News

Next Rev of Firefox Already in Alpha

Firefox 2.0 has been out for less than two months but Mozilla.org developers have already released alpha code for the next major version.

According to the release notes posted online, the next revision, which is dubbed Gran Paradiso Alpha 1, is an early developer milestone that is being built on top of the next generation of Mozilla's layout engine, Gecko 1.9.

New features in the Gecko 1.9 engine can be tested by using Gran Paradiso Alpha 1. For instance, Cairo is now the default graphics library, affecting all graphic and text rendering , Cocoa Widgets are now used in OS X builds, and the engine includes an updated threading model, according to the release notes.

In addition, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows ME are no longer supported platforms and neither is Apple OS X 10.2 .

The release notes caution users that this release is for testing purposes only and is not meant for current users running Firefox.

Firefox 2.0 shipped in final form in late October.

More information and the download of Gran Paradiso Alpha 1.0 are available here.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

Featured

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Google To Acquire Cloud Startup Wiz for $32 Billion

    Google has announced a pending agreement to acquire Wiz Inc., a cloud security platform, in an all-cash deal worth $32 billion.

  • FTC Expands Microsoft Antitrust Investigation Under Trump Administration

    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is pressing ahead with a broad investigation into Microsoft's business practices, an inquiry that began in the final weeks of the Biden administration.

  • Microsoft to Shut Down Skype Services

    Microsoft will discontinue its Skype telecommunications and video calling services on May 5, 2025, marking the end of the platform's decades-long run.