Should I try Firefox 21?

0'Grady

unread,

May 22, 2013, 1:13:53 AM5/22/13

to

I just noticed that there's a Firefox 21.0 now. I have 20.0.1. I'm
debating whether to try it. I don't like the changes Firefox has been
making in the rapid release 4-20 versions. I've had to do many tweaks
with about:config or userChrome.css to keep it functioning like I want.
I still miss the 3.6 series. So I wonder what unpleasant surprises are
in store for me in version 21, and what are the fixes(?). If there were
only security updates I wouldn't mind, but it's much more. It looks like
they're trying to play follow the leader with the Chrome browser, which
I like even less.
--
0'Grady

Peter Taylor

unread,

May 22, 2013, 7:14:54 AM5/22/13

to

Restore point

Install 21

Play with it.

Decide.

--
Peter Taylor

WaltS

unread,

May 22, 2013, 7:59:43 AM5/22/13

to

Here are a couple of themes that might interest you.

<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/firefox-2-theme-for-firefox/>

<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/firefox-3-theme-for-firefox/>

--
openSUSE 12.3 (64-bit) KDE 4.10.2
Thunderbird Daily 24.0a1
I abhor GG.

0'Grady

unread,

May 22, 2013, 10:52:08 AM5/22/13

to

Both say they're not available for Firefox 20. However themes are only
cosmetics and can't solve my problem. They don't fix changes in
functionality, which often require tweaks in about:config or
userChrome.css (at least).
--
0'Grady

Anthony Papillion

unread,

May 22, 2013, 1:03:31 PM5/22/13

to Firefox help community

I just updated to 21 on Fedora 18 last night and, I have to say, I
wasn't unhappily surprised at all. Not many visual changes that I can
immediately see from 20 and it seems very stable. Don't know about the
Windows or Mac versions but if the Linux release is any indication of
how it is on the other platforms, I'd say go for it.

Anthony

EE

unread,

May 22, 2013, 1:17:06 PM5/22/13

to

If you want to use the old download window, you need to change this
setting in about:config:
browser.download.useToolkitUI - set to true

Otherwise, the only way to see the download progress is to open a
doorhanger from the download button, which is now in the upper right
corner of the main window. Of course, that covers up a considerable
amount of the page you are reading. It apparently also does not show
the speed of downloading.

Christian Riechers

unread,

May 22, 2013, 1:50:41 PM5/22/13

to

Check the release notes before deciding to upgrade or not. Then there's
no unpleasant surprise.
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/21.0/releasenotes/

--
Christian

»Q«

unread,

May 22, 2013, 1:57:40 PM5/22/13

to

On Wed, 22 May 2013 10:17:06 -0700
EE <nu...@bees.wax> wrote:

> If you want to use the old download window, you need to change this
> setting in about:config:
> browser.download.useToolkitUI - set to true
>
> Otherwise, the only way to see the download progress is to open a
> doorhanger from the download button,

No, Tools » Downloads will still bring up a download window, which like
the download window in previous versions does show progress.

> which is now in the upper right corner of the main window.

On mine, the download button stayed where I had it before the
upgrade(s).

> Of course, that covers up a considerable amount of the page you are
> reading.

It covers up less than the download window, at least in my case.

> It apparently also does not show the speed of downloading.

To get the speed, either click through from the doorhanger to "show all
downloads" or use Tools » Downloads.

Dave Symes

unread,

May 22, 2013, 2:23:35 PM5/22/13

to

In article <mailman.926.136924225...@lists.mozilla.org>,

Anthony Papillion <ant...@cajuntechie.org> wrote:

> I just updated to 21 on Fedora 18 last night and, I have to say, I
> wasn't unhappily surprised at all. Not many visual changes that I can
> immediately see from 20 and it seems very stable. Don't know about the
> Windows or Mac versions but if the Linux release is any indication of
> how it is on the other platforms, I'd say go for it.

> Anthony

I've been using Fx 21 since it updated from 20.nn when it was recently
released, on Win 7 Pro, and I can't say I've noticed anything different to
the front end, or any problems with it.

Dave

--

Dave Triffid

0'Grady

unread,

May 23, 2013, 3:51:52 PM5/23/13

to

Thanks for the tip and discussion. That's the sort of info which might
be really helpful to know *before* I update Firefox, but it does not
seem to affect/apply to my Win32 version of Firefox on XP Home SP3.

Following my usual procedure, I downloaded the complete FF21 installer,
saved a backup copy of the Mozilla folder containing my FF profile,
uninstalled the former FF version while keeping my user settings, then
installed FF21.

The only difference I've noticed so far is in Tools > Options > Advanced
> Data Choices where there are new options for Enable Firefox Health
Report (enabled by default) and Crash Reporter (not enabled by default).

I've found no difference in download behavior from former FF versions.
Tools > Options > General still has the box checked to show the
Downloads window, like in former versions, which it does perfectly fine.
And browser.download.useToolkitUI is already set to true in about:config
by default (I didn't have to change it to true).

I'm puzzled by your mentions of a download button and a doorhanger. I've
never encountered either of those items previously, insofar as I'm aware!?

--
0'Grady

»Q«

unread,

May 23, 2013, 6:35:58 PM5/23/13

to

With those settings, the behavior you describe is what I'd expect.
The only thing I don't understand is the status you report for
browser.download.useToolkitUI -- could you double-check the status
column for it in about:config?

Here's how I would proceed if I were you, for whatever it's worth:

If Fx is behaving the way you'd like it to behave, just keep your old
settings. If you're curious about why it behaves that way, make a
another profile backup and fiddle with stuff until you break it, then
restore the backup.

To see new behavior which may be hidden with your current settings,
customizations, extensions, &c., play around with a fresh profile
temporarily.

Chris Ilias

unread,

May 25, 2013, 12:31:18 PM5/25/13

to

On 2013-05-23 3:51 PM, 0'Grady wrote:
> Following my usual procedure, I downloaded the complete FF21 installer,
> saved a backup copy of the Mozilla folder containing my FF profile,
> uninstalled the former FF version while keeping my user settings, then
> installed FF21.

The safest way to update is to use the built in updater via
Help-->About_Firefox.

> The only difference I've noticed so far is in Tools > Options > Advanced
> > Data Choices where there are new options for Enable Firefox Health
> Report (enabled by default) and Crash Reporter (not enabled by default).
>
> I've found no difference in download behavior from former FF versions.
> Tools > Options > General still has the box checked to show the
> Downloads window, like in former versions, which it does perfectly fine.
> And browser.download.useToolkitUI is already set to true in about:config
> by default (I didn't have to change it to true).
>
> I'm puzzled by your mentions of a download button and a doorhanger. I've
> never encountered either of those items previously, insofar as I'm aware!?

That means you've set the preference to true at some previous time. In a
previous version, the interface for the download manager was updated,
and that preference sets it back to the old interface.

Unfortunately, whenever someone has a question about the download
manager, too many people here just jump to suggesting that pref without
actually investigating the question. :(

--
Chris Ilias <http://ilias.ca>
Mailing list/Newsgroup moderator