Recommended Posts

... Does this even make sense?! can you go a new version skipping one? because as long as FF3 isn't complete its nothing much diffrent than FF4 prealpha.... good think that browsers are free.

This isn't new at all.

When 1.0 was out, and the 1.5 branch was in Beta, 2.0 alpha trunk was also going. Did they release 2.0 before 1.5? No.

Now 2.0 is out, they are working on beta 3, and the 4.0 alpha trunk is being worked on. Are they going to release 4.0 before 3.0? No.

Same thing as before, just bigger number difference.

I'm getting sick of these threads every time a new nightly is released.

So far there have been release threads for Beta 4, Beta 5 and now Alpha 1 of Firefox 4, and yet we're only on Beta 3 of FX3.

this is why I created this thread:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=623614

BTW, contrary to the "Tech Today" article, this isn't actually an alpha build, Alpha builds are development milestones, and usually undergo at least some QA testing.

This is simply a nightly, as is denoted such as being named: pre-alpha (i.e. a nightly that occurred before alpha 1)

I'm going to have to right a guide to Mozilla build naming conventions soon. I can't stand this much longer.

Edited by shakey_snake

This is not really a Firefox 4.0 build. As others mentioned, it's only a nightly build, which contains the latest code. These builds will eventually become Firefox 4 (and 5, 6, etc). They call it 4.0a1pre in anticipation of an alpha release later down the road.

When a new version of Firefox is released, nightly builds get a bump in their version number. For example, when Firefox 2.0.0.12 was released, branch nightly builds were renamed firefox-2.0.0.13pre

Edited by BinaryFragger
LOL, i'll stick with Firefox 2 until they release 3. I think 4 is a long way off, and probably just for testing purposes?

Yes, these 4.0a1pre builds are known as "trunk builds."

As per MozillaZine:

Q. What is the trunk?

A. The trunk is the central source code that is used for continuous and ongoing development. Trunk builds contain the very latest bleeding-edge changes and updates. However, the trunk can also be very unstable at times, so it's good to ask around before using trunk builds.

Visit The Burning Edge if you want to see what's new in the trunk builds.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:2.0a1pre) Gecko/2008030802 Minefield/4.0a1pre

Got the zip version without installer just to have a look... Can't see any difference from FF3 (all menus and Options are the same).

On FF3, one of my 2 add-ons doesn't work, on FF4, they both don't work LOL

After Internet Explorer 8 it’s now time for Firefox 4 Alpha codenamed Minesfield. Many new changes has been made in this new version of Firefox.It’s pretty smooth and fast and also the user interface has been changed considerably.

Here are some of the notable changes in this version-

* Changes to the graphics layer

* New data storage layer for bookmarks and history (using SQLite)

* Extended search plugin format

* Updates to the extension system to provide enhanced security and to allow for easier localization of extensions

* Support for SVG text using svg:textPath

* To get a list of the most recent additions, check out the Burning Edge weblog.

U can download it here- do not bother...

Source- Tech Today

It is far from being available as the actual Firefox 4.0 Alpha 1 is not likely for some months yet as the techtoday blog your sourcing from jumped the gun big time. Just somebody who was browsing the ftp.mozilla.org and saw the "4.0a1pre" and thought "Hey Mozilla just released 4.0 alpha 1 without telling us". Mozilla may not be really working on the early development of Firefox 4.0 until after Firefox 3.0 or close to that as they are busy enough with Firefox 3.0 at the moment.

As was posted on the blog: ""This a new Trunk due to part of moving from CVS to Mercurial. At some point CVS will only be for security branch checkins, until they retire that branch, then it will be closed. There will be two Trunk, current Trunk “Gecko 1.9 Trunk” and New Trunk “Mozilla 2 (hg) Trunk”.

“Minefield” (not Minesfield) is the code name for the 1.9 Trunk itself and not really the name of any Firefox version as while code name for Firefox 3.0 is Gran Paradiso, there is no code name for Firefox 4 yet as it is not Minefield as they have not named the new 2.0 Trunk yet.""

Yes, these 4.0a1pre builds are known as "trunk builds."

As per MozillaZine:

Q. What is the trunk?

A. The trunk is the central source code that is used for continuous and ongoing development. Trunk builds contain the very latest bleeding-edge changes and updates. However, the trunk can also be very unstable at times, so it's good to ask around before using trunk builds.

Visit The Burning Edge if you want to see what's new in the trunk builds.

A different Trunk actually as Minefield is the 1.9Trunk that Firefox is currently being developed on while the Firefox 4.0a1pre is on a new 2.0 Trunk that has yet to be renamed as naming both Trunks Minefield may be confusing enough as is. Edited by Jzilla
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • "Samsung is shutting down yet another app used by millions" I will fix the clickbait title for you, free-of-charge: "Samsung shutting down it's Max VPN app"
    • Microsoft brings Planner Agent to all Microsoft 365 Copilot users by Ivan Jenic Image: Microsoft Microsoft has announced that Planner Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot is now generally available to all users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Planner Agent is the latest addition in the string of AI features that Microsoft is implementing across virtually all of its products. The agent lets you manage tasks through natural language prompts directly inside Microsoft 365 Copilot. You can create and update tasks, check priorities, and get insights about current entries without leaving the chat interface. The general availability release comes with a handful of new additions on top of what was available during the initial rollout. A new plan picker lets you search and filter your plans by name, then update task names, statuses, due dates, or priorities through the agent. There's also a goals bucket now, which lets you group tasks under specific goals. This builds on the Goals view, a feature that was introduced as part of the broader Planner refresh that rolled out earlier. Image: Microsoft | Planner Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot All AI-generated plans and tasks are created in draft mode by default, so you can review and approve changes before anything goes through. This is actually a thoughtful safety feature, because trusting AI to handle all your tasks without a human in the loop is usually a recipe for disaster. Having tasks initially saved as drafts is the best possible middle ground. Microsoft also says that not all tasks are executed equally. Simple tasks get processed quickly, while more complex ones, like building a plan from a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, are handed to a more capable model. Microsoft says this approach delivers the best performance, but it could also help with usage management, as you won't have to waste tokens on performing simple tasks. Planner Agent is available now across Teams, Loop, SharePoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps for anyone on a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.
    • To be clear I'm anti trump, the bigger point is why review this game at all?
    • Trillion dollar Microsoft has to reduce spending by hurting more people. Good job Microsoft. Good Job Asha.
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      Cosminus earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Year In
      ThatGuyOnline earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Week One Done
      Jeroen Wilms earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      rolfus earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      Leroy Jethro Gibbs earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      489
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      189
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      124
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      86
    5. 5
      neufuse
      73
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!