I've just posted an update on the 1.7 branch plans to the n.p.m.seamonkey newsgroup.
The Mozilla 1.7.1, 1.7.2, and 1.7.3 releases were all security releases from near the 1.7 release tag. Since then, we've taken quite a few changes into the 1.7 and Aviary branches but haven't delivered those changes in a Seamonkey release yet.We're planning a mid-December Mozilla 1.7.5 release that will include all of those changes and be a Gecko-equivalent to Firefox 1.0. Web and web application developers should be able to test and certify against either of Mozilla 1.7.5 or Firefox 1.0 and have confidence that their code will work in the other.
For 1.7.5 we are only considering changes that provide the maximum compatibility with the Gecko shipped in Firefox 1.0, and of course any security issues that might be raised in the next week or so.
I've updated the "1.7.x" Bugzilla flags to "1.7.5" since that's the next major release we're shipping. We don't intend to take any changes into 1.7.5 that would break Gecko compatibility with Firefox 1.0 and we'd like to make this release happen quickly so we're also not likely to take even non-Gecko changes into 1.7.5 unless they're security related.
I can't wait until we have a Firefox and Seamonkey shipping identical Geckos to tens of millions of users. We get the question, all of the time, "which version do I code to?" and it's going to be nice to have a simple answer of "Code for and test with Firefox 1.0 _or_ Mozilla 1.7.5".
Posted by asa at November 24, 2004 04:01 PMAsa, any idea on the number of people who keep their installation nicely up-to-date? I'd say it could be over 95% for those using Firefox for daily browsing, though the number might drop seriously now that the target audience for 1.0 final release isn't geeky anymore, but consists of people who just want the app to work. And as long as it works, it is OK. Though the update indicator helps a bit.
I'd expect the upgrade percentage to be much lower for Netscape/Mozilla users. I know many people aren't hurrying to upgrade Opera versions, though most seem to lag only by one major release (using 7.2 instead of 7.5 for example) judging by the questions we get in newsgroups and forums.
Posted by: Rijk on November 25, 2004 01:14 AMAnd why Mozilla 1.7.5 and not 1.7.4? The same questions goes to Firefox 1.0, which is also revision 1.7.5. Is 1.7.4 some kind of unlucky number or what? ;-)
--Thomas
Posted by: Thomas on November 25, 2004 02:18 AMThomas: as I understand it from brief bug comments, they went with 1.7.5 for Firefox, just in case they needed to do a Mozilla 1.7.4 security release some time between bumping the Firefox number at the beginning of November, and actually releasing this upcoming Mozilla Suite in mid-December. They want the numbers to match (as Asa says here, they want Gecko-compatibility between the two). As there wasn't a security release, they're still going to 1.7.5 for the suite, so they do match. Also I think someone said that they felt that the amount of changes kind of merited a 0.0.5 difference from 1.7.0.
Posted by: michaell on November 25, 2004 04:34 AMAs far as I noted (and many other users), Firefox 1.0 has some trouble with downloading sites. When I open large number of sites at once, chances are that with my 64kbps some of the sites will keep downloading forever (or at least keep the throbber), though it seems that they have finished downloads.
This didn't happen with 1.0PR version, and I personally doubt that it is due to change in Gecko engine from 1.7.3 to 1.7.5, but don't take my word on it, I am not a developer.
If I am right, then it doesn't seem reasonable to switch Mozilla suite to Gecko 1.7.5, at least until this problem is patched.
Posted by: Ivan Icin on November 27, 2004 02:48 AM