Mozilla

See also: Web browsers | Gecko | Mozilla Firefox

Icon:

A fast, free, and feature-rich web browser designed for standards-compliance, performance and portability, available for a wide variety of operating systems including Linux, Macintosh, UNIX and Windows. Mozilla is a platform that is easy to develop applications for. As a stand-alone browser for surfing, this program is developing faster than any other browser. Mozilla is open-source so anyone is free to look at or change its internal code.

Mozilla recently won best web browser by PC World. The browser of choice for most UNIX-like desktops as well as a growing number of Windows and Macintosh users, it features a suite of browser tools including:

Web browser (“Firefox” is a browser-only version of Mozilla)
E-mail Client
HTML Editor
IRC Client

1 Features
- 1.1 Developer/technical features
- 1.2 TD123 Recommended Extensions
2 Who should use Mozilla?
3 Get Involved
4 What’s a “Mozilla?”
5 Related browsers
6 Links
- 6.1 Mozilla Sites
- 6.2 Related Wikis
7 Bug Reporting:

Features

Pop-up blocking and other controls versus Web annoyances
Tabbed browsing much like Opera
Loads Web pages quickly, on par with Internet Explorer
Some of the most complete privacy options available in any browser
Extensive customizabilty
Attractive user interface
Extensive number of very useful Mozilla Extensions
Available in a browser suite or the smaller, lighter Mozilla Firefox
Robust Mail/News client
Spam–filters included in Mozilla Mail/News – one of the few free anti-spam tools available, yet uses one of the better techniques: (Bayesian)
Easy-to-use HTML e-mail client with compatible IMAP and POP3 connections with spellcheck.
WYSIWYG HTML Editor (Won Builder.com‘s <code>#</code>3 Reader’s Choice Award and of only two surveyed open-source editors.)
Strong, CERT–recommended security
Easy and complete uninstall

Developer/technical features

Cutting-edge Web technologies as well as Java, JavaScript, XML, CSS, XUL and many more.
Open Source and available in GPL, MPL, and other licenses.
Based on the fast and extensible Gecko rendering engine.
HTML Editor has a tabbed layer for windows with pure HTML code, visual with code elements, and the near-exact look of the eventual Web page.
Excellent Javascript Debugger – “Venkman” – considered to be one of the best either commercial or otherwise (Tutorial available)
IRC Chat tool: ChatZilla

TD123 Recommended Extensions

Popular and useful Extensions(previously plugins <– improper term)

AdBlock – for faster web surfing with dynamic advertisement blocking.
Webdeveloper plugin – Great tools for HTML, Javascript, design, and other development.
IE View – Allowing Windows users to dynamically switch between browsers.

More: Mozilla Extensions

Install:

- Installation, System requirements, Uninstall
- Download
  - Mirrors: Listing – Often-Updated Releases, Full-Directory Mirror
  - via FTP at ftp.mozilla.org – avoiding the use of IE on Windows computers to get a copy via the web.

Netscape and Mozilla

Although no longer being developed, Netscape Navigator version 6 and above are based on Mozilla and Netscape employees helped with Mozilla development. Netscape’s version adds a variety of its own AOL/Time Warner-owned features including Real Media Player, AIM/ICQ, and others (all of which can be downloaded separately).

Netscape still benefits from a more seamless interface with some popular Internet plugins but Mozilla is more bug-free. Also, Mozilla’s Quicktime and Flash use is just as good as other browsers.

Who should use Mozilla?

Windows users:

Should be used in addition to Internet Explorer. Although robust, feature-rich, and very stable, Mozilla is not yet a replacement since some websites are displayed differently as IE has the vast majority (90+%) of browsers. For the rare Web site that requires Internet Explorer, a plugin is available (IEView) Mozilla/Netscape 6+ have a growing user base that major Internet sites are updating for and there are many things Mozilla can do that IE cannot. Mozilla adheres to open standards created by the community, while Microsoft Internet Explorer is decided by people in a board room. While Microsoft is no longer doing anything with IE, Mozilla continues to grow and improve with new plugins and features coming out almost weekly.

Macintosh users:

Switch to Mozilla as Internet Explorer is no longer being developed for Macintosh systems. Apple‘s own browser offering, Safari, is way behind on features and is not cross-platform; Safari is developed for only one system and has fewer interested developers.

Note: One review on ArsTechnica preferred Safari for its speed vs Mozilla and stability vs Camino.

UNIX users:

For graphical Web browsers, little competition is available besides the small and speedy Konqueror on most UNIX systems. Mozilla is cross-platform and easy to port to new flavors of Linux and BSD.

Download for UNIX and other systems. Some less-common UNIX systems may need to scroll down to find their distribution.

Get Involved

Mozilla is not owned by anyone and is developed by the community for the community, similar to Linux. While some of its contributors are corporate, it is not a commercial project. If you would like to help, visit Mozilla’s “get involved” page — you do not have to be a developer to make Mozilla do things you want it to do.

Our very informal infoAnarchy Mozilla Wishlist and Issues page.

What’s a “Mozilla?”

The term “Mozilla” may have come from a play on the first graphical Web browser: Mosaic. Mo and Godzilla added together were the original name before it was renamed to “Netscape Navigator.” Mozilla was still the code name for the browser for most technical purposes including browser self-identification. Godzilla is a registered trademark of TOHO Co. Ltd. but the term “zilla” suffix is probably not unique.

Related browsers

See: Gecko

Bug Reporting:

BugZilla – Mozilla’s bug tracker
Votes – Show your bug-votes
The Mozilla Wishlist
Search for Bugs
Browser
MailNews – Email and Usenet/News functions

TakeDown.NET -> “Mozilla”

Categories: Software

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