Firefox 3.6 now disappears into the great Mercurial repo in the sky, its angel wings flapping slightly in the breeze. Mozilla 1.9.2 lives on for the moment in some separately-maintained third party builds and in Camino, but tomorrow there will be no more Fx3.6 and no more official Mozilla support for OS X PowerPC.
On that note, 10.0.4 is now in the release channel and advertised to users. PowerPC forever.
What the heck are you talking about? I'm still using OS X!
ReplyDeleteRight. What I mean is, Mozilla no longer produces a Firefox for Power Macs running OS X; the last one was 3.6.28 and there isn't going to be a .29.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, we're not Mozilla: we just hack their source code to still work on Power Macs. So life goes on. :)
So since I use Firefox 3.6.28 and Mac OS 10.4 on my older MacBook laptop, will I be able to keep using Firefox? What will happen? I don't know anything about "hacking source code." I don't really like Safari... what to do? Why is Mozilla abandoning OSX?
ReplyDeleteCatherine, your MacBook (if it came originally with 10.4) will be able to run up to Mac OS X 10.6, so you can just update to that and keep running Firefox (update it from your 3.6 to 12.0). Alternatively, if you chose to keep 10.4 on your MacBook, you can use TenFourFox 10.0.4. You don't need to hack anything, just download it at http://www.floodgap.com/software/tenfourfox/.
ReplyDeleteMozilla isn't abandoning Mac OS X. It's abandoning old versions like 10.4, and it's abandoning old Macs with PPC processors (your MacBook has an Intel processor, so it's still supported, but you need a more recent Mac OS X).
If you keep using Firefox 3.6 on Mac OS X 10.4, your computer will be open to security vulnerabilities. Actually, it still is.
Exactly what Chris said, with one note: TenFourFox is not Intel-native, so it will run slower than it should on your MacBook. It will probably work fine, but it will not run as well as Fx 3.6 did, which was built Intel-native.
ReplyDeleteHowever, 10.6 will still run most, if not all, of your old software, and upgrading to 10.6 means you can continue to use the current versions of Firefox. While Apple doesn't sell it in their stores now, if you call their service line they can probably get you a disc, since if your MacBook is Lion-capable you will need it anyway.
Why such a long load time here?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/world/
Huffington Post seems to load their complete news archive on the start page, plus an insane number of scripts. It should be slow in any browser.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Snow Leopard is a free upgrade for MobileMe users, and you may yet cross paths again with the friendly TFF icon when 32-bit support is dropped (a few pixels of snow on the nose and feet perhaps but still recognizable).
ReplyDeleteProbably a good day to launch:
http://code.google.com/p/aurorafox/
Might have a builder, so upload your patchsets etc and we may well have a 10.5Fx to commemorate the recent mega-breakthrough of 300 on PK (7450 mid-range, I shudder to think what numbers quads are putting up) and from a scientific perspective I'm curious who will fly higher 10.4 or 10.5... We may find out soon enough.
@pjpreilly / @chtrusch, HuffPo loads slow on my desktop Firefox 12 at work (C2D), so I'm not surprised. It's just a big pig of a page, which is unfortunately not limited to them.
ReplyDelete@commenter, since you asked, my quad benches at around 620 on Peacemaker. That said, I look forward to your builds, even though I myself remain on 10.4.
http://s18.postimage.org/gggmxgtjd/Picture_1.png
ReplyDeleteThis is the highest Peacekepper score I've ever reached with this Mac. TFF 12.0, PowerBook G4 1.33 GHz, 10.5.8.
On the other hand, my sister's Quad core iMac does 2400 on Peacekeeper easily, and it's not even the high end model.
Go go @commenter :)
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the luck with 10.5 and aurorafox. I can participate in testing, if needed.
Thank you Chris! I will be glad when I can afford a new Mac, but for now I bring refurbished Mac laptops to Guatemala (where I live most of the year) and work with the Mayan Indians and the Guatemalans. The young people learn Windows in school and it's really great for them to have access to Mac products and software, including iPhoto, iMoive and GarageBand. They pick it up really quickly and of course I "don't do Windows," so it works out well. I'm relieved to find out I can continue with FireFox for a bit longer, although lately I've got a "script that never completes" and stalls all the time. Can't seem to find a fix for it... any ideas? CatherineTodd2 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThanks to ClassicHasClass too... my little MacBook laptop won't upgrade beyone 10.4.11 so I'm stuck with what I've got I guess...
ReplyDeleteCatherine, I admire what you're doin in Guatemala. Reminds me that most of our problems in Europe and North America are, well, luxury problems.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, if you keep using 10.4 on your MacBook, you shouldn't use Firefox anymore, but change to TenFourFox. Your MacBook is able to run 10.6, but you'd have to pay for that upgrade.
Slow script warnings can be switched off by typing about:config in the URL bar (no spaces, just like one word), typing dom.max_script_run_time into the filter field and double clicking that entry. Set it to 0.
Thank you Chris! I did do this and will wait and see if it helps. Hope so. I don't know why it started.
ReplyDeleteI found a few more instructions here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config#Filter_bar
When I tried to upgrade to 10.6 on this MacBook, it said it wasn't possible. ???
I couldn't figure out which version of TenFourFox to use. When I go to About This Mac I can't tell which is which. It never says "Lion" or "Tiger" or whatever animal is being used... or Intel or anything that I can make heads or tails of! You wouldn't guess that I used to teach Mac classes - but I know (knew) software, not hardware. A real novice when it comes to that.
Als: if you know of anywhere I can buy used or refurbished Mac laptops, let me know. I bring them back every trip here to Guatemala and we've already redone one school's computer lab and I'd like to do the same for my assistant's nursing school.
They use the one or two Spanish Windows machines the class has, but are happily using my English Macs with American keyboards, so they are getting the best of both worlds and being trained for the American market as well. It's really amazing.
Every day that I am here at lovely Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, Central America, which I call "poor man's Paradise," I too am reminded of what you said so well:
"Reminds me that most of our problems in Europe and North America are, well, luxury problems."
Exactly. Being here is teaching me what really matters in this world, and it's not how much stuff you have or how big is our house. The creative life is the spiritual life and both are alive and well here. It's incredible.
CatherineTodd2 at gmail dot com
Catherine, if your laptop said it was incompatible with Snow Leopard, then it is almost certainly a PowerBook (or iBook) instead of a MacBook. All Intel Macs can run Snow Leopard as long as they have 1GB of memory. An Intel Mac with less memory would give you a message that more memory is required, not that it can't install at all.
ReplyDeleteAssuming that it is a PowerBook or iBook, then you are either running 10.4 or 10.5 (to be able to run Firefox or TenFourFox at all). If the Apple icon in the top left is blue, it is 10.4. If it is black, it is 10.5.
I buy most of my refurbished devices from PowerMAX in Oregon. They are more expensive than other sellers, but they are still reasonable, and they have a no-questions asked return policy within 90 days which is very good for a used machine. This iBook G4 I am typing on was a PowerMAX refurb.
And, one last point, if it is a PowerBook or iBook, then TenFourFox is the right choice. IMHO. :)
ReplyDeleteDear ClassicHasClass, I'll check out PowerMAX refurb.
ReplyDeleteAbout my laptop: it's definitely a MacBook. Written write on the screen. OS 10.4.11. Apple icon is blue.
About this Mac: Processor 1.83 GHZ Intel Core Duo*, Memory 1 GB 667 MHz DR2 SDRAM. 60 GB HD.
Software update says: "Your software is up to date. Software Update doesn’t have any new software for your computer at this time."
Hardware Overview:
Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook1,1
Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 1.83 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 2 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB11.0061.B03
SMC Version: 1.4f12
Serial Number: SystemSerialNumb
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled
System Software Overview:
System Version: Mac OS X 10.4.11 (8S2167)
Kernel Version: Darwin 8.11.1
Boot Volume: MacBook HD 60 GB
Computer Name: Catherine S. Todd’s Computer
User Name: Catherine S. Todd (ctodd1000)
---
* (ah, so that's where it is! Right in front of me the whole time.)
Hi Catherine,
ReplyDeletesoftware update won't propose you to upgrade to 10.6.
You must get a Mac OSX 10.6 DVD and put it in your DVD drive, then confirm the license agreement and allow the system to upgrade your Mac.
Good luck
Angel
Thanks Angel! So that's the problem... do I buy the 10.6 DVD from Apple? And then can I keep using Firefox (which is how this discussion started) or do I need to change to the TenFourFox after all?
ReplyDeleteExactly, that's what I meant with "pay for the upgrade", you have to buy the 10.6 DVD. I don't think Apple is selling them anymore since they're on 10.7 already (which you Core Duo MacBook doesn't support). You could buy it on Ebay (make sure to get the full retail version, about 50$/40€), or just use TenFourFox on your 10.4 (free :-)). In both cases I recommend a RAM upgrade to at least 2 GB.
ReplyDeleteOh, and with 10.6, you can keep using regular Firefox, but should update it to version 12, otherwise you'll be open to security holes again because your Firefox 3.6 is won't get any security fixes anymore.
ReplyDeleteThank you Chris! Will look on eBay right now, and try to figure out which TenFourFox to use right now. I couldn't tell from the website, even though it was very detailed.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm on OS 10.4.11 and you know the specs, which one should I download?
http://www.floodgap.com/software/tenfourfox/
I can't believe all the responses and help I've found on this website. It's really great. Thank you all so much!
Catherine Todd, AtitlanArts (dot) com
The G3 version is probably the best to use on your MacBook. Remember, because it must be translated to run on an Intel MacBook, it will not run as well as Firefox 3.6 did. However, it should still function.
ReplyDeleteYou can try the other versions to see if they do better. The only version that is likely to not work well if at all on your MacBook is the G5 version because it is specifically tuned for G5 processors, which are different from other PowerPC processors and very different from Intel processors.
Thank you Classic! So now I know what steps to take on all fronts... Will check back for more info later if need be. Gracias amigo! CT
ReplyDeleteApple still sells 10.6, but you should buy now before Mountain Lion comes out, because they'll most likely stop selling it then:
ReplyDeletehttp://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA
Upgrading over 10.4 should be no problem, despite Apple trying to sell everyone the much more expensive box set to Tiger users.
Welcome Catherine,
ReplyDeletebut my advice is to buy and upgrade to 10.6.
More and more software will tell you now and in the near future that 10.4 is not supported any more.
Your Mac is good enough for the next 2-3 years.
Go for 10.6
Cheers,
Angel
Thank you Angel, will do... and until I came here I didn't even know I could upgrade, since the message was always "no." This is a real blessing in disguise! CT
ReplyDelete@ClassicHasClass & Chris, staggering benchmarks. I'd be curious to see the 'worlds highest' quad score as well as which platform it was on. Also, Chris it's time to confess about the SSD and the backroom pref switches.
ReplyDeleteOff-topic: any insight into whether Camino 3 will utilize lepkit vs. developing their own tigkit? Googled around but couldn't find much precise info about Safari 4.1's H.264 capabilities. C3 is shaping up to be a real slam dunk especially if LLInt makes an appearance via either project.
Also it's still driving me mad that TFF engine has not been Camino-shelled. If official goes WebKit (and possibly Intel) that would open the door for not one but two forks: 1. multimedia-webkit edition, and 2. performance-tff edition (eventually performance-multimedia edition).
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226666/Mozilla_to_kill_Firefox_3.6_by_auto_upgrading_old_browser
ReplyDeleteSSD? I wish… Prefs are all at default (fresh user profile). I do utter incarnations when testing, however, which helps a bit.
ReplyDeleteI mean incantations.
ReplyDeleteJust a curious query about fox browsing history. Fire&10.4/Fox offer no way to export browsing history. We can export booksmarks but not history. Is it technically possible to export browsing history or is this too much of a security hole ?
ReplyDeletethx
jim
Don't go here with 12!
ReplyDeletehttp://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/47578/baby-dinosaur-found-in-the-catskills/
A way we could add flash and java is compiling Gnash (Free Software Flash) for PPC macs, and IceTea (Free Software Java) for PPC macs. These projects are both free software projects, and can be freely compiled by anyone to any computer platform.
ReplyDeleteHow's TFF 13 coming?
ReplyDeleteI want to try tenfourfox but am still confused about which version to use. the website is very confusing. Funny, yes, but confusing. So is here! With so much excellent advice I still don't know what to use.
DeleteI am using a real MacBook OS 10.4.11 which I am not able to upgrade. I live in Guatemala with limited resources and availability. I have a Processor: 1.83 Ghz Intel Core Duo with memory 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM.
I did the machine app trick suggested on the webpage but it doesn't list my answer: 146 (see below).
catherine-s-todds-computer-2:~ ctodd1000$ machine
i486
There's so much discussion on their web page about different versions and unstable vs. stable that I can't choose anything. It's obviously not for neophytes. Why would I want anthing "unstable?"
But my gmail is no longer working well so I have to make a change. Please tell me which version to use and where to download it. There's too much text on the TFF page to figure that out. I never thought I was stupid until I've tried to do this and failed!
What exactly and where exactly do I go to download what I need? Thanks, Catherine Todd
----
My hardware overview if req'd:
Hardware Overview:
Model Name: MacBook
Model Identifier: MacBook1,1
Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 1.83 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 2 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MB11.0061.B03
SMC Version: 1.4f12
Serial Number: SystemSerialNumb
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled
@zubr, waiting on beta 3. A couple of significant fixes are still pending, so I don't want to pull yet.
ReplyDelete@alex x3, sounds great. Go for it :)
@Catherine, just get the G3 stable version (10.0.4). Quoting from my comment to you above, "The G3 version is probably the best to use on your MacBook. Remember, because it must be translated to run on an Intel MacBook, it will not run as well as Firefox 3.6 did. However, it should still function."
Thanks, Classic... I think the part about "it will not run as well as Firefox 3.6 did" scared me off. Should I just use Safari?
ReplyDeleteYou can certainly use Safari, but Safari for 10.4 has not been updated in some time and will probably have more issues with certain sites than Fx 3.6 did. The reason I caution about not running as well as that TenFourFox isn't, and probably won't ever be, Intel-native or Universal, so it will be somewhat slower.
ReplyDeleteYour other choices would be OmniWeb or Camino. These will still run on 10.4, at least for the time being, and do have a native Intel version. I don't know how long they will be supported, however.
Gracias... will give all these a try, and mostly will try to save money for an upgraded machine! Buenos Noches... CT
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=904GQGkK84w
ReplyDeleteSafari 4.1 apparently supports H.264:
images.apple.com/quicktime/pdf/H264_Technology_Brief.pdf
A legitimate enterprise, considering the apparent magnitude of the active Tiger constituency, would be identifying the final 10.4 WebKit, building it with lepkit's fullscreen patch and then you would have next generation video for 10.4.
Pretty good dude, combined we could run youtube 360p vids on our PPC hardwate
DeleteEven 720p and probably 1080p on high-end quads.
DeleteLatest WebKit version that was meant to build and work on 10.4 is 533.21.1 . But until 534.31.2, 10.4 compatibility wasn't broken on purpose.
DeleteHowever the most recent 10.4 compatible WebKit is maintained by OmniGroup and equals the version that shipped with Safari 5.0 - unfortunately their work on the WebKit sources isn't publicly available.
But fullscreen support for Tiger (and Leopard also) was deactivated on purpose for a reason that is described in Apple's internal bug tracking only. Might be there are issues - and I also had the QTKit player crashing several times already.
Thanks, i have some power pc g4 4500 to compile it on.
ReplyDeleteHowever i need plugins to be renabled, and some way to make sure that they are for tenfourfox and not firefox.
Do'h i ment 7450
DeleteWhat about the iCab web brower for OS X 10.4.11 (8S165) PPC, and OS X 10.4.11 (8S2167) Intel "Tiger" users?
ReplyDelete