Mozilla released the 57th version of open source browser Firefox "Quantum" for Windows, Mac and Linux computers. The newest update made some platform-specific changes, major visual changes, two times faster than previous versions, added additional language support, enhanced content for developers and made accessibility changes to better accommodate visually and physically impaired users. While these changes will please many users, are they enough to make Firefox a compelling choice for Linux users?
Firefox comes installed on many Linux machines, but past performance issues have led many Linux users to switch default browsers. While Google Chrome is a closed-source browser, it remains competitive with Firefox. Chrome is not as customizable as Firefox, but it's fast and integrates updates better than Firefox. The open-source Firefox is much more customizable and has a huge extensions library that appeals to Linux users. irefox Quantum is roughly 2X faster than Firefox 49 on the Speedometer 2.0 benchmark, thanks to its new CSS engine, its “just right” multi-process architecture, the way it prioritizes your active tab, and much more. Firefox Quantum also includes a visual refresh – Photon – that looks and feels right at home with modern operating systems.
Available for Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic/17.10 Artful/17.04 Zesty/16.04 Xenial/14.04 Trusty/Linux Mint 18/17/other Ubuntu derivatives
To install FireFox Quantum in Ubuntu/Linux Mint open Terminal (Press Ctrl+Alt+T) and copy the following commands in the Terminal:
Did you like this update?
Firefox comes installed on many Linux machines, but past performance issues have led many Linux users to switch default browsers. While Google Chrome is a closed-source browser, it remains competitive with Firefox. Chrome is not as customizable as Firefox, but it's fast and integrates updates better than Firefox. The open-source Firefox is much more customizable and has a huge extensions library that appeals to Linux users. irefox Quantum is roughly 2X faster than Firefox 49 on the Speedometer 2.0 benchmark, thanks to its new CSS engine, its “just right” multi-process architecture, the way it prioritizes your active tab, and much more. Firefox Quantum also includes a visual refresh – Photon – that looks and feels right at home with modern operating systems.
What's new in Firefox 57 Quantum
- Firefox is getting a major Visual Redesign (Photon project) activated on the Nightly channel and which will ship with Firefox 57 on the release channel.
- AMD VP9 hardware video decoder support for improved video playback with lower power consumption
- Accessibility indicator will now appear in the title bar of the window when Accessibility services are enabled
- The browser's autoscroll feature, as well as scrolling by keyboard input and touch-dragging of scrollbars, now use asynchronous scrolling. These scrolling methods are now similar to other input methods like mousewheel, and provide a smoother scrolling experience
- Added support for Date/Time input
- Allow users to manage the site data
Available for Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic/17.10 Artful/17.04 Zesty/16.04 Xenial/14.04 Trusty/Linux Mint 18/17/other Ubuntu derivatives
To install FireFox Quantum in Ubuntu/Linux Mint open Terminal (Press Ctrl+Alt+T) and copy the following commands in the Terminal:
Did you like this update?
