Librewolf Following Firefox

[Shadow]

Finally found an answer since they don't seem to update their website anymore.

https://gitlab.com/librewolf-community/browser/windows/-/issues/364

I think we are just going to sunset Windows 7 support as well, it would have probably been the case regardless.

I figured as much. Not guaranteed yet but it practically is picking up the vibes from the nonchalant response.

[Moonchild]

Librewolf won't have much choice, I'm sure. It's the problem when you're not doing any core work yourself and depend on Mozilla as direct upstream.

[Pentium4User]

Supporting an operating system means that features introduced in a newer one cannot be used until there are different versions for each OS.
Testing is also needed.

Windows 7 is EoL since 2020, people can switch to GNU/Linux or a newer Windows version.

[athenian200]

Yeah, this is why I didn't want to stick with Windows 7 myself. I knew that a few years after EOL we would start seeing stuff drop support for it, and that's only going to get worse from here. It looks like it's going to be a lot like the way third-party vendors handled the Vista/XP thing, in that vendors will be dropping support for 8 and 7 around the same time, although technically 8 only just lost support (probably why it's all being dropped now, Windows 8 and the 7 ESUs gave it a stay of execution).

That said, it really highlights the danger of being dependent on an upstream you don't control and not having much independent development going on. Major upstream sources tend to be very quick to deprecate things as a matter of practicality, and while after a certain point it's basically unavoidable, they also don't need to do it as fast as they do usually.

[Moonchild]

Supporting an operating system means that features introduced in a newer one cannot be used until there are different versions for each OS.
Testing is also needed.

That'd be part of maintaining a piece of software. While I understand it'd be more work for downstream to test where upstream no longer does, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to drop everything upstream drops immediately like a hot potato, unless you don't want to do that extra work to keep your product maintained.

[Pentium4User]

It looks like it's going to be a lot like the way third-party vendors handled the Vista/XP thing, in that vendors will be dropping support for 8 and 7 around the same time, although technically 8 only just lost support (probably why it's all being dropped now, Windows 8 and the 7 ESUs gave it a stay of execution).

The amount of XP users in 2014 was high, so they supported it. Vista was low at this time. Vista EoL was in 2017 and then only a very small amount of machines still ran it.

Windows 8 was the same when MS provided the free upgrade to 10 in 2015.
Win 8 is mostly irrelevant now, Win 7 isn't, sadly.

[andyprough]

Finally found an answer since they don't seem to update their website anymore.

https://gitlab.com/librewolf-community/ ... issues/364

I think we are just going to sunset Windows 7 support as well, it would have probably been the case regardless.

I figured as much. Not guaranteed yet but it practically is picking up the vibes from the nonchalant response.

Have you tried Mullvad Browser on Windows 7? It's currently based on Firefox ESR 102.13.0, so even though its website says you need Windows 10 or above, I'm thinking it ought to work on Win 7 and Win 8. I don't have any windows machines to try it on. As far as I've been able to tell, its configuration is very similar to Librewolf, with a bit of extra anti-fingerprinting stuff brought over from Tor browser.

[Moonchild]

with a bit of extra anti-fingerprinting stuff brought over from Tor browser.

Well, considering the installer they have is signed by "The TOR Project, Inc" it doesn't even seem to be a separate publisher from the TOR browser...
So Mullvad is literally shipping a flavor of the TOR browser, with their VPN integrated.

I can, however, confirm that at least the browser starts and seems to run OK on Windows 7 with all updates installed.

[back2themoon]

Windows 12 could be released sooner rather than later (2024?), so I'm guessing Windows 10 will be retired sooner rather than later as well, leading to similar issues.

Smart, new "AI" features require latest cutting edge hardware obviously.

[Night Wing]

I used linux Librewolf for a few months. Then Microsoft changed something in Hotmail and when that happened, Librewolf would render Hotmail with something called, "Hotmail Lite". Many things I could do with Hotmail, I could no longer do so I dropped Librewolf as my fourth browser.

[Pentium4User]

I used linux Librewolf for a few months. Then Microsoft changed something in Hotmail and when that happened, Librewolf would render Hotmail with something called, "Hotmail Lite". Many things I could do with Hotmail, I could no longer do so I dropped Librewolf as my fourth browser.

Why don't you simply use SMTP/IMAP?
No more struggle with bad websites.

[Shadow]

Have you tried Mullvad Browser

Thanks. Even if they use 115esr hopefully the "trick" should still work.

Off-topic:
I've just read that Waterfox are independent again. Can't find if they support Win7 though.

https://www.waterfox.net/blog/2023/07/03/a-new-chapter-for-waterfox/

The last time I tried it out it didn't go well though so I probably won't bother.

[moonbat]

Can't find if they support Win7 though.

They are just rebuilding Firefox with some of the privacy violating and tracking removed, and maybe a few extra features added; else they are about as independent of Firefox as every Chrome derived browser is of Chrome (which is to say, not at all).

[Blacklab]

Off-topic:
I've just read that Waterfox are independent again. Can't find if they support Win7 though.

https://www.waterfox.net/blog/2023/07/0 ... -waterfox/

The last time I tried it out it didn't go well though so I probably won't bother.

Off-topic:
Waterfox G5.1.9 is running nicely on Windows 7 here... installed when Waterfox went "independent" again a fortnight ago.

Works well with only a couple of very minor glitches in the altered and extended Settings options AFAICS... otherwise all runs very smoothly. Transferred large block of CSS userstyles and other 'chrome' folder contents straight from LibreWolf into a new Waterfox profile.

Good timing In need of a replacement for LibreWolf 115 on Windows 7 which dies very soon, shortly after the stable release of Firefox 116 due out on 01August 2023. LibreWolf being a clone/rebuilt version of the current Firefox stable release... and Firefox 116 onwards no longer supports Windows 7.

Waterfox is based on Mozilla Firefox's 'Extended Support Release' (ESR) release channel... currently Firefox ESR 102.13. The new ESR version based on Firefox 115 has just been released (Ghacks article) and runs in parallel with existing ESR 102 for next 2 months.

Waterfox will presumably update idc to the new Firefox 115 ESR base... which does still support Widows 7... at least out to end-of-life of Firefox ESR 115 in September 2024 IIRC? Time enough to get back into using Linux over this autumn and winter.

(Also see: Firefox 115 Release Notes: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/1 ... easenotes/)

[Night Wing]

I used linux Librewolf for a few months. Then Microsoft changed something in Hotmail and when that happened, Librewolf would render Hotmail with something called, "Hotmail Lite". Many things I could do with Hotmail, I could no longer do so I dropped Librewolf as my fourth browser.

Why don't you simply use SMTP/IMAP?

Since Librewolf was my fourth browser, I really didn't need a fourth browser. Besides, Watefox is my backup browser to Pale Moon and it works for me. I prefer Waterfox over Firefox even though Firefox comes with both Linux Mint and MX Linux by default upon installation in these linux distros.

[Moonchild]

Off-topic:

I've just read that Waterfox are independent again.

I'm glad to hear Alex severed ties with the advertising company. I'm guessing the intended direction of his development and that of the ad co didn't align very well long-term (no surprise there, really). Of course it'll still remain as independent as Firefox ESR will be, i.e. borrowing more time for Win 7 on ESR 115 for about a year before inevitably adopting whatever the next one is.