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{{infobox web browser
{{short description|2006 web browser}}
{{infobox software
| name = Mozilla Firefox 2
| name = Mozilla Firefox 2
| logo =[[File:Mozilla Firefox wordmark.svg|182px|Mozilla Firefox wordmark]]
| logo = [[File:Mozilla Firefox wordmark.svg|182px|Mozilla Firefox wordmark]]
| screenshot = [[File:Wikipedia Main Page in Firefox 2.0.0.12.png|300px]]
| screenshot = [[File:Wikipedia Main Page in Firefox 2.0.0.12.png|300px]]
| caption = Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.12 running on Ubuntu displaying [[Wikipedia]]
| caption = Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.12 running on [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] displaying [[Wikipedia]]
| developer = [[Mozilla Corporation]], [[Mozilla Foundation]]
| developer = [[Mozilla Corporation]], [[Mozilla Foundation]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2006|10|24}}
| released = {{Start date and age|2006|10|24}}
| frequently updated = Yes <!-- Release version update? Don't edit this page, just click on the version number! -->
| latest release version = 2.0.0.20 {{small|({{Start date and age|2008|12|18}})}}
| latest release version = 2.0.0.20 {{small|({{Start date and age|2008|12|18}})}}
| programming language = [[C++]], [[XUL]], [[XBL]], [[JavaScript]]
| programming language = [[C++]], [[XUL]], [[XBL]], [[JavaScript]]
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]], [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], [[OS/2]]
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]], [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], [[OS/2]]
| engine = [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]]
| engine = [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]]
| platform = [[Cross-platform]]
| platform = [[Cross-platform]]
| size = 5.5 MB &ndash; 16.5 MB
| size = 5.5 MB &ndash; 16.5 MB
| language = 60 languages
| language = 60 languages
| status = End of Life
| discontinued = yes
| genre = [[Web browser]], [[FTP client]], [[gopher client]]
| genre = [[Web browser]], [[FTP client]], [[gopher client]]
| license = [[Mozilla Public License|MPL]]/[[GNU General Public License|GPL]]/[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL]]/[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/legal/eula/ Mozilla EULA] (for binary redistribution)
| license = [[Mozilla Public License|MPL]]/[[GNU General Public License|GPL]]/[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL]]/[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/legal/eula/ Mozilla EULA] (for binary redistribution)
| website = [http://www.firefox.com/ firefox.com]
| website = {{URL|https://www.firefox.com/}}
}}
}}
{{Firefox TOC}}
{{Firefox TOC}}
'''Mozilla Firefox 2''' is a version of [[Firefox]], a [[web browser]] released on October 24, 2006 by the [[Mozilla Corporation]].
'''Mozilla Firefox 2''' is a version of [[Firefox]], a [[web browser]] released on October 24, 2006 by the [[Mozilla Corporation]].


Firefox 2 uses version 1.8 of the [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]] layout engine for displaying web pages. The release contained many new features not found in Firefox 1.5, including improved support for [[Scalable Vector Graphics]] (SVG) and [[JavaScript]] 1.7, as well as [[user interface]] changes.
Firefox 2 uses version 1.8 of the [[Gecko (software)|Gecko]] layout engine for displaying [[web page]]s. The release contained many new features not found in [[History of Firefox#Version 1.5|Firefox 1.5]], including improved support for [[Scalable Vector Graphics]] (SVG) and [[JavaScript]] 1.7, as well as [[user interface]] changes.


On March 22, 2006, the first alpha version of Firefox 2 (Bon Echo Alpha 1) was released. It featured Gecko 1.8.1 for the first time. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.x is the final version officially supported on Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/2.0.0.20/system-requirements/ | title = Firefox 2 System Requirements | accessdate = 2011-09-11 | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = https://www.webcitation.org/6Bg3x1ahU?url=http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/2.0.0.20/system-requirements/ | archivedate = 2012-10-25 | df = }}</ref> although it can run on Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51 using tweaks. Mac [[OS X 10.5]] support was added October 18, 2007 with version 2.0.0.8.
On March 22, 2006, the first [[Software release cycle#Alpha|alpha version]] of Firefox 2 (Bon Echo Alpha 1) was released. It featured Gecko 1.8.1 for the first time. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.20 is the final version to support [[Windows NT 4.0]], [[Windows 98]] and [[Windows Me]],<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/2.0.0.20/system-requirements/ | title = Firefox 2 System Requirements | access-date = 2011-09-11 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121010150001/http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/2.0.0.20/system-requirements/ | archive-date = 2012-10-10 }}</ref> although it can run on [[Windows 95]] and [[Windows NT 3.51]] using tweaks. [[Mac OS X Leopard|Mac OS X 10.5]] support was added October 18, 2007 with version 2.0.0.8.


Firefox 2.0 featured updates to [[Features of Mozilla Firefox#Tabbed browsing|tabbed browsing]] environment, the [[Firefox extensions|extensions manager]], the [[GUI]], and the find, search and software update engines; a new session restore feature; inline spell checking; and an anti-[[phishing]] feature which was implemented by [[Google]] as an extension,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/safebrowsing | title = Google Safe Browsing for Firefox | accessdate = 2007-02-05 | publisher = Google.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://wiki.mozilla.org/index.php?title=Phishing_Protection:_Design_Documentation&oldid=46996#Background | title = Phishing Protection Design Documentation - Background | accessdate = 2007-01-24 | author = Mozilla.org wiki contributors | publisher = Mozilla.org wiki}}</ref> and later merged into the program itself.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/2.0/releasenotes/ |title=Mozilla Firefox 2 Release Notes | publisher=Mozilla Corporation |accessdate=2006-12-19}}</ref>
Firefox 2.0 featured updates to [[Features of Firefox#Tabbed browsing|tabbed browsing]] environment, the [[Add-on (Mozilla)|extensions manager]], the [[Graphical user interface|GUI]], and the find, search, and software update engines; a new session restore feature; inline [[Spell checker|spell checking]]; and an [[Anti-phishing software|anti-phishing]] feature which was implemented by [[Google]] as an extension,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/safebrowsing | title = Google Safe Browsing for Firefox | access-date = 2007-02-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://wiki.mozilla.org/index.php?title=Phishing_Protection:_Design_Documentation&oldid=46996#Background | title = Phishing Protection Design Documentation - Background | access-date = 2007-01-24 | author = Mozilla.org wiki contributors | publisher = Mozilla.org wiki}}</ref> and later merged into the program itself.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/2.0/releasenotes/ |title=Mozilla Firefox 2 Release Notes | publisher=Mozilla Corporation |access-date=2006-12-19}}</ref>


Mozilla ended support for Firefox 2 on December 18, 2008.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2008/12/18/firefox-20020-now-available-for-download/ |title=Firefox 2.0.0.20 now available for download | publisher=Mozilla Corporation |accessdate=2009-01-08}}</ref>
Mozilla ended support for Firefox 2 on December 18, 2008.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2008/12/18/firefox-20020-now-available-for-download/ |title=Firefox 2.0.0.20 now available for download | publisher=Mozilla Corporation |access-date=2009-01-08}}</ref>


==Overview of changes==
==Overview of changes==
* Links default to open in new tab.
* Links default to open in a new [[Tab (interface)|tab]].
* Close button on every tab.
* Close button on every tab.
* Inline spell checking for text boxes.
* Inline spell checking for [[text box]]es.
* Session restoration after a browser crash.
* Session restoration after a browser crash.
* Search suggestion for Google and Yahoo!.
* [[Search suggest drop-down list|Search suggestion]] for [[Google Search|Google]] and [[Yahoo! Search|Yahoo!]].
* New search plugin manager and add-on manager.
* New [[search plugin]] manager and add-on manager.
* Web feed previewing. Bookmark microsummaries.
* [[Web feed]] previewing.
* [[Bookmark (digital)|Bookmark]] microsummaries.
* Updates to the extension system.
* Updates to the extension system.
* Support for [[Sherlock (software)|Sherlock]] and [[OpenSearch]].
* Support for [[Sherlock (software)|Sherlock]] and [[OpenSearch]].
* Support for SVG text using svg:textPath.
* Support for SVG text using svg:textPath.
* Built-in [[anti-phishing software|anti-phishing protection]].
* Built-in anti-phishing protection.
* Search suggestions appear with search history in the search box for Google and Yahoo!.
* Search suggestions appear with search history in the search box for Google and Yahoo!.
* Support for client-side session and persistent storage.
* Support for client-side session and [[persistent storage]].
* Improved feed support.
* Improved feed support.
* A new [[Nullsoft Scriptable Install System|NSIS]]-based installer.
* A new [[Nullsoft Scriptable Install System|NSIS]]-based installer.
Line 50: Line 51:
* New Winstripe theme refresh:
* New Winstripe theme refresh:
**New navigation icons
**New navigation icons
**URL bar refresh (New Go button attached to the URL bar)
**[[Address bar|URL bar]] refresh (New Go button attached to the URL bar)
**Search bar refresh Tab bar refresh
**Search bar refresh Tab bar refresh
**Alltabs button (used to view a popup list of all tabs open)
**Alltabs button (used to view a popup list of all tabs open)
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{{Firefox usage share}}
{{Firefox usage share}}


As one article noted after the release of Firefox 2.0 in October 2006, ''"IE6 had the lion's share of the browser market with 77.22%. Internet Explorer 7 had climbed to 3.18%, while Firefox 2.0 was at 0.69%."''<ref name="softpedia:slaughtering-ie6" />
As one article noted after the release of Firefox 2.0 in October 2006, ''"[[Internet Explorer 6|IE6]] had the lion's share of the browser market with 77.22%. [[Internet Explorer 7]] had climbed to 3.18%, while Firefox 2.0 was at 0.69%."''<ref name="softpedia:slaughtering-ie6" />


A [[Softpedia]] article, however, noted in July 2007 that ''"Firefox 2.0 has been also expanding its share constantly in spite of IE7. From just 0.69% in October 2006, Firefox 2.0 is now accounting for 11.07% of the market. Mozilla has even sacrificed version 1.5 of its open source browser for Firefox 2.0. With support cut at the end of June, Firefox 1.5 dropped to just 2.85%."''<ref name="softpedia:slaughtering-ie6">{{cite news |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/IE7-and-Firefox-2-0-Are-Slaughtering-Internet-Explorer-6-77994.shtml |title=IE7 and Firefox 2.0 Are Slaughtering Internet Explorer 6 - Out with the old, in with the new
A [[Softpedia]] article, however, noted in July 2007 that ''"Firefox 2.0 has been also expanding its share constantly in spite of IE7. From just 0.69% in October 2006, Firefox 2.0 is now accounting for 11.07% of the market. Mozilla has even sacrificed version 1.5 of its open source browser for Firefox 2.0. With support cut at the end of June, Firefox 1.5 dropped to just 2.85%."''<ref name="softpedia:slaughtering-ie6">{{cite news |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/IE7-and-Firefox-2-0-Are-Slaughtering-Internet-Explorer-6-77994.shtml |title=IE7 and Firefox 2.0 Are Slaughtering Internet Explorer 6 - Out with the old, in with the new
|author=Marius Nestor |publisher=Softpedia |date=5 February 2008 |accessdate=2008-03-31}}</ref><ref name="softpedia1"/><ref name="softpedia1">{{cite web |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/IE6-vs-IE7-vs-Firefox-2-0-vs-Firefox-1-5-vs-Safari-3-0-vs-Opera-9-58851.shtml |title=IE6 vs. IE7 vs. Firefox 2.0 vs. Firefox 1.5 vs. Safari 3.0 vs. Opera 9 In browser market share deathmatch |date=2007-07-02 |accessdate=2008-02-20 |publisher=Softpedia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=2&qpmr=40&qpdt=1&qpct=3&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=108 |title=Browser Versions Market Share |accessdate=2008-02-19 |publisher=NetApplications.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Browser War: FF2 pulls ahead of IE7 in Europe |url=http://www.xitimonitor.com/en-us/browsers-barometer/ie7-and-firefox-2-july-2007/index-1-2-3-103.html |publisher=XiTi Monitor |date=2007-07-18 |accessdate=2008-03-18}}</ref>
|author=Marius Nestor |publisher=Softpedia |date=5 February 2008 |access-date=2008-03-31}}</ref><ref name="softpedia1">{{cite web |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/IE6-vs-IE7-vs-Firefox-2-0-vs-Firefox-1-5-vs-Safari-3-0-vs-Opera-9-58851.shtml |title=IE6 vs. IE7 vs. Firefox 2.0 vs. Firefox 1.5 vs. Safari 3.0 vs. Opera 9 In browser market share deathmatch |date=2007-07-02 |access-date=2008-02-20 |publisher=Softpedia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=2&qpmr=40&qpdt=1&qpct=3&qptimeframe=M&qpsp=108 |title=Browser Versions Market Share |access-date=2008-02-19 |publisher=NetApplications.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Browser War: FF2 pulls ahead of IE7 in Europe |url=http://www.xitimonitor.com/en-us/browsers-barometer/ie7-and-firefox-2-july-2007/index-1-2-3-103.html |publisher=XiTi Monitor |date=2007-07-18 |access-date=2008-03-18}}</ref>


Firefox 2 began to lose notable market share to [[Mozilla Firefox 3|Firefox 3]]. Within 24 hours after its release, Firefox 3 usage rose from under 1% to over 3% according to Net Applications in that time period.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=31 | title=Firefox 3.0 Usage Share (EDT) | publisher=Net Applications | date=2008-06-19 | accessdate=2008-06-19}}</ref> Firefox 2 market share consistently dropped, eventually being surpassed by Firefox 3 in 2008 and Firefox 3.5 in 2009 in the general browser market as the Firefox version with the greatest share, and by early 2009 had dropped under 3 percent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Browser Share Trend |url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=2 |publisher=NetApplications.com |date=February 2009 |accessdate=2009-03-18}}</ref>
Firefox 2 began to lose notable market share to [[Firefox 3.0|Firefox 3]]. Within 24 hours after its release, Firefox 3 usage rose from under 1% to over 3% according to [[Net Applications]] in that time period.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=31 | title=Firefox 3.0 Usage Share (EDT) | publisher=Net Applications | date=2008-06-19 | access-date=2008-06-19}}</ref> Firefox 2 market share consistently dropped, eventually being surpassed by Firefox 3 in 2008 and [[Firefox 3.5]] in 2009 in the general browser market as the Firefox version with the greatest share, and by early 2009 had dropped under 3 percent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Browser Share Trend |url=http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=2 |publisher=NetApplications.com |date=February 2009 |access-date=2009-03-18}}</ref>


==Release compatibility==
==Release compatibility==
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|-
|-
| colspan="2"|[[Linux kernel]] 2.2.14 and newer<br/>(with some libraries)
| colspan="2"|[[Linux kernel]] 2.2.14 and newer<br/>(with some libraries)
| bgcolor=#A0E75A| 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.20}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="4"|[[Apple Corp|Apple]] <br>[[Mac OS X]]
| rowspan="4"|[[Apple Corp|Apple]] <br>[[Mac OS X]]
| [[Mac OS X v10.1|v10.1 Puma]]
| [[Mac OS X v10.1|v10.1 Puma]]
|{{Na}}
| bgcolor=#fa8072 |{{N}}
|-
|-
| [[Mac OS X v10.2|v10.2 Jaguar]]-[[Mac OS X v10.3|10.3 Panther]]
| [[Mac OS X v10.2|v10.2 Jaguar]]-[[Mac OS X v10.3|10.3 Panther]]
| bgcolor=#A0E75A | 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.20}}
|-
|-
| [[Mac OS X v10.4|v10.4 Tiger]]
| [[Mac OS X v10.4|v10.4 Tiger]]
| bgcolor=#A0E75A| 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.20}}
|-
|-
| [[Mac OS X v10.5|v10.5 Leopard]]
| [[Mac OS X v10.5|v10.5 Leopard]]
| bgcolor=#A0E75A| 2.0.0.8 to 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.8–2.0.0.20}}
|-
|-
| colspan="2"|[[OS/2]] and [[eComStation]]
| colspan="2"|[[OS/2]] and [[eComStation]]
| bgcolor=#A0E75A| 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.20}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="3"|[[Microsoft]] <br>[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| rowspan="3"|[[Microsoft]] <br>[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| [[Windows NT 3.51|NT 3.51]]/[[Windows 95|95]]
| [[Windows NT 3.51|NT 3.51]]/[[Windows 95|95]]
| bgcolor=#fa8072 |{{N}}
| {{Na}}
|-
|-
| [[Windows NT 4.0|NT 4]]/[[Windows 98|98]]/[[Windows Me|Me]]
| [[Windows NT 4.0|NT 4.0]]/[[Windows 98|98]]/[[Windows Me|Me]]
| bgcolor=#A0E75A | 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.20}}
|-
|-
| [[Windows 2000|2000]]/[[Windows XP|XP]]/[[Windows Server 2003|2003]]/[[Windows Vista|Vista]]/<br/>[[Windows Home Server|Home Server]]/[[Windows Server 2008|2008]]
| [[Windows 2000|2000]]/[[Windows XP|XP]]/[[Windows Vista|Vista]]/<br/>[[Windows Server 2003|2003]]/[[Windows Home Server|Home Server]]/[[Windows Server 2008|2008]]
| bgcolor=#A0E75A| 2.0.0.20
| {{Ya|text=2.0.0.20}}
|}
|}


==End of Life==
==End of Life==
[[File:Acid3 ff20013 score53.png|thumb|left|alt=Screenshot of the test shows broken layout.|Firefox 2.0.0.13 scores 53/100 in the [[Acid3]] test (dated 3 April 2008).<div style="margin-top:3px">Note that [[Internet Explorer 8]], released on 19 March 2009, fails the Acid3 test with a score of 20/100.</div>]]
[[File:Acid3 ff20013 score53.png|thumb|left|alt=Screenshot of the test shows a broken layout.|Firefox 2.0.0.13 scores 53/100 in the [[Acid3]] test (dated 3 April 2008). In comparison, [[Internet Explorer 8]], released on 19 March 2009, fails the Acid3 test with a score of 20/100.]]
Firefox 2.x was end-of-lifed in December, 2008.<ref>[https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2008/07/01/firefox-20015-security-and-stability-update-now-available-for-download/ Firefox 2.0.0.15 security and stability update now available for download] developer.mozilla.org</ref> With roughly 26 months of support, only [[Firefox 3.6]] was supported longer. The [[Gecko (layout engine)|Gecko]] 1.8.1 browser core continued to receive patches for projects such as [[Camino (web browser)|Camino]], [[K-Meleon]], and [[SeaMonkey]], even after official Firefox releases had ceased.
Firefox 2.x was [[End-of-life (product)#Computing|end-of-lifed]] in December, 2008.<ref>[https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2008/07/01/firefox-20015-security-and-stability-update-now-available-for-download/ Firefox 2.0.0.15 security and stability update now available for download] developer.mozilla.org</ref> With roughly 26 months of support, only [[Firefox 3.6]] was supported longer. The Gecko 1.8.1 browser core continued to receive patches for projects such as [[Camino (web browser)|Camino]], [[K-Meleon]], and [[SeaMonkey]], even after official Firefox releases had ceased.


By 2011, the 1.8.1 core had become obsolete, as major websites dropped support for it<ref>{{cite web |last=Miraglia |first=Eric |title=Graded Browser Support Update: Q3 2009 |publisher=YUI blog |date=2009-07-02 |url=http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/07/02/gbs-update-20090702/ |accessdate=2012-09-02}}</ref> by employing newer technologies for presentation and complex scripting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Modern browsers for modern applications |work=Official Google Enterprise Blog |publisher=[[Blogger (service)|Blogger]] |date=2010-01-29 |url=http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/01/modern-browsers-for-modern-applications.html |accessdate=2012-09-02}} Firefox 3.0 or newer listed.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Keizer |first=Gregg |title=Google joins the 'kill-IE6' campaign |publisher=[[Computerworld]] |date=2010-01-31 |url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9150138/Google_joins_the_kill_IE6_campaign |accessdate=2012-09-02 |quote=We're going to begin phasing out our support, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites.}}</ref> The latter can be resource-intensive with the older core, and users stuck with it should use [[NoScript]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Direct download |work=get it! |publisher=noscript.net |year=2012 |url=http://noscript.net/getit#direct |accessdate=2012-09-02}} The latest legacy NoScript version for Firefox 2.0 and SeaMonkey 1.1 is 1.10</ref> to avoid problems with scripts that take too long to process (at the cost of losing some or all site features beyond basic functionality).
By 2011, the 1.8.1 core had become obsolete, as major websites dropped support for it<ref>{{cite web |last=Miraglia |first=Eric |title=Graded Browser Support Update: Q3 2009 |publisher=YUI blog |date=2009-07-02 |url=http://www.yuiblog.com/blog/2009/07/02/gbs-update-20090702/ |access-date=2012-09-02 |archive-date=2012-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803084121/http://yuiblog.com/blog/2009/07/02/gbs-update-20090702/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> by employing newer technologies for presentation and complex scripting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Modern browsers for modern applications |work=Official Google Enterprise Blog |publisher=[[Blogger (service)|Blogger]] |date=2010-01-29 |url=http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/01/modern-browsers-for-modern-applications.html |access-date=2012-09-02}} Firefox 3.0 or newer listed.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Keizer |first=Gregg |title=Google joins the 'kill-IE6' campaign |publisher=[[Computerworld]] |date=2010-01-31 |url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9150138/Google_joins_the_kill_IE6_campaign |access-date=2012-09-02 |quote=We're going to begin phasing out our support, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites.}}</ref> The latter can be resource-intensive with the older core, and users stuck with it should use [[NoScript]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Direct download |work=get it! |publisher=noscript.net |year=2012 |url=http://noscript.net/getit#direct |access-date=2012-09-02}} The latest legacy NoScript version for Firefox 2.0 and SeaMonkey 1.1 is 1.10</ref> to avoid problems with [[Scripting language|scripts]] that take too long to process (at the cost of losing some or all site features beyond basic functionality).


Services with large user bases have relegated browsers with the Gecko 1.8.1 rendering engine to using lightweight or mobile versions of their sites, alongside recommendations to upgrade the browser; while others only recommend to upgrade.
Services with large user bases have relegated browsers with the Gecko 1.8.1 rendering engine to using lightweight or [[Mobile Web|mobile versions]] of their sites, alongside recommendations to upgrade the browser; while others only recommend to upgrade.


Nevertheless, there is still a very large amount of websites that are freely usable and navigable with Firefox 2.0 or equivalents, alone because many of them must still support other older browsers, like [[Internet Explorer 6]] or [[Internet Explorer 7|IE7]].
Nevertheless, there is still a very large number of websites that are freely usable and navigable with Firefox 2.0 or equivalents, alone because many of them must still support other older browsers, like Internet Explorer 6 or IE7.
{{clear|left}}
{{clear|left}}


==Release history==
==Release history==
{{Main|History of Firefox}}
{{Main|History of Firefox}}

==See also==
* [[Firefox early version history]]


==References==
==References==
Line 120: Line 124:
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ Mozilla Firefox homepage] for [[End-user (computer science)|end-users]]
*[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ Mozilla Firefox homepage] for [[End-user (computer science)|end-users]]
*[http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/ Mozilla Firefox project page] for developers
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120301134039/http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/ Mozilla Firefox project page] for developers
*[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/legal/eula/ Mozilla EULA]
*[http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/legal/eula/ Mozilla EULA]
*{{dmoz|Computers/Software/Internet/Clients/WWW/Browsers/Firefox}}


{{Mozilla projects}}
{{Mozilla projects}}

Latest revision as of 06:19, 19 October 2024

Mozilla Firefox 2
Developer(s)Mozilla Corporation, Mozilla Foundation
Initial releaseOctober 24, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-10-24)
Final release
2.0.0.20 (December 18, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-12-18))
Preview releaseNone [±]
Repository
Written inC++, XUL, XBL, JavaScript
EngineGecko
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, OS/2
PlatformCross-platform
Size5.5 MB – 16.5 MB
Available in60 languages
TypeWeb browser, FTP client, gopher client
LicenseMPL/GPL/LGPL/Mozilla EULA (for binary redistribution)
Websitewww.firefox.com
Related articles
Origins and lineage
Category

Mozilla Firefox 2 is a version of Firefox, a web browser released on October 24, 2006 by the Mozilla Corporation.

Firefox 2 uses version 1.8 of the Gecko layout engine for displaying web pages. The release contained many new features not found in Firefox 1.5, including improved support for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and JavaScript 1.7, as well as user interface changes.

On March 22, 2006, the first alpha version of Firefox 2 (Bon Echo Alpha 1) was released. It featured Gecko 1.8.1 for the first time. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.20 is the final version to support Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98 and Windows Me,[1] although it can run on Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51 using tweaks. Mac OS X 10.5 support was added October 18, 2007 with version 2.0.0.8.

Firefox 2.0 featured updates to tabbed browsing environment, the extensions manager, the GUI, and the find, search, and software update engines; a new session restore feature; inline spell checking; and an anti-phishing feature which was implemented by Google as an extension,[2][3] and later merged into the program itself.[4]

Mozilla ended support for Firefox 2 on December 18, 2008.[5]

Overview of changes

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  • Links default to open in a new tab.
  • Close button on every tab.
  • Inline spell checking for text boxes.
  • Session restoration after a browser crash.
  • Search suggestion for Google and Yahoo!.
  • New search plugin manager and add-on manager.
  • Web feed previewing.
  • Bookmark microsummaries.
  • Updates to the extension system.
  • Support for Sherlock and OpenSearch.
  • Support for SVG text using svg:textPath.
  • Built-in anti-phishing protection.
  • Search suggestions appear with search history in the search box for Google and Yahoo!.
  • Support for client-side session and persistent storage.
  • Improved feed support.
  • A new NSIS-based installer.
  • JavaScript 1.7.
  • Enhanced security and localization support for extensions.
  • New Winstripe theme refresh:
    • New navigation icons
    • URL bar refresh (New Go button attached to the URL bar)
    • Search bar refresh Tab bar refresh
    • Alltabs button (used to view a popup list of all tabs open)

Market adoption & usage of Firefox 2

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Main article: Market adoption of Mozilla Firefox
See also: Usage share of web browsers

Market share overview
According to StatCounter data
November 2024[6]
This box:
Browser % of Fx % of total
Firefox 1 — —
Firefox 2 — —
Firefox 3 — —
Firefox 4 — —
Firefox 5–9 — —
Firefox 10–16 0.39% 0.01%
Firefox 17–23 — —
Firefox 24–30 — —
Firefox 31–37 — —
Firefox 38–44 — —
Firefox 45–51 — —
Firefox 52–59 1.54% 0.04%
Firefox 60–67 — —
Firefox 68–77 — —
Firefox 78–90 0.39% 0.01%
Firefox 91–101 — —
Firefox 102–114 — —
Firefox 115 and 115 ESR 9.65% 0.25%
Firefox 116 — —
Firefox 117 — —
Firefox 118 2.70% 0.07%
Firefox 119 — —
Firefox 120 — —
Firefox 121 — —
Firefox 122 — —
Firefox 123 — —
Firefox 124 — —
Firefox 125 0.39% 0.01%
Firefox 126 0.39% 0.01%
Firefox 127 0.77% 0.02%
Firefox 128 and 128 ESR 3.09% 0.08%
Firefox 129 0.39% 0.01%
Firefox 130 0.77% 0.02%
Firefox 131 5.41% 0.14%
Firefox 132 61.00% 1.58%
Firefox 133 5.02% 0.13%
Firefox 134 — —
All variants[7] 100% 2.59%

As one article noted after the release of Firefox 2.0 in October 2006, "IE6 had the lion's share of the browser market with 77.22%. Internet Explorer 7 had climbed to 3.18%, while Firefox 2.0 was at 0.69%."[8]

A Softpedia article, however, noted in July 2007 that "Firefox 2.0 has been also expanding its share constantly in spite of IE7. From just 0.69% in October 2006, Firefox 2.0 is now accounting for 11.07% of the market. Mozilla has even sacrificed version 1.5 of its open source browser for Firefox 2.0. With support cut at the end of June, Firefox 1.5 dropped to just 2.85%."[8][9][10][11]

Firefox 2 began to lose notable market share to Firefox 3. Within 24 hours after its release, Firefox 3 usage rose from under 1% to over 3% according to Net Applications in that time period.[12] Firefox 2 market share consistently dropped, eventually being surpassed by Firefox 3 in 2008 and Firefox 3.5 in 2009 in the general browser market as the Firefox version with the greatest share, and by early 2009 had dropped under 3 percent.[13]

Release compatibility

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Operating system Compatibility
Linux kernel 2.2.14 and newer
(with some libraries) 		2.0.0.20
Apple
Mac OS X 		v10.1 Puma No
v10.2 Jaguar-10.3 Panther 2.0.0.20
v10.4 Tiger 2.0.0.20
v10.5 Leopard 2.0.0.8–2.0.0.20
OS/2 and eComStation 2.0.0.20
Microsoft
Windows 		NT 3.51/95 No
NT 4.0/98/Me 2.0.0.20
2000/XP/Vista/
2003/Home Server/2008 		2.0.0.20

End of Life

[edit]
Screenshot of the test shows a broken layout.
Firefox 2.0.0.13 scores 53/100 in the Acid3 test (dated 3 April 2008). In comparison, Internet Explorer 8, released on 19 March 2009, fails the Acid3 test with a score of 20/100.

Firefox 2.x was end-of-lifed in December, 2008.[14] With roughly 26 months of support, only Firefox 3.6 was supported longer. The Gecko 1.8.1 browser core continued to receive patches for projects such as Camino, K-Meleon, and SeaMonkey, even after official Firefox releases had ceased.

By 2011, the 1.8.1 core had become obsolete, as major websites dropped support for it[15] by employing newer technologies for presentation and complex scripting.[16][17] The latter can be resource-intensive with the older core, and users stuck with it should use NoScript[18] to avoid problems with scripts that take too long to process (at the cost of losing some or all site features beyond basic functionality).

Services with large user bases have relegated browsers with the Gecko 1.8.1 rendering engine to using lightweight or mobile versions of their sites, alongside recommendations to upgrade the browser; while others only recommend to upgrade.

Nevertheless, there is still a very large number of websites that are freely usable and navigable with Firefox 2.0 or equivalents, alone because many of them must still support other older browsers, like Internet Explorer 6 or IE7.

Release history

[edit]
Main article: History of Firefox

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Firefox 2 System Requirements". Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
  2. ^ "Google Safe Browsing for Firefox". Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  3. ^ Mozilla.org wiki contributors. "Phishing Protection Design Documentation - Background". Mozilla.org wiki. Retrieved 2007-01-24. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "Mozilla Firefox 2 Release Notes". Mozilla Corporation. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  5. ^ "Firefox 2.0.0.20 now available for download". Mozilla Corporation. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  6. ^ "Top 12 Desktop, Mobile, Tablet & Console Browser Versions on Nov 2024". StatCounter Global Stats.
  7. ^ "Top 9 Desktop, Mobile, Tablet & Console Browsers on Nov 2024". StatCounter Global Stats.
  8. ^ a b Marius Nestor (5 February 2008). "IE7 and Firefox 2.0 Are Slaughtering Internet Explorer 6 - Out with the old, in with the new". Softpedia. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  9. ^ "IE6 vs. IE7 vs. Firefox 2.0 vs. Firefox 1.5 vs. Safari 3.0 vs. Opera 9 In browser market share deathmatch". Softpedia. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  10. ^ "Browser Versions Market Share". NetApplications.com. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  11. ^ "Browser War: FF2 pulls ahead of IE7 in Europe". XiTi Monitor. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  12. ^ "Firefox 3.0 Usage Share (EDT)". Net Applications. 2008-06-19. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  13. ^ "Top Browser Share Trend". NetApplications.com. February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  14. ^ Firefox 2.0.0.15 security and stability update now available for download developer.mozilla.org
  15. ^ Miraglia, Eric (2009-07-02). "Graded Browser Support Update: Q3 2009". YUI blog. Archived from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  16. ^ "Modern browsers for modern applications". Official Google Enterprise Blog. Blogger. 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2012-09-02. Firefox 3.0 or newer listed.
  17. ^ Keizer, Gregg (2010-01-31). "Google joins the 'kill-IE6' campaign". Computerworld. Retrieved 2012-09-02. We're going to begin phasing out our support, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites.
  18. ^ "Direct download". get it!. noscript.net. 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-02. The latest legacy NoScript version for Firefox 2.0 and SeaMonkey 1.1 is 1.10
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