloading and installing any update.

So all is not lost, just have to change the default option.

Jim

Great to know Jim. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[kodi]

Saw this one quote in the article.

Unlike Google, Mozilla will let users change the default silent service to the more traditional mode, where the browser asks permission before downloading and installing any update.

So all is not lost, just have to change the default option.

Jim

I have used Firefox since it first came out and without this option they would have lost another user.

 

[Petey7]

You mean they don't have this yet? This is the main reason I stopped using Firefox shortly after 2.0 came out.

 

[BCXtreme]

Wow, I don't mind at all if a program gives itself minor updates without my permission. I'd like a tooltip or something saying it did it, and of course I want the option to disable it JIC. The only thing I would never want automatically downloaded is a major update that changes features or breaks addons.

 

[Tepid]

Welcome to the big leagues, Security through Obscurity, now lends itself to protecting the end user cause they are so big that they now have to watch out for idiot users.

is it irony that one (Mozilla) must auto-protect those from themselves?

 

[Layback Bear]

I don't want anything updating without me okaying it. This allows me to know what is going on in case there is a problem. I don't know what percent of people want auto update and don't care. I want to know and choose. It's my computer.

 

[madtownidiot]

I will not use any software that updates automatically and doesn't give me the option to delay or refuse the update. Regardless of how twisted and contorted property & privacy rights have become, it's still my hardware, and my right to decide what is running on it and when. I still subscribe to the belief that if it isn't broken, why fix it, at least until I know that fix isn't going to break something that's already working. I still use firefox for now, as IMO it's by far the best and fastest browser currently available, if you don't bog it down with a million add-ons, extensions, and toolbars, but the day I see an update I didn't expressly allow to install is the day it will be uninstalled... If I have to I'll go strictly with the linux version of Firefox for casual internet use which, like everything else in linux, only updates after selecting it in the update manager and entering a password

edit... For those who aren't sure how to disable automatic FF updates:

 

[Win7User512]

The only software I don't mind allowing auto update is my antivirus for the definitions. I make the software upgrade, but let the defs go auto. However, as we saw with McAfee, even def updates can cause the PC to go haywire.

 

[madtownidiot]

still beats IE by a mile though

 

[Darician]

still beats IE by a mile though

And no Lycos toolbar?

 

[Lebon14]

I don't care as long as I can desactivate the automation.

 

[Win7User512]

still beats IE by a mile though

Wow, did you install all those just to demonstrate? Hardcore.

 

[madtownidiot]

Wow, did you install all those just to demonstrate? Hardcore.

Lmao.. nah I did a google search with the keywords too many toolbars and that's what I found.. It's an extreme example of what happens when an inexperienced user spends too much time on the internet downloading stuff.. The worst I've personally seen from a computer I've cleaned up is maybe half that bad