Firefox and Mozilla

[FraggedLocust]

I've read about different browsers, and I know that Firefox is the browser provided by the Mozilla Corp., but I keep seeing mention of the "Mozilla browser" separately. What is the difference?

[Mohamedzv2]

The Mozilla Browser is the abandoned browser that Mozilla had created before Firefox, or as it used to be "Firebird"

[Erunno]

The Mozilla Browser is the abandoned browser that Mozilla had created before Firefox, or as it used to be "Firebird"

The oldest name for Firefox I am aware of is Phoenix before it was renamed to Firebird for reasons that slipped my mind. If I remember correctly Phoenix 0.2 was the first version I used of what would later become Firefox.

The Mozilla Application Suite does still exist as a community based project called SeaMonkey.

[Mohamedzv2]

The oldest name for Firefox I am aware of is Phoenix before it was renamed to Firebird for reasons that slipped my mind. If I remember correctly Phoenix 0.2 was the first version I used of what would later become Firefox.

The Mozilla Application Suite does still exist as a community based project called SeaMonkey.


I thought Phoenix was the code name for the first version of Firebird

[Erunno]

I thought Phoenix was the code name for the first version of Firebird

Nope, the first few versions were called Phoenix. Starting with 0.6 the browser was renamed to Firebird but the developers of the database with the same name didn't like this too much so it was finally renamed to Firefox.

[Mercury_Alpha]

AOL purchased Netscape, who were developing and releasing Netscape Navigator. Eventually, AOL decided to open source Navigator. This was called "The Mozilla Project." This project created the Mozilla Application Suite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Application_Suite).

The suite was commonly referred to as Mozilla, and Mozilla contained a Web browser, email client, and I think a Usenet client too.

This project was eventually perceived as bloated, so the Suite was broken up. The browser portion became Phoenix, which changed its name to Firebird because of legal entanglements. Then they changed it to Firefox.

The email portion of the suite became Thunderbird.

[blueshiftoverwatch]

This project was eventually perceived as bloated, so the Suite was broken up. The browser portion became Phoenix, which changed its name to Firebird because of legal entanglements. Then they changed it to Firefox.
I hope Firefox doesn't go down the bloatware route. I heard that in the next major release of Firefox they're going to include software to play OGG media files. On one hand it'll be great that more web users will have the ability to play an open alternative to the dominant MP3 format. But on the other hand if you download a web browser you should get only a web browser, not all kinds of extra frilly stuff. That's why there are plugins and extensions. Hopefully if they do end up including it they'll make it an option during the installation process and not include it by default.