Firefox is releasing its new quantum browser which uses 30% less memory than other browsers.
Firefox Quantum is over twice as fast as Firefox from 6 months ago, built on a completely overhauled core engine with brand new technology stolen from our advanced research group, and graced with a beautiful new look designed to get out of the way and let you do what you do best: surf a ton of pages, open a zillion tabs, all guilt free because Firefox Quantum uses less memory than the competition.
It has a new User Interface (UI) that is called Photon, and its goal is to modernize and unify anything that we call Firefox while taking advantage of the speedy new engine. You guessed it: the Photon UI itself is incredibly fast and smooth.
As part of our focus on user experience and performance in Firefox Quantum, Google will also become their new default search provider in the United States and Canada.
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The UI in 57 has become ‘mostly unusable’. We have known for years that users like less clicks, but try navigating to a bookmark… More pointless meddling with the menu. I tend to agree with MUItan. Wish there was a ‘security updates only’ channel. Maybe the end of the road for FF 🙁
See my reply to MUltan for instructions on how to get ‘security updates only’ version
that has the same Firefox look you had last week ahnd is compatible with all your Add-ons.
The fucking thing disables NoScript. Now I get to run every script there is, including all the shitty animated ads on NBF. My Google analytics and Facebook script cherry is now popped. I’ I have to figure out how to downgrade to v. 56 or basically give up on the internet since Chrome has no decent script-blocker. Oh, and it’s running 7 processes totaling over 2GB and maxing out my metered cellphone internet connection while idle! FUCK YOU FIREFOX!
Here’s how to safely downgrade back to Add-on supporting Firefox :
Click on Tools
Choose Options
Choose General
While in Options, General, on the upper right you’ll find a search bar that says “Find in Options”
Write Updates in the search bar
Instead of “Automatically install updates (recommended)”,
Choose “Check for updates but let you choose to install them”
Uncheck “Use a background service to install updates”
(The above is to prevent Firefox from automatically “upgrading” to 57…)
Now, go to :
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/
There you can download Firefox Extended Support Release in your language.
The extended support release will continue to get security updates for an extra year.
Hopefully, by then Add-ons like NoScript will finish migrating to the new Firefox.
Before installing the version of Firefox you want
(and after changing settings to prevent auto-upgrade)
you should Back up information in Firefox profiles:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles
(Just in case. I forgot and it worked fine, but better safe than sorry)
Best of luck,
Let me know if you need further help…
NoScript situation update:
https://hackademix.net/2017/11/14/double-noscript/
Extension replacement finder:
https://mozilla.github.io/extension-finder/
Firefox Quantum is basically the new branding name for Firefox 57.
To emphasize that it uses a different (new) core engine than in previous versions.
Note, while most are, not all add-ons are supported.