Firefox 12 released with UAC-less update system on Windows

[James]

By Ryan Paul

Mozilla announced today the availability of Firefox 12, a new version of the popular open source Web browser. The release brings some minor incremental feature improvements, a number of fixes under the hood, and a significant change to the browser’s update system on Windows.

Ever since Mozilla transitioned Firefox to a shorter development cycle, the organization has been working to make browser updates less intrusive and more seamless. The eventual goal is to make updates completely silent, performing them in the background without user intervention.

Mozilla is reportedly on track to deliver silent updates in Firefox 13, the next major version. The Firefox developers have been working to implement some of the underlying technical changes that are needed to support the functionality. One of those changes, which is included in Firefox 12, is a new update system that will be used on Windows.

http://arstechnica.com/business/news/20 ... mpaign=rss

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:12.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/12.0

[Fulvio]

I am testing Firefox13 beta1, and I can, still, select to update at my convenience. Until the settings change, this silent update talk is irrelevant, if the user is willing to take control.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:13.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/13.0

[James]

I don't think you're seeing the significance of UACj-less updates in addition to silent updates, Fulvio. First off, it seems to me that the option will continue to exist for those users who want to control when updates are installed on their browsers. The fact is, most do not care about this and would fail to do it "if" it depended upon them. Furthermore, even if they were informed that an update was available, most would either blow it off or not know what to do. For the majority of users, silent updates are a very good thing. It keeps their browsers constantly up to date without their having to think about it or act upon it. And it also releases them from having to click through the bothersome UAC warning each time their browsers update. In my view, this is a very good thing. It keeps FF abreast of Chrome and Internet Explorer.

As I mentioned once before, I don't have the expertise to know whether an update is a good thing or a bad thing for my particular browser and email client. So... I've always let them update automatically and low and behold, I've never had a problem with any update. My attitude: go for it. I don't want to be bothered diddling around with these updates anyway. I've more important things to do online. And I think that "this" is the importance of the direction that Mozilla is now pursuing. Yes... for folks like you and for developers and geeks, the option will probably remain to prevent or delay an update so I don't think you should be concerned.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:12.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/12.0

[Fulvio]

James,
I am not concerned, and, probably, I would let the updates take place. I am doing this with Chrome, which is doing an update, as I type this. And, I might as well, because I don't know what's going on. First, when I checked About Google Chrome, it told me that it was installing an update. A bit later, it was Checking for updates. Five minutes later, still checking for updates. As long as you don't know and care what's going on, you might as well let the program do its thing...still checking for updates!
By the way, I have, never, had a problem with any update, even the dreaded alphas, but some people have had all sort of issues.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1) AppleWebKit/535.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/18.0.1025.162 Safari/535.19

[Fulvio]

Maybe my Chrome update is not so silent. Nothing seemed to have happened as I was doing anything, but when Iwas done, Chrome asked me if I wanted to Relaunch. I did, and we may see there there has been an update.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1) AppleWebKit/535.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/18.0.1025.168 Safari/535.19