Firefox Basics 

The easiest way to learn about Firefox is to go ahead and download it (it's free). You can find it at the official site: http://www.getfirefox.com. There you'll find the latest version of Firefox: Firefox 3. If you're hesitant to install and learn to use a new program, rest assured that Firefox looks and acts very similar to Internet Explorer and most other Web browsers. There's even a feature for IE users that lists the expressions with which you're familiar and tells you the corresponding Firefox names for those functions.

At the top of the screen, you'll find the Awesome Bar (a space for typing in Web addresses), a small search panel and a row of buttons -- the typical tools for common Web-surfing activities. Forward, back, home, reload and stop can all be found in this basic setup. These buttons, like just about everything else in Firefox, are fully customizable. You can rearrange them, get rid of some of them or add new ones.

he Awesome Bar isn't just a place to type in Web site URLs. It's linked to your browsing library. If you visit a site like HowStuffWorks.com regularly, Firefox's Awesome Bar will learn and anticipate your browsing habits. As soon as you begin typing "how," the browser will pull up a list of sites you've visited that it thinks you want. You can just pick from the list in the drop-down menu and the browser will take you there directly.

Now, if Firefox is so similar to Internet Explorer, why bother switching? There are quite a few reasons, but the most important for many users is security.

There is much debate over the security of Web browsers, stemming mainly from Internet Explorer's vulnerability as a common target for hackers and virus writers. Microsoft regularly releases patches and updates to fix security holes in Internet Explorer that might allow someone to install malicious software or steal information from a computer. Firefox has not been the focus of hackers so far, but that doesn't mean it's inherently safer. For now, Firefox is enjoying a reprieve from viruses and hackers primarily because, compared to the widespread use of Internet Explorer, it is relatively small-time. Most hackers haven't bothered exploiting Firefox yet, because the low yield means it wouldn't be worth their efforts. As Firefox becomes more popular among Web browsers, that may change. See the Firefox Security section on the next page to learn more.

Now let's take a closer look at Firefox's features and see how they can be expanded.

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Firefox History

The origins of Firefox can be traced directly to Netscape, a company whose Web browser, Netscape Navigator, was the dominant browser before Microsoft developed Internet Explorer. The internal company name for the browser was Mozilla. Eventually, Netscape released the source code for Navigator under an open source license, meaning anyone could see and use the code. A non-profit group was set up to direct the development of browsers using this code. This group became the Mozilla Foundation in 2003.

However, Firefox is not the browser the Mozilla group would have released if everything had gone as planned. Like Netscape Navigator before it, the Mozilla software was becoming bigger and bigger as more features were added in -- a problem in software development known as "feature creep" or "bloat." Enter Blake Ross, a computer enthusiast who first started helping out the Mozilla project as a hobby when he was 14. Instead of accepting feature creep, Ross decided to start developing his own Mozilla-based browser, focusing on a streamlined and simple version. Software developer Dave Hyatt also played a major role. Ross was joined by Ben Goodger in 2003, and development progressed rapidly from that point.

At first, the browser that would be known as Firefox was known as Phoenix. There were trademark problems, however, so the name was changed to Firebird. Another software company had a project known as Firebird, so the name was again changed.Firefox was chosen because it was distinctive, and no one else was using it (although it turned out a European company did own the trademark to the word Firefox, and a deal was reached).

When Firefox was still in the beta stage (when a program hasn't been publicly released, but people can download and use it to help find and fix problems), it was already generating a healthy buzz among tech-savvy Web surfers. In just four months after the official release on Nov. 9, 2004, an estimated 23 million people downloaded Firefox. Web tracker OneStat.com reported on Nov. 22, 2004, that Internet Explorer's share of Web browser use had dropped five percent since May of that year. Firefox had a user percentage of 4.5 percent. Current estimates (as of August 2008) have Firefox's market share at nearly 20 percent [source: Net Applications].

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Introduction to How Firefox Works

Firefox is an alternative browser to Internet Explorer and other web browsers.

A Web browser is sort of like the tires on your car. You don't really give them much daily thought, but without them, you're not going anywhere. The second something goes wrong, you definitely notice.

Chances are, you're reading this article on a version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer. It's the browser that comes already installed on Windows operating systems; most people use Windows, and most Windows users don't give a second thought to which browser they're using. In fact, many people aren't aware that they have an option at all.

Options are out there, however -- some people call them "alternative browsers," and one of them has been steadily chipping away at Internet Explorer's dominance. It's called Firefox. From its origins as an offshoot of the once popular Netscape browser, Firefox is building a growing legion of dedicated users who spread their enthusiasm by word of mouth (or blog).

For a while, it seemed like Microsoft's Internet Explorer was going to dominate the browser market indefinitely. Its competitors included Netscape Navigator and the AOL Browser -- and it soundly beat both of them. When Firefox debuted, it faced an uphill battle to claim space in the market. But Firefox's popularity has grown since its debut, particularly among Web administrators and developers.

The word is spreading quickly. On June 17, 2008, Firefox held an event called Download Day as it unveiled the final build of Firefox 3. The goal for the event was to encourage people to download the new browser and establish a record for the most downloads of a single application within a 24-hour period. The event was a success -- Firefox 3 is now in the Guinness Book of World Records for the application receiving the most downloads in a single day: 8,002,530 to be exact [source: Spread Firefox].

In this article, we'll find out what makes Firefox different, what it can do and what effect an open-source browser might have on the Internet landscape…

HAPPY BLOGGING

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This Is  Some Feature New Mandriva Spring 2009

Desktop environments. KDE 4.2.2, GNOME 2.26.1 and LXDE. Each of them comes with a lot of innovation and new features, improvement in ergonomy and efficicency. Learn more.

Mozilla Firefox 3. New major functionalities for this version: powerful address bar, memory management improvements, bookmarks creation in one single clic, integrated password manager, security improved. Learn more.

OpenOffice.org 3. The first free office suite with even more functionnalities and plugins: ODF 1.2 support, Office 2007 documents import, collaboration in spreadsheet, native integration of spreadsheets in Impress, Presenter, wiki export, PDF import. Learn more.

Sugar. For children, education environment for collaborative teaching (available in online contrib repository). Learn more.

Songbird. The free audio center (available in online contrib repository). Learn more.

VirtualBox 2.2. Virtualization software comes with new functionnalities: better support for 64 bits architectures, 3D acceleration, easier networking, complete VDMK/VHD (VmWare images) including snapshots and Open Virtualization support. Learn more.

Wine 1.1.19. Better support for 64 bits architecture and audio management through pulseaudio. Learn more.

Nepomuk. Give a note, take some notes and search for your documents using your own criteria. Learn more.

 

Easy

Mandriva Linux is an easy to test OS, but also easy to install and to use on your computer.

Connection. At home, using ethernet or wifi, network connection is easy as a clic with wizard connection!

Share. Share your documents without even thinking about how to do it.

Office. Your friends use Windows or MacOS? No problem! You can read and write your document using OpenOffice.

Mandriva Control Center. Share files, browse 20.000 packages library, configure your network connection, migrate your data from Windows, configure your printers... and very easy installer.

Stability and innovation. Easy of use of Mandriva Linux comes from technical choice whose main goal is to combine both stability and new features.

Helped. You don't know how to install Mandriva Linux? Come and meet Mandriva community members during install-parties. We will help you and answer all your question about Linux and Open Source.

Faster

Faster. Mandriva Linux 2009 is always more usable in decreasing average boot time.

Netbooks galaxy. Mandriva Linux can support by default most of current netbooks:

• Acer One 110 and 150,
• Asus eeePC family,
• Classmate PC,
• Lenovo S10,
• MSI Wind U90, U100, U115, U120,
• Samsung NC-10.

Fast and light environments. One of the best environment for netbooks is LXDE, as it's modern, light and efficient.

Stay connected! Wherever you are, connect in a few clicks, it's really easy!

 

From Mandriva.org

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