Alternatives to Firefox Quantum : add-ons included

[devilcoelhodog]

Hello, dear all.

The latest version from Firefox ( v. 57.0b3 - Firefox Quantum ) does not support nice add-ons that previous versions could do it.

Any chances that this new Firefox in recent future allow such add-ons to be supported again?

If not, do you know other very good and trusted browsers that has many add-ons to do the jobs? Not Chrome in the list. I want to know other possibilities instead of that, despite I use it a lot too.

And, do you know if Pale Moon or other browsers support many of previous add-ons that Firefox used to support?

Thanks for the tips!

Best regards.


devil (johner)

[johns0]

Firefox esr lets you have addons that the newest firefox doesn't allow.

[Cornucopia]

No, it is their strategy to steadily but thoroughly REMOVE support for (most all?) plugins.

However, FF has a separate fork called ESR ("extended service release") that has a much slower pace of change, and as of the current version (42.3) still supports a number of NPAPI plugins including Flash, Java & Silverlight. And according to their roadmap, this support should last through Feb/Mar 2018, after which time support is expected to be dropped.

Scott

...johns0 beat me to it.

[johns0]

The current version of ff esr is 52.4.0.

[Cornucopia]

Must have just changed since last 2 weeks then.

[devilcoelhodog]

Hi, dear all.


Well, I do not liked this new version. At least, concerning about add-ons. Some of such add-ons are very useful to do some tasks.


Example: Video DownloadHelper


If this new Firefox version do not allow this ( and many others ) add-ons, for me such browser have losed many features.

No, it is their strategy to steadily but thoroughly REMOVE support for (most all?) plugins.

Why they want this? Nobody will be able to create / update add-ons in this new Firefox version?


Which are the positive points in this new Firefox version?


Despite Chrome, do you know other browsers that have similar add-ons like Firefox used to have?


Thanks for your time!

Best regards.


devil (johner)

[Bernix]

I thought they do it because of user security and privacy on the net. But I am shocked that they in new version 56.0 added "Firefox screenshot" as default, which go against privacy (from my point of view) Fortunatelly it doesnt work in private mode (for now, but they working on it will works in next version) and it could be somehow disabled throught about:config. Iam not expert, but it seems to me as weakness and target for hackers.
But iam old paranoid, so probably it is unbreakabel bin.

Bernix

[jagabo]

Why they want this? Nobody will be able to create / update add-ons in this new Firefox version?

There is a new API called WebExtensions. Many popular add-ons will probably be ported to use that API.

https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebExtensions

Hopefully NoScript (the single most important add-on in my opinion) will be available once Firefox 57 becomes the stable edition.

[Bernix]

Example: Video DownloadHelper

I used to using Video downloadhelper, but start using Flashgot, but it has same problem. Obsolete now in extension.
But it is worth to try it.

Hopefully NoScript (the single most important add-on in my opinion) will be available once Firefox 57 becomes the stable edition.

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/08/01/noscripts-migration-to-webextensions-apis/

Bernix

[hello_hello]

Pale Moon supports the old Firefox extensions. Sometime you have to use older versions of the extensions, but if you install the latest versions that are claimed to be compatible from the Mozilla site they should work. There's also a list of compatible/incompatible extensions here with suggested alternatives.
https://addons.palemoon.org/incompatible/
https://addons.palemoon.org/extensions/

Or uninstall Firefox and install the latest ESR version that supports the old extensions.
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/

No, it is their strategy to steadily but thoroughly REMOVE support for (most all?) plugins.

I assume you mean all of the old type of plugins?

However, FF has a separate fork called ESR ("extended service release") that has a much slower pace of change, and as of the current version (42.3) still supports a number of NPAPI plugins including Flash, Java & Silverlight. And according to their roadmap, this support should last through Feb/Mar 2018, after which time support is expected to be dropped.

I can't see a version 42 ESR release on the page I linked to, but I'm on 45.9 ESR because it's (I believe) the last ESR version to allow unsigned extensions, and I still use a few of them. 52.4 ESR should be fine for the OP though.

[DeJay]

I'm a bit concerned about this too and I have been keeping an eye on it. I have been changing add-ons for those flagged as compatible with FF57, but there are still four left as legacy, three of which are particularly important to me - Better Privacy, Down Them All and Google Translator - hopefully they will be re-written before 57 is upon us, otherwise there will no Firefox extension that will clear LSOs, although being a Linux user I can do it with Bleachbit.

Of the browsers I have installed, Chromium, Firefox and Pale Moon, only Chromium makes a good alternative for my web preferences.

[jagabo]

Hopefully NoScript (the single most important add-on in my opinion) will be available once Firefox 57 becomes the stable edition.

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/08/01/noscripts-migration-to-webextensions-apis/

Yes, I know that's his intention. I've read the link before. I hope it comes true.

[theewizard]

yeah recent versions screwed with my watching vids on amazon prime
havent been able to do that for months
tried going back to an older version, but i don't remember which one worked
will have to try looking at the ESR versions
thanks

[AllisOne]

Some info about Firefox extensions and their webext equivalents:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TFcEXMcKrwoIAECIVyBU0GPoSmRqZ7A0VBvqeKYVSww/edit#gid=0

[jagabo]

yeah recent versions screwed with my watching vids on amazon prime
havent been able to do that for months
tried going back to an older version, but i don't remember which one worked

Amazon prime video is working for me with version 56.0 of Firefox. I'm on the "release channel" track and it updated to 56.0 just a few days ago.

[Tom Saurus]

I am trying a browser called "Waterfox" and I like it so far. The Video Downloadhelper works on it. So maybe you have Quantum Firefox and keep an eye on how thing progress with your favorite add ons and have Waterfox as an additional browser for when you need it.

[jgg]

I have been using Pale Moon as my main browser for about three months. I use the latest version (27.6.2), 64-bit zip.

Here's a list of my extensions. All of them work.

- [TEST] Download YouTube Videos as MP4 1.8.10
- [TEST] Video DownloadHelper 6.3.1
- Add Bookmark Here ² (Moon Edition) 1.0.1
- Add to Search Bar 2.7.1-signed
- Addons Memory Usage - Intika MoD 12.8
- Beef Taco (Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out) 1.3.7
- checkCompatibility 1.3.1-signed.1-signed
- Cleanest Addon Manager 7.1
- customize_titlebar_v2 0.8
- Download Status Bar (Moon Edition) 15.1.0
- DownThemAll! 2.0.18.1-signed.1-let-fixed
- Extension List Dumper 2 1.0.2
- FavIconReloader 0.8.1-signed
- FireFTP 2.0.32 (Disabled)
- Google Privacy 0.2.4.1-signed.1-signed
- Google search link fix 1.4.9.1-signed
- JS Switch 0.2.10.1-signed.1-signed
- Moon Tester Tool 1.1.4
- NoScript 5.1.8.3
- Open link in... 1.9.1-signed.1-signed
- Pale Moon Commander 2.0.0
- Paste Email (original) 10.0
- Permit Cookies 2 2.0
- Print Edit 18.3
- Quick Locale Switcher 1.7.8.5.1-signed.1-signed
- QuickPageZoom 1.6.3
- Rehost Image 1.5.20
- Restart App Button 1.1.2.1-signed
- SaveAsFilename 0.1.1-signed.1-signed
- Screengrab (fix version) 0.99.12
- Site Favicon in Urlbar 48.0.2 (Incompatible) <- It says "incompatible", but it works anyway.
- SmoothWheel (mozdev.org) 0.45.8.20130519.3
- Theme Compatibility Provider 1.0.2
- Theme Font & Size Changer 56.0
- Toolbar Buttons 1.1.1
- Toolbar Buttons 1.1.1
- UAControl 0.1.3.1.1-signed.1-signed
- uBlock Origin 1.14.22
- uBlock Origin Updater 1.3.0
- User-Agent JS Fixer 1.3.1-signed.1-signed

I'm also using a full theme "Red Cats Green Flavor". Full themes are now dead on Firefox.
----------------------------------
Unfortunately, you can't just copy your Firefox profile into your Pale Moon profile folder and expect it to work 100%. It took me a couple of days to get it how I wanted it, but now I'm very happy I made the change.

By the way, I had been with Mozilla / Firefox from the Netscape days, so it wasn't an easy decision. I simply didn't like the direction Fx took after v. 57.

[Tom Saurus]

I am really pleased with Waterfox so far and I have found that its search engine Ecosia works quite well.

jgg: Thank you for your post about Pale Moon. I find it to be useful browser as well. I can't see the harm in having multiple browsers. That is quite a list of Add Ons.

[Tom Saurus]

I have been very pleased with Waterfox and it is just about a year now since I began using it. I am using an older version of Video Downloadhelper on it; before the co app that became necessary because of the Firefox change. I try not use Firefox for downloading HLS M2TS videos as it freezes my computer up to a large degree. Also there is usually some of scripting bug with Firefox. I also have an old version of Pale Moon with a specific older version of Video Downloadhelper on it because it can sense youtube videos that the others can get.

I am pleased with the Ecosia search engine for the most part but there are times it is not adequate then I use Google. But I would suppose at least 75 percent of the time Ecosia does the trick. I have never heard of anyone else here at videohelp trying Waterfox; but regardless it works well for me and I am very pleased with it.