Firefox 1.5 Backport

[GTvulse]

OMG don't remind me

That's what Devil's advocates are for.

Security team established a long solid record of backporting changes without incrementing version number (even if the packages were source level equivalent to later upstream version) for nearly 9 months, and all of a sudden one day decided to issue a bumped version starting with Firefox 1.0.6.

I still have the feeling that was a marketing move. But the "you are using an oudated browser yaddayadda" at mozilla.org's web sites wasn't good press either, most Ubuntu users are getting their feet wet with Linux and don't understand the point of view of a responsible software engineer (or IT manager as that seems to be the hat I wear these days). That version bump was a quick and effective way to put out some nasty witch roasting bonfires already building at the time[1].

That's why this time we're taking it slowly. I've asked devs several times about Security Team's plans for security updates to Firefox for the rest of Breezy's security support cycle, and have yet to receive official word, though peers tell me that they will fight importing 1.5 to breezy-security to the death basically...

That'll be something decided between phase 2 and 3.

*Sigh* Considering the major Gecko ABI changes I can appreciate why the Security Team will stick its guns to the death. The need to update all dependent applications in main and universe would be too draining on the development of Dapper... Cross me fingers.

[1] Like the nice napalm grenade thrown a couple of posts down...

[nix4me]

So far the answer from backports is NO.

nix4me

[denzilla]

This is one of the major sucking points of Linux. The Open source world moves alot faster than the closed world of Microsoft, but if you want to stay on the cutting edge of application updates, you have to use them on a proprietary OS? Not bashing on the Ubuntu Dev team cause its not their fault but I absolutely hate this dependency crap about Linux.

[strikeforce]

This is one of the major sucking points of Linux. The Open source world moves alot faster than the closed world of Microsoft, but if you want to stay on the cutting edge of application updates, you have to use them on a proprietary OS? Not bashing on the Ubuntu Dev team cause its not their fault but I absolutely hate this dependency crap about Linux.

The difference is ubuntu try's to make it simpler for you. If you want to install the latest version you can from source.

However I think the fact of the issues is that you will have to wait. A lot of other packages will need to be rebuilt at the same time. You have to remember Microsoft doesn't generaly update anything for a few years where as ubuntu updates every 6 months.

I'm not trying to bag Microsoft but the comparisons are not a fair appraisal. The OS itself is stagnant and thats why upgraded packages can be installed where as linux is constantly changing and growing and thats the reason behind a multitude of package revisions when a major upgrade is done.

[stray]

I'm a little fuzzy on the whole "backports" thing. Is Firefox 1.5 on Breezy Badger considered a backport if Breezy is the latest version of the operating system?

[Kuolio]

I'm a little fuzzy on the whole "backports" thing. Is Firefox 1.5 on Breezy Badger considered a backport if Breezy is the latest version of the operating system?

Backports are newer program releases than those that come with Breezy and they are "backported features" from unstable version. Current stable Ubuntu release is Breezy. Backports come from the unstable, and that is atm. Dapper Drake. Unstable generaly means the "development" version, and they get all the goodies first (bleedingedge).

So, I summarize in my mind backports as "Porting the bleedingedge apps from unstable to stable in a safe and tested way."

In six months DD will be stable, and backports will be coming from from DD+1 (unstable).

[doclivingston]

I am also interested in a Firefox 1.5 backport for Ubuntu Breezy, now that the official 1.5 version is out.

Will we see an official backport of this important updates used by thousands of web surfers using Ubuntu Linux?

It won't be backported any time soon because they will also need to backport and heavily test at around 25 other packages that depend on Firefox for Gecko.

Edit: previously linked to the thread I've moved these posts to. --aysiu

[jdong]

There is a marked difference between how Windows and *nix handle applications... *nix has a lot more of the intertwining dependency effect, like yelp (GNOME Help) depending on Firefox, and so on. Windows would ship a version of Firefox at 25MB bundled with every program that could use it. There are two disadvantages to the Windows approach:

(1) Size -- every program bundles overlapping DLL's. Pointless, should be OS-managed... Ever wondered why Windows programs are so huge?
(2) Security -- Take the zlib vulnerability a few months back. Linux needed ONE library update, and every program on the system using zlib is protected. However, what about Windows? Each program bundles its own zlib, and as a result hundreds of applications developers had to release updates... IE, Acrobat Reader, you name it.


---

Anyway, Firefox 1.5 RC3 debs are being uploaded to Sourceforge.... Again, these are EXPERIMENTAL QUALITY packages for those of you who are obsessive-compulsive about updating your browsers... Note that the applications in my last post will be BROKEN by the update, and need recompiling... Locales probably will not install.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...kage_id=171041

[jdong]

UPDATE 4: source package list was inaccurately generated; did not take into account binary packages with same package names as sources...

Now, our total source rebuild count is up to 51.

[vassie]

AFAIK RC3 is the same as 1.5 Final, the Windows version of 1.5RC3 & 1.5 have the same MD5 hash
I don't know if this is the case for Linux
Please correct me if I am wrong
Ben