Firefox

How in web-extenion to detect whether a website supports dark mode and whether it is in dark mode?

Including not only does it automatically switch to dark mode (with color-scheme)), but also is it in dark mode by default, without using color-scheme, without having a light mode?

I want to expand (Firelux type) with such an automatic, effective detector.

I thought that maybe someone had made an effort to detect dark backgrounds, but also light subtitles, detecting everything possible...

Then it occurred to me that there should be a database of sites that have a dark mode and a way to bypass it...
But I'm doing it myself in Firelux, clicking laboriously.

How in web-extenion to detect whether a website supports dark mode and whether it is in dark mode?

Including not only does it automatically switch to dark mode (with color-scheme)), but also is it in dark mode by default, without using color-scheme, without having a light mode?

I want to expand (Firelux type) with such an automatic, effective detector.

I thought that maybe someone had made an effort to detect dark backgrounds, but also light subtitles, detecting everything possible...

Then it occurred to me that there should be a database of sites that have a dark mode and a way to bypass it...
But I'm doing it myself in Firelux, clicking laboriously.

#firefox #webextensions #css #javascript

What are the pros and cons of using Android Firefox vs F-Droid Fennec on a Kindle Fire 7? Thx!

#firefox

Version 122.0, first offered to Release channel users on January 23, 2024

New

Firefox now displays images and descriptions for search suggestions when provided by the search engine.

The translations feature received an improvement in the quality of translated webpages. The results should be much more stable. This fixes issues where the content of a page could disappear when translated, or interactive widgets could break.

Firefox now supports creating and using passkeys stored in the iCloud Keychain on macOS.

MDN Web Docs article suggestions from Firefox Suggest will be available in the address bar for users searching for web development-related information.

The line breaking rules of Web content now match the Unicode Standard. This improves Web Browser compatibility for line breaking. An additional improvement for East Asian and South East Asian end users, Firefox now supports proper language-aware word selection when double-clicking on text for languages including Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, Lao, Khmer, and Thai.

Firefox now ships with a new .deb package for Linux users on Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint.

Fixed

Various security fixes.

Enterprise

You can find information about policy updates and enterprise specific bug fixes in the Firefox for Enterprise 122 Release Notes.

Developer

Developer Information

Fixing keyboard navigation in Inspector Rules view. Starting with Firefox 122, when editing a selector, a property name, or a property value in the Inspector, the Enter key will no longer move the focus to the next input but will validate what was entered and focus the matching element (#1861674). You can still use Ctrl + Enter (Cmd + Enter on macOS) or Tab to validate and move the focus to the next input.

Web Platform

Enabled the offset-position property which is useful for most of the offset-path values. Added support for ray(), basic-shape, coord-box to the offset-path CSS property. Added support for rect() and xywh() basic shapes on clip-path and offset-path CSS properties.

Firefox now supports animating the SVG viewBox attribute using SMIL by animations.
by animations are animations that are relative to the original value. Other attributes such as lengths and angles already support by, but a viewBox consists of four separate values.

The LargestContentfulPaint API has been added, this provides timing information about the largest image or text paint before users interact with a web page.

hr in select is now supported, allowing websites to easily use separators inside a select element.

The showPicker method is now supported on <select> elements, this can be used to trigger the drop-down behavior via JavaScript.

The fallback URL parser for unknown schemes was changed to DefaultURI, this improves specification adherence and web compatibility.

Enabled the ArrayBuffer.prototype.transfer proposal methods, which enables transferring ownership of ArrayBuffer data.

Added support for the Screen Wake Lock API.

Firefox now recognizes the “webauthn” autocomplete token and will suggest passkeys in form autofill dialogs.

Scripts can now store cacheAPI data in Private Browsing mode. Previously, user experience for someone browsing in private browsing mode could be significantly different than in regular mode. With these changes, websites can store cacheAPI data in Private Mode moving towards a uniform experience in regular vs Private Browsing mode.

To further protect user privacy, Firefox now taints filters that use currentColor as an input. Since color can be set by the :visited pseudo selector, it potentially contains privacy-sensitive information and therefore these primitives must be marked as tainted. This means that if you use such a filter, you won’t be able to read the filter output from canvas.

Uneven Level Protection Forward Error Correction (ULPFEC) will now be on by default in Firefox. This provides another tool for WebRTC services to utilize, improving video quality for users with spotty internet connections.

Unresolved

Some machines with older AMD CPUs may see image thumbnails incorrectly rendered as all black in file dialogs. If this is the case, updating the graphics driver should address this issue.

Community Contributions

With the release of Firefox 122, we are pleased to welcome the developers who contributed their first code change to Firefox in this release, 10 of whom were brand new volunteers! Please join us in thanking each of these diligent and enthusiastic individuals, and take a look at their contributions:

• AAR.dev: 1862505, 1865895
• Akylzhan: 1862508
• cmj.grubb: 1862504
• jameshendry05: 1682239, 1739307, 1866273, 1866776
• Jiangjin Wang: 1865969
• matthewnewall: 1862511
• Meera Murthy: 1869033
• peterodejobi9: 1837072
• realstealthninja: 1862506
• Vsevolod Buzinov: 1865494, 1869853

Today, Mozilla announced more than 450 new extensions (software that adds new features or functionality to the browser) to users on Firefox for Android at Mozilla’s AMO Android page. This milestone marks the launch of a new open extension ecosystem on mobile where developers are now free to create and publish extensions and users can easily access and install them on Firefox for Android.

“Extensions were first created as a way for people to customize their own internet experience, from artists designing themes to developers who wanted to make extensions to improve people’s web experience,” said Vicky Chin, Vice President of Engineering at Firefox. “We’re thrilled to bring this experience to Firefox for Android, where we’re the only major Android browser to support an open extension ecosystem. In the coming months, we plan to enable more extensions for people to choose from and customize their own mobile internet experience.”

Our journey to an open extension ecosystem to benefit all

Browser extensions have become an essential part of everyone’s daily internet experience. Nearly half of all Firefox desktop users have installed an extension to customize their online experience. Extensions provide a wide array of powerful features — from privacy tools like anti-trackers and ad blockers, to productivity tools, tab managers, translators and so much more.

Built on Mozilla’s mission for an open and accessible internet for all, Firefox works with an independent community of developers to offer extensions for people who want more personal agency out of their online experience. On desktop, there are thousands of extensions to help you become a better writer, land a job or clean up a chaotic desktop. While the new Android ecosystem will take time to develop the robust diversity of content that desktop extensions offer, quite a few major desktop extensions are already available on Firefox for Android, such as privacy focused content blockers uBlock Origin and Ghostery, anti-tracking gem Privacy Badger and color customizer Dark Reader.

In August, we announced that we had completed building the infrastructure needed to support an open extension ecosystem on Firefox for Android. We were ready for the next chapter: adding extensions. Since then, we’ve been working with developers to test and make hundreds of extensions compatible on mobile. So, are you ready to customize your mobile browsing experience to make it faster, safer or simply more fun? Look no further with today’s release of extensions on Firefox for Android.

**Extensions to help while you’re on the go, just in time for the holidays **

We depend on our mobile devices for many things — quick informational searches, reading articles, listening to music, looking for recipes (like cookies for the annual cookie holiday exchange). So, we understand the value of having experiences that are simple, predictable and offer the time to focus. Here are some extensions available today to help achieve that flow.

• Midnight Lizard – Read easier
  We look at our mobile devices in so many different environments. Whether it’s outside with the sun or inside a dimly lit room, our eyes work hard to adjust. Midnight Lizard is one of those extensions your eyes will feel the difference and thank you. It can change the colors of the page, increase or decrease the brightness and contrast. Add a blue light filter, screen shader and of course, the ever-popular night mode. Midnight Lizard will keep your eyes in good shape!

• Dark Background and Light Text – Keep it simple
  This extension is well-loved by thousands of users for its simplicity. It’s helpful for folks who prefer to work in dark mode, or those with low vision where reading dark text on a white background is challenging. You’re free to customize it so that all web pages are rendered in this elegant way, or just select pages.

• Worldwide Radio – Get into the groove
  Access more than 50,000 radio stations from all over the world right from your Firefox for Android browser. In the mood for a bit of Brazilian Samba? How about some traditional Indian Hindustani? Techno beats from Berlin? The world’s music and real time talk radio is literally at your fingertips.

A big thank you to our developer community

We would like to thank all the developers who worked with us to make their extensions compatible for this launch of the open extension ecosystem on Firefox for Android. Hundreds attended our webinars and brought incredible creative energy to this project.

“The opportunity for innovation is vast,” said Giorgio Natili, Firefox Director of Engineering. “It’s thrilling to see extension developers embrace this moment and create novel browsing experiences and features for Firefox for Android users. People don’t have to browse the mobile web in a strictly singular way anymore. With extensions, you’re free to change the way Firefox for Android looks and behaves. It’s only going to get better as more developers innovate within this exciting new space.”

As more developers create mobile optimized content, you can expect a wave of new Firefox for Android extensions to emerge in the coming months. In the meantime, download the latest Firefox for Android and shape your own internet experience with Android extensions.

Firefox 120 will launch with 200 new Android extensions this December

As web users, what we say and do online is subject to pervasive surveillance. Although we typically associate online tracking with ad networks and other third-party sites, our online communications travel across commercial telecommunication networks, allowing these privileged entities to siphon the names of the websites we visit and monetize our browsing history for their own gain.

Enter Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) – by encrypting that first “hello” between your device and a website’s server, sensitive information, like the name of the website you’re visiting, is protected against interception from unauthorized parties. ECH is now rolling out to Firefox users worldwide, allowing for a more secure and private browsing experience.

What is Encrypted Client Hello?

ECH is the most recent step in our mission to build a better internet, one where privacy is the industry standard. Mozilla has been developing this new internet privacy technology for nearly a half-decade in collaboration with other browsers, infrastructure providers, academic researchers, and standards bodies like the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Much of our data shared through websites, such as our passwords, credit card numbers and cookies, are protected with cryptographic protocols like Transport Layer Security (TLS). ECH is a new TLS extension that also protects the identity of the websites we’re visiting – filling the privacy gap in our existing online security infrastructure.

Usually, when a browser connects to a site, it transmits the site’s name in its unencrypted initial message, allowing network operators or observers on the network to monitor the websites visited by each user.

ECH uses a public key fetched over the Domain Name System (DNS) to encrypt the first message between a browser and a website, protecting the name of the visited website from prying eyes and dramatically improving user privacy.

Privacy as a default.

With ECH on Firefox, users can be assured that their browsing patterns are more private. But Firefox’s support for ECH is only one half of the story – web servers also need to implement ECH. Fortunately, ECH is an open standard which any website operator can deploy. Cloudflare has already rolled outsupport for ECH and we look forward to other providers launching their deployments in the near future.

It’s also important to understand that no one technology can be a panacea. ECH works alongside other security and privacy features in Firefox, including DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH). DoH encrypts DNS queries to protect the translation of website names to IP addresses, which ensures that website names aren’t visible to the network in DNS traffic and is essential for ECH to be effective. DoH and ECH can also be combined with a virtual private network (VPN) to provide an additional layer of privacy and security where the VPN masks a user’s IP address and encrypts data traffic, while ECH protects the identities of the websites a user visits from the VPN provider.

While Mozilla believes that privacy and security technologies should be available by default for all users, we also recognize that in certain circumstances, users may have alternative preferences, for example, if they are relying on family safety software at home, are using network-based ad blocking or are in an enterprise environment. ECH is designed to interoperate with these practices and respect the existing DoH opt-outs in Firefox, so these users won’t need to make any changes to continue enjoying a smooth and safe Firefox experience. Similarly, if users or administrators have opted-in to the increased or maximum levels of DoH protection, their decision will likewise be respected.

A culmination of years of privacy-minded research, experimentation and testing.

Half a decade ago, Mozilla began the work needed to modernize and safeguard the Domain Name System (DNS), closing long-standing data leaks in one of the internet’s oldest and first components. Around the same time, we also began work on the protocol which became the forerunner to ECH. Developing these complex systems safely and responsibly takes time, experience and collaboration with the community.

Over the course of our long history of building technology to counter online tracking and surveillance, our contributions to standards bodies like the IETF have played a pivotal role in the development of DoH, TLS1.3, QUIC and many more crucial technologies, shaping the landscape of online privacy and encryption.

Mozilla has long invested in technologies to protect the privacy of Firefox users and ECH gives users an even higher level of privacy by safeguarding their browsing history from unsavory network practices. We stand by our ongoing commitment to ensure privacy, security and user choice are non-negotiable. Take back your privacy by downloading Firefox today.

In August we encouraged developers to start preparing their desktop extensions for Firefox Android open availability on addons.mozilla.org (AMO). The project is progressing well and we’re on track to launch the open mobile ecosystem on AMO in December. We have more infrastructure development and testing to complete in the coming weeks, but as we move toward release we’ll keep you informed of the project’s status right here on this blog, add-ons forums, and social channels.

To help our developer community prepare for Firefox Android open extension availability on AMO — and to ensure Firefox Android users have an exciting selection of extensions to choose from — we’ve compiled a list of popular desktop extensions (with mobile API compatibility) we’re inviting the add-ons community to help test on Firefox Android. If you’re intrigued to try some new extensions on your Firefox Android phone and offer feedback, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

How to test Firefox Android extensions (Beta, Nightly)

Test extensions are only currently discoverable on AMO via 119 Beta and 120 Nightly versions of Firefox Android. If you’re not already on Beta or Nightly, please follow these links for installing Firefox Android Beta and Nightly.

Once you’re ready to roll with Firefox Android (Beta/Nightly) on your phone, just follow these simple test steps:

1. Check out this spreadsheet of test extensions. They were compiled because they possess a combination of Android API compatibility and relative popularity on Firefox desktop.
2. Find a test extension that interests you and navigate to addons.mozilla.org on your Firefox Android (Beta/Nightly) phone and search for the extension you want to test, then install it.
3. Follow the testing guide on this feedback form and play around with the extension.
4. Report your impressions of the experience on the feedback form.

Then feel free to repeat testing with as many other test extensions as you like. Have fun with it! The feedback you provide will be extremely helpful to developers hoping to optimize their desktop extensions for Android usage.

Are you a developer hoping to make your extension available on Firefox Android?

If you have a desktop extension you want to prepare for Android availability on AMO, a good place to start is checking your desktop extension’s APIs against those supported for Android. It is also important that developers migrate to non-persistent background pages. In order to mark your extension as compatible with Firefox Android, add the gecko_android key inside browser_specific_settings (more info) in your manifest.json file (this is also a requirement when submitting your extension using the AMO API, e.g. with the web-ext tool). During this period you are welcome to update your extension on AMO to address issues while running in Firefox Android; and mark your extension as Android compatible to be ready for discoverability on AMO in December.

Please note — once you’re ready to test the mobile version of your extension, create a collection on AMO and test it on Firefox for Android Nightly (you’ll need to make a one-time change to Nightly’s advanced settings; please see the “Enable general extension support setting in Nightly” section of this post for details). If you’d prefer to polish your extension before publishing it on AMO, you can also debug and run the extension with web-ext.

It’s been exciting to see so many developers embrace this moment to make their desktop extensions available for a new mobile audience. When AMO opens the general availability of Android extensions in December, Firefox Android users will be thrilled at all of the innovative ways they’ll be able to customize their mobile browsing experience.

If you’re a developer with technical questions about mobile extension migration, please visit our support forum for Firefox Android extensions. You can also book office hours support every Monday and Tuesday.

Firefox can now translate web pages without sending the contents to external servers.

Given all the interest this week in Firefox outperforming Google Chrome in SunSpider, I decided to run some fresh Linux desktop web browser benchmarks on my end

Mozilla Firefox has merged Wayland fractional-scale-v1 protocol support for handling fractional scaling with the web browser on the Linux desktop.

I am in a bit of a pickle. I'm a developer, and I also use some crypto social media, and I also like downloading media sometimes, I do a lot of stuff. I modify CSS, I script & hack the web, yadda yadda. Basically what this means is I ended up with like 50 addons I juggle-enable-disable all the time. This is extremely frustrating without some kind of grouping them, or at the very least searching only among my installed addons to enable/disable.

Do you guys have any idea if a tool or method exists to solve this problem?

#Mozilla #Firefox How does the Mozilla VPN compare to Mullvad? I would like to support Mozilla, and I’m using Mullvad anyhow. Thanks!

Firefox 116 open-source web browser is now available for public beta testing with Cookie Banner Reduction, Quick Actions in URL bar, and more.