Firefox 2.0 and Extensions

[DavidR]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for feed back on any extensions that currently don't work with firefox 2.0 ?

I have a number of extensions that I consider essential and they must work with firefox 2.0 or I would have to wait for the extension to be updated before moving to firefox 2.0.

NoScript, DrWeb, AdBlock Plus, BBCodeXtra, DictionarySearch,  Translate, Translation Panel, FlashGot, for example.

So is anyone having any compatibility issues with these or any other extensions under firefox 2.0, thanks in advance for any feed back.

[FreewheelinFrank]

DrWeb works OK. I use the standard AdBlock with a very minimal blocklist, and that's working OK. I don't use any of the rest. Haven't had a problem with Firefox 2.0 at all, and I've been using it since the beta- seems very stable.

[tevion]

Hi DavidR !

I use Firefox 2.0 since yesterday and following Add-ons i am using are properly ok:

- Adblock Plus
- Flash Got
- gTranslate
- No Script

All in German Translation.

Greets
Tevion

[XMAS]

Hello David

As I don't use a lot of extensions in Firefox, I can't say much, but from what I am using the working ones are:
FlashGot, DrWeb, gTranslate, NoScript, Gmail Notifier, DictionarySearch, AdBlock Plus . 

The ones that are not working are:
FasterFox...don't have more that don't work

As Frank said Firefox 2.0 seems very stable, and I am very happy with it 

[DavidR]

Thanks for the feed back guys.
So far looking good for update to firefox 2.0 as the more important extensions look like they are covered. I have FasterFox but didn't notice a huge improvement with that (on-dial-up) so I can live without that until it is updated.

[TedNelly]

Hi David an easy way around program  updates FF and extension problems is quite easy to resolve.

I usually alter a small part of the  install.rdf file within the extension .xpi
I open the extension .xpi file in Winzip or Rar whatever! alter this part of the .rdf (text base) file <em:maxVersion>2.0.0.*</em:maxVersion>resave the altered text file

when closing the Compression program your are asked if you want to save the changes (Yes)

I then install the .xpi file without a problem to date every extension I have altered in this way has worked

[roro]

I just installed Firefox 2.0.
More extensions that work  are:

Forecastfox
Sage
Smiley Xtra
CuteMenus Crystal SVG
IE Tab

None of mine did not work.

Ro Ro

[DavidR]

Thanks tednelly, I have done that before with the switch to 1.5 when lots of my extensions didn't work. It isn't so bad this time there are only a couple that I consider essential and worth the manual tweak. Translate being one that I used lots on the forums.

Thanks roro, several of mine don't work but I had 27 extensions, some are now redundant like the spell checker incorporated into ff 2.0.

[OrangeCrate]

...but I had 27 extensions, some are now redundant like the spell checker incorporated into ff 2.0.

I dropped several myself, due to functions now being built in, and now run 2.0 with just the following (for now):

Adblock Plus with the Filterset G, and dutchblock lists
No Script
Gmail Manager
Searchbar Autosizer

Always liked the default 1.5 theme, and don't like the new one, so I'm now running Winestripe 1.0.

Overall, I'm very happy with 2.0. It's lean and fast, even on an old machine like mine with limited RAM.

If anyone has a favorite extension or theme, that hasn't updated yet, do check the author's website. It may be available, but is in the queue to be approved by Mozilla, and it hasn't been added to the official update list yet.

The best info on the current status of themes and extensions, is in the Mozilla forum under "Extension/Theme Releases".

[Spiritsongs]

   Hi all :

     Perhaps the views of Paul Thurrott of WindowsITPro
     may interest you !? Find it at :

     http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/93992/93992.html .

[bob3160]

  Hi all :

     Perhaps the views of Paul Thurrott of WindowsITPro
     may interest you !? Find it at :

     http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/93992/93992.html .

Mozilla Ships Firefox 2.0 ... It's a Dud

That's one person personal opinion. Just because it appears on a blog or website doesn't change that fact. 
It's also just a headline trying to entice readership and just as bad as some of the headlines used about IE7.
There will be those of us who will like the new version and some prefer to stay with an older version.
Just keep in mind that the newer version of any software also contains the latest security updates.
For that reason alone, and update is probably warranted. IMHO

[OrangeCrate]

Perhaps the views of Paul Thurrott of WindowsITPro may interest you!?

Not particularly. Paul's an interesting writer, but mostly, he's just a walking and talking billboard for all things Microsoft.

Like Bob says, it's his opinion, though in Paul's case, it probably "butters his bread" to downplay Firefox.

Short bio on Paul here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Thurrott

Personally, I've made my decision to support open source projects and products whenever I can, and though read and noted, no one else's opinion will probably change that.

[TedNelly]

No worries David

couldn't have put it  better myself Bob and OC 

[FreewheelinFrank]

The article is pretty thin, if you ask me.

The criticisms of Firefox are

1) He doesn't like the new buttons,
2) Anti-phishing technology is weak
3) It not much of an improvement over 1.5

Weak arguments for calling the new version a dud for the following reasons:

1) You can add themes to the browser, and even return the old look if you like it, as the author admits,

2) The anti-phishing feature was present in beta versions, but only for testing: this gave some reviewers the impression that the technology was weak. The author of this article may well have been unaware of this. Other writers have found the anti-phishing tool as effective as or more effective than the IE7 tool:

Update 4-August, 3:40PM PDT: A representative of Mozilla’s PR agency contacted me and says that the anti-phishing feature in Firefox 2 Beta 1 "was intended to test the core Phishing Protection framework within the browser, not to provide a full list of suspected scam sites."

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=109#more-109

Finally, I remarked a couple of days ago that it would be interesting to compare the results of the anti-phishing technology built into the latest releases of both Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla's Firefox 2.0 browsers. When I visited this particular site in Firefox, I received a pop-up alert from Netcraft's anti-phishing toolbar, but also from Firefox, which flagged the scam site as a "suspected web forgery" and included links I could click on to earn more about phishing scams. When I visited the Bank of America scam site in IE7, I received no such alert.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/10/phishers_respond_to_web_bankin.html

3) 1.5 was a good browser: 2.0 is better. How much better is a matter of personal opinion. Other IT writers have found it a significant improvement:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=189

What is the author's conclusion:

Firefox 2.0 is free, but it's a woefully minor improvement over Firefox 1.5 that suffers from various incompatibility problems, especially with themes and other add-ons. I wouldn't recommend this new version, to be honest. I'll be sticking with Firefox 1.5 at least for now. I recommend you do the same, or switch to the surprisingly solid IE 7.0.

Stick with 1.5 or use the surprisingly solid IE 7.0.

Do I detect a note of bias here: What are these supposed problems in Firefox 2.0? Why is there no mention of the problems people are having with IE7? (I have heard that IE7 add-ons are breaking the browser; from my own experience, I can say IE7 throws up error messages all the time, fails to load pages and breaks applications.)

http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2006/10/ie-7-click-dont-install.html

I might say download the solid Firefox 2.0 and avoid the problems with IE7, but actually I still think it's worth downloading IE7 for the security advantages over IE6.

[polonus]

Hi FwF,

I have installed the portable version of FF 2.03. All extensions work for my in-browser security. Only thing that they have gone back on is the cookie manager or the add and edit possibilities for cookies. Well stealther works to block cookies, but what is a decent cookie manager for the FF 2.0 at the moment? Or do I have to wait until the others are upgraded to work in 2.0?

polonus