End users will still have to exercise their patience when it comes down to downloading, installing and test driving the latest development milestone for the next iteration of the Mozilla open-source browser, but in the meantime they can keep busy with two updates offered for older versions. Firefox 3.5.4 and 3.0.15 are now available for download straight from Mozilla for all the platforms supported by the browser. At the time of this article Mozilla was yet to release Firefox 3.6 Beta, officially or otherwise, but make sure you keep your eyes on this space and I will make sure to provide an update once the downloads get the green light.

As per the tradition associated with the evolution of Mozilla browser versions, Firefox 3.5.4 and 3.0.15 are nothing more than security and stability updates. In this regard, both refreshes bring to the table a variety of security fixes. Mozilla has patched no less than 10 vulnerabilities in Firefox 3.0.15. The same range of security issues were addressed with the release of Firefox 3.5.4, although the latest Firefox 3.5 refresh contains a fix for an additional security hole, taking the total of vulnerabilities patched to 11.

“As part of Mozilla’s ongoing stability and security update process, Firefox 3.5.4 and Firefox 3.0.15 are now available for Windows, Mac, and Linux as free downloads,” revealed Samuel Sidler, Quality Assurance engineer at Mozilla. “We strongly recommend that all Firefox users upgrade to this latest release. If you already have Firefox 3.5 or Firefox 3, you will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours. This update can also be applied manually by selecting “Check for Updates…” from the Help menu.”

Mozilla has confirmed that it will release Firefox 3.6 Beta on October 28th, 2009. And it’s going to be October 28th all day long, and I’ll make sure to monitor Mozilla and try to grab the download even before the official announcement. In this regard, you will be among the first to know when Firefox 3.6 Beta will be released.

Firefox 3.5.4 and Firefox 3.0.15 for Windows are available for download here.
Firefox 3.5.4 for Linux is available for download here.
Firefox 3.0.15 for Linux is available for download here.