14 DAY TRIAL // It’s been a while since Mozilla drove the last nail into Firefox 3.0’s coffin, but just because the version 3.0 of the open source browser is dead, it doesn’t mean that it is also properly buried. In all fairness, on June 1st, 2010, users will most likely have their attention diverted by the release of Firefox 3.6.4 and Firefox 3.5.10 to remark that Mozilla is burying Firefox 3.0 for good. This is understandable, given that less than 3% of browser users are still running version 3.0 of the open source browser. Come June 1st, 2010, Mozilla will power off the Firefox 3.0 infrastructure, according to John O'Duinn.
“What will change: no FF3.0.x incremental/depend/hourly builds will be produced. No FF3.0.x clobber/nightly builds will be produced. No FF3.0.x release builds will be produced. The FF3.0 waterfall page will be removed from tinderbox,” O'Duinn stated.
The release of Firefox 3.5 and Firefox 3.6 has convinced the vast majority of 3.0 users to make the jump. At the end of March 2010, Mozilla released the last stability and security update for Firefox 3.0. Following the launch of Firefox 3.0.19, support for v3.0 was dropped completely. For the time being, Mozilla will continue to offer Firefox 3.0 via its FTP servers. According to statistics from Internet metrics outfit Net Applications, no less than 2.75% of browser users were still running the now-obsolete version of Firefox at the end of April 2010.
O'Duinn noted that, despite the shutting down of the Firefox 3.0 infrastructure, “Existing update offers would still be available. For example: FF3.0.14 users can still update to FF3.0.19. FF3.0.19 users can still update to latest FF3.6.x release (which is FF3.6.3 as of this writing). Newly revised major update offers, like from FF3.0.19 -> a future FF3.6.9 release, could still be produced as needed (because these are produced on the FF3.6.x infrastructure, not on the powered off FF3.0 infrastructure).”
As previously announced, next week, Mozilla will offer for download Firefox 3.6.4 and Firefox 3.5.10. While Firefox 3.5.10 will be a minor stability and reliability update, Firefox 3.6.4 represents a shift from the standard refresh deployment strategy for Mozilla, as it is designed to introduce Out of Process Plugins, a feature initially planned for Firefox 3.7.
Firefox 3.0.19 for Windows is available for download here.
Firefox 3.0.19 for Mac OS X is available for download here.
Firefox 3.0.19 for Linux is available for download here.
Firefox 3.5.9 for Windows is available for download here.
Firefox 3.5.9 for Mac OS X is available for download here.
Firefox 3.5.9 for Linux is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6.3 for Windows is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6.3 for Mac OS X is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6.3 for Linux is available for download here.
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