SillyDog701

[DJGM]

As the thread title suggests, Mozilla have released the second official beta of Firefox 2.0 . . .

* A new theme that updates Firefox's familiar interface
* Built in Phishing Protection
* Enhanced search engine management and search suggestions for Google, Yahoo! and Answers.com
* Improvements to tabbed browsing, including the ability to re-open recently closed tabs
* Firefox will resume from where you left off after a system crash or browser restart
* Better support for previewing and subscribing to Web feeds
* Inline spell checking in Web forms
* The ability to create bookmarks with "Live Titles" for Web sites that offer microsummaries
* New Add-ons manager that simplifies management of extensions and themes.
* Support for JavaScript 1.7
* Extended search plugin format
* Updates to the extension system to provide enhanced security and to allow for easier localization of extensions
* Support for client-side session and persistent storage
* Support for SVG text using svg:textPath
* New Windows installer based on Nullsoft Scriptable Install System

Localised installers available for your preferred OS platform below:

Microsoft Windows
Mac OS X
Linux

Release Notes

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060821 Firefox/2.0b2

[Fulvio]

Ignorance may be a blessing, sometimes. I have been working from the unzipped files, which are updated daily. My original unzipped file is name 2.0b1, but I have received 2.0b2 for weeks. As you can see, I am still ahead.
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060831 BonEcho/2.0b2

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060831 BonEcho/2.0b2

[James]

So far... looking good!

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060821 Firefox/2.0b2

[Antony]

What's new from Beta 1?

Mostly it seems that the UI have been given a facelift, and I really like the much smaller title section. Tabs also get a refresh and now include a close button on each tab, plus you can now navigate from tab to tab using the arrow keys.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.0.5) Gecko/20060723 Firefox/1.5.0.5

[Pu7o]

Screenshot of the new Mac theme:


(Click thumbnail for full-size screenshot)

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/521.25 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/521.24

[Fulvio]

What's new from Beta 1?

Mostly it seems that the UI have been given a facelift, and I really like the much smaller title section. Tabs also get a refresh and now include a close button on each tab, plus you can now navigate from tab to tab using the arrow keys.

And, they removed any mention of mail. The reasons which were give have been:
1.Firefox is not a mail client (a very silly argument0
2.The link never work (true, if you were were gullible enough to believe in the number of new e-mail items, and, totally pointless, with multi accounts
3. the net effect is that they removed the convenience of a shortcut to open the mail client. or write mail (the first part has been impossible to work out via extention, although the write mail is available. I have not figured out the use of an extention to open an external application).
4. It seems that, in part, this omission was done because IE7 was leaving out the similar link, but the ensuing furor made the IE7 developers add it back.
5. Another lame argument was that adding the envelope icon contributed to clutter. But, of course, it is ok to add several buttons from an extention. Besides, the icon is not mandatory.
6.Don't worry, I am ok. I have a programmable keyboard, with an e-mail button, and, if one wants, one can add a shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar.
7. The net effect is that Bon Echo took a step backward, overall. All the other improvements are minor.

UserAgent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; AOL 9.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)

[geffr]

I just installed the the Portable Version of Beta 2 from zip file. You can get it here:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Ewagner ... ble2b2.zip

The portable version keeps it's profile self contained & totally separate, so it doesn't mess with 1.5. So far absolutely no problems on Win 98 & it seems faster then 1.5. LOVE the spell check feature. My favorite theme, the Ayakawa variation of Modern Pinball is available: http://marilab.hp.infoseek.co.jp/firefo ... 1.9.33.jar
as is no script. The only thing I consider essential that (I believe) isn't available is the add bookmark here extension. I've only been playing for about 1/2 an hour so far, but I'm very pleased; unlike Beta 1, this seems very stable on Win 98.

Haven't tried a page that needs java or plug-ins yet.

As an fyi, I was able to successfully copy & paste my 1.5 bookmarks & cookies. On the other hand, Beta 2 doesn't seem to be able to read 1.5's saved forms & passwords files.

Geff

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060821 Firefox/2.0b2

[geffr]

It's now passed what I consider one of the ultimate tests: working on ebay with their dreadful code without crashing! After using it for a couple days, I've found 1 or 2 small bugs; but all in all quite stable.

Geff

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060821 Firefox/2.0b2

[Fulvio]

As of 9-14, nightlies are no longer labelled as 2.0b2. They appear to be 2.0 RC1 or something like it.
As usual, even what appears to be a minor change, but who knows, makes some extention incompatible. Mr Tech Local Install or Nightly Tester extentions can make most extentions compatible, and, indeed four of five extentions were made compatible, but Roboform 0.6.7.5 which was fine for beta2, is unsupported for this critter.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1) Gecko/20060915 BonEcho/2.0

[geffr]

Does anyone know if the FF 1.5.0.6 security vulnerabilities are an issue with the beta?

Geff

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.8.0.7) Gecko/20060909 Firefox/1.5.0.7

[elamont]

I'm enjoying it so far. I have noticed just a few glitches here and there. But, so far - so good.
Erin
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[Spam links deactivated by profman. 1/18/2007]

UserAgent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)

[James]

Note to moderator:

I'm questioning the use of links to commercial sites in the above poster's post. Does this constitute SPAM? If so, it seems to me yet another cheap way to misuse our forum here by taking an old thread and using it to SPAM us with advertising. If not, then I'm out of line. If it does constitute SPAM, then it seems to me the post should be removed and the poster cautioned.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.1) Gecko/20061204 Firefox/2.0.0.1

[Fulvio]

I am not going to check the links. They may not be SPAM, but whoever uses such links should tell what to look for. This happens too often, when a link is given with no info given, or just as bad, no link, with description of problems.
and, what the heck is the poster using? 2.0.0.1 has been issued since, and the poster is using IE7.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.9) Gecko/20061206 Firefox/1.5.0.9

[James]

Exactly, Fulvio. That is why I think her message was a sham. She simply took an old thread, used it to appear to innocently add her response and then SPAM us with the links at the bottom of her message. The fact that she is not even using FF is somewhat telling as well. Frankly, I think this sort of thing needs to be nipped in the bud by deleting such posts and cautioning such posters. It's the thin edge of the SPAMMING wedge in my opinion.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.1) Gecko/20061204 Firefox/2.0.0.1