back to article Firefox 3 Download Day falls flat on face

Firefox 3 Download Day began with a PR fiasco. For almost two hours after it was supposed to kick off servers were down and Mozilla Foundation websites either unavailable or publishing html error messages. The Mozilla Foundation had called on the world to start downloading the latest version of the browser at 10am PDT today - …

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  1. Laxman

    Firefox RC2 was still buggy for me...

    ...as in it stopped responding quite frequently on my Windows Vista running laptop. So, if Firefox 3 final is the same as RC2, Thank god for Opera 9.5!!

    Not that I can't just use IE7...

  2. Jon
    Alert

    Do you wanna be a record breaker?

    From the BBC news site:

    <quote>

    "It's a global effort to make history," said Paul Kim, head of marketing at Mozilla.

    [...]

    "There is actually no record for the greatest amount of software downloaded in one day, so for 24 hours from the moment we push the bits live, that's when the countdown starts," he said.

    </quote>

    Breaking a record which doesn't exist - sounds tough...

  3. David Viner Silver badge
    Stop

    Timed out!

    Well, I think the downloads have started - must be cos, at this moment (18:08 BST), it's totally impossible to get to either mozilla.com or spreadfirefox.com. What's the betting the only record broken here will be that this becomes the biggest Denial Of Service "attack" ever mounted ;-)

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Not off to a good start!

    At 10.10 PDT their website is too slow to respond, and at 10.13 it's giving "Http/1.1 Service Unavailable" errors. Maybe they won't be able to set that record afterall.

  5. Rik Ryder
    Flame

    http://www.spreadfirefox.com/

    It's faster than M$ explorer, it's more secure than M$ explorer, it's more user-friendly than M$ explorer, more versatile than M$ explorer, cheaper than M$.

    If it wasn't for firefox, m$ would probably have us watching xbox adverts like on it's live messenger or coughing up cash for it's half assed, buggy, insecure browser by now.

    So quit moaning and go and download it now....

    http://www.spreadfirefox.com/

  6. Magnus

    heh, the world record site seems to have gone down...

    I've had issues loading the Spore page as well. :o)

  7. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    But first...

    Ensure your website can keep up with the demands of the day!

    Their website, mozilla.com, is unavailable at the moment! Doesn't appear to be working in Firefox, IE or Opera....

  8. Tyler
    Stop

    Jon, don't be pedantic

    Mozilla.com has acknowledge that no previous record exists - they're simply trying to *set* a record.

  9. Piers Meynell
    Thumb Up

    Http/1.1 Service Unavailable

    Mozilla achieves the record for the world's largest DDOS. \o/

  10. Steve Barnes

    Darwin Awards for web suicide

    I think Mozilla probably should get a Darwin Award and the Guiness record

    for bringing their own website down within seconds of Firefox 3 being launched :D

  11. G2
    Dead Vulture

    self-inflicted DDoS ?

    at the moment www.speadfirefox.com has been unreachable for more than half an hour now from here and www.mozilla.com is returning "Http/1.1 Service Unavailable" when i can connect to it, but usually the connection just times out.

    I think that mozilla might have achieved the first self-inflicted DDoS, on a global scale nonetheless... that's a really impressive record ... and the first legal one if i'm not wrong, as i cannot remember any software launch that has caused this worldwide gold rush, not even the launch of Fedora 9.

    congrats Mozilla: Aim at foot, SHOOT !.

    /using the dead vulture logo as there is no dead fox logo available.

  12. MJ
    Unhappy

    Firefox site down!

    Hmm they could have a hard time setting any records if their site collapses due to the volume of traffic! It's now 10:15 PST and I am unable to get to either http://www.firefox.com/ or http://www.getfirefox.com/ to get my fix :-(

  13. Shane McCarrick

    Tough luck

    Seems like the main firefox website is dead as a dodo......

    I can see it, but am unable to get it to respond........

    I suppose there is always bittorrent.......

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Servers slashdotted

    Well they are from here anyway, won't get any records if people can't actually get to the server let alone click the download button.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Title

    It might help their cause if mozilla.com, getfirefox.com and spreadfirefox.com weren't timing out.

    Is there a record for a company to voluntarily DDoS itself the quickest?

    I'll get me coat, since I can't seem to get Firefox :(

  16. Robert Hill

    Maybe break their record breaking attempt???

    Suppose a distributed network (or as this is El Reg, a "Beowulf cluster" even) of download clients tied to a many connections suddenly started downloading Firefox 3.0 repetitively and endlessly.

    Oh, wait, I'm pretty sure that can be described as a DoS attack, and probably punishable under some criminal laws somewhere. So let's NOT really do it...

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    The great push...

    I wondered why there were a raft of updates this week to my seemingly lost forever extensions! Quite welcome too... I missed things like FireFTP, ReloadEvery and Trashmail.net.

    p.s. RC2's working great for me on Ubuntu, I never seem to get the problems others do with Firefox. That's not meant as a gloat btw!

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I can't see them breaking any records with these servers.

    Just tried to surf over to mozarella only to find that their servers have been bowled over by the traffic. No joy...

    Donwload Opera 9.5 instead. Much better browser =)

  19. Malboeuf
    Stop

    Maybe..... maybe not.

    We're now 40 minutes past "release time" and RC3 is the only thing I'm finding on getfirefox.com. The one thing that can make you look foolish in a process like this is to generate a lot of hoopla and this misfire.

    And, if you want to set a record for missing release deadlines there are some pretty big companies to compete with.

  20. Neil
    Alert

    Only 2 Million?

    Yes I will be downloading Firefox 3.

    With Firefox 2 being so far ahead of IE 6 when it launched, and heralding every significant feature of IE7 we can expect to see it looking fresher and brighter and once again leading by a broad street.

    What I can't understand is the claim of 2 million users of Firefox. 200 million maybe. A slip of the journo's pen I suspect.

    Good luck to the new version.

  21. Ash

    Artificial record.

    Much like "How long can a man stay in a tub of baked beans?" style records, this is totally artificial and not worthy of mention.

    I've already downloaded it, and i'm still using Opera.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    For the 1000th time of asking....

    It's quite simple! If you don't like it, leave it alone! No one is making you download or use it. I like Opera it's cool, I like IE sometimes, for some things, Safari has some good points and FF has good bits. They all give us choice, simply say "It doesn't work for me, 'cos of XYZ. Thanks, but no thanks.".

    Sorry but no way am I getting into a pissing contest over a browser, there are far better goals in life...peace out!

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    Website down already....

    Not gonna break a record like this

  24. jai

    re: Do you wanna be a record breaker?

    where's Roy Castle when you need him? (oh yeah, right, i forgot)

    still, it won't be the same without him playing the trumpet as the credits roll

    i still think it'd be far more fun if 2 million people all downloaded Opera or Safari on the same day

    because as you say, there is no official record yet - so even if just one person downloads it, they'll have got the "record"

  25. Patrick O'Reilly
    Alert

    Slashdotted

    As of 18IST (Irish Summer Time) both getfirefox.com and spreadfirefox.com are both timing out.

    Opera rules anyway.

  26. Chika
    Happy

    @ Jon

    You have to start somewhere, I suppose.

  27. Spearbox
    Jobs Horns

    Rant...? Sorry ol'chaps for pissing on your bonfire

    Well done the firefox and mozilla PR team - for making something so ridiculous as a new version of software being released "cool". Since when did nerds, *cough* define cool? I don't know which is more sad and pathetic - celebrating something like that or the 566 parties (see BBC article) that are gonna take place to commerorate it...

    Anyhow that said, technically Adobe Flash Player is software. I think they'll win this hands down. Probably i-tunes too. /me gets out the big eye-glass and starts to investigate...

    I'll leave with this thought in the meantime. Wierdly I get the same feeling as I do when I hear about Amy Winehouse or Pete Doherty every time I read about Firefox. I thought Harry Potter was bad and rest my eyes in wonderment as to how a CEO of an organisation can have the cheek of having a $500,000 USD/annum (http://valleywag.com/tech/jackpot/mozilla-chief-makes-500000+plus-a-year-322100.php) salary and get away with it.

    Hey look, my genetically modifed cow with two redbull cans on its behind just flew across the window sporting some quite stylish XXXL Calvin Klein boxers! Hurrah! /me runs out and chases it with a big stick and the eye-glass to see if it'll burn, baby burn!

    p.s. I prefer apple over firefox. viva la safari and her devil brother IE! (as you've probably guessed, this firefox hoo-ha annoys the hell out of me /end rant)

  28. MJ
    Stop

    Version 2.0.0.14?

    it's now launch +45 mins and when I finally get to the mozilla.com/firefox download page I'm only offered version 2.0.0.14 with a link to a 'Firefox 3 Sneak Peek' article listed in the 'What's New' section on the right :) Good work lads!

  29. Jason Terando
    Thumb Down

    They'll Break a Record All Right

    New World Record: Shortest time to failure of a published URL to achieve a download target. mozilla.com (including www.getfirefox.com is inaccessible -- I'm in California, I've been trying to get in since shortly after 10 a.m. PDT.

    It'll be fun to read the "we had no way to anticipate the positive response" excuses. They are explicitly begging people to flood the site, and obviously do not have much of a plan for dealing with the traffic. They could have, for example, they could have a set up a small loader to download and then let that stream/torrent the download from mirrored sites. They could instructed webmasters on how to post the file and report downloads back to Mozilla (I'm sure more than a few anti-M$ folks would been happy to do so)

    This is another example of my biggest problem with Firefox. For individuals, it's great. But it's management capabilities (centralized configuration control, update distribution, etc.) suck. As good as a browser Firefox is (and I've had pretty good luck with the ver 3 testing) they need to start taking the Enterprise more seriously.

  30. Richard Large
    Flame

    Opera, for the more intelligent-minded among you.

    When Opera works the way I want it to, I'll consider it. Until then, I'll stick with Firefox.

    Horses for courses, not necessarily based on intelligence Ms Kelly.

  31. Joey

    Re: Do you wanna be a record breaker?

    I think that the record is really for the Internet's biggest traffic jam!

  32. StJohn
    Thumb Down

    Where's FF3???

    This site is full of lies!

  33. Rory Webber
    Stop

    Site down?

    Well I'm trying to access the download site at the moment, and I'm getting nada. Zip.

    Although that could just be my location. I'm pretty sure they still use a couple of cups tied with string for telephones over here sometimes......

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Numbers?

    "The firm claims it already has two million people worldwide running Firefox, today it will be hoping to scoop up a few more fanboys and girls in its latest onslaught against the might of Microsoft."

    Only two million? Firefox is supposed to be used by over 15% of those online, are you sure you got this number right?

  35. Robert Moore
    Linux

    @Laxman

    Perhaps that is why there was a RC3.

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    As per usual, the site is down

    Hardly unexpected. Can no-one forsee these events and rent sufficient temporary server and network capacity for the 1st 24 hours ? I'm sure vendors like IBM would like the kudos and do a deal...

    "There is actually no record for the greatest amount of software downloaded" - how about all those little bits of Javascript - software surely. I guess that would go to Google...

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    working for me

    on OSX =>

  38. Graham Hawkins
    Stop

    Record for the fastest off-line for a record-breaking download attempt?

    Well it was down when I looked... less than an hour after the 'Today you're history, Firefox' email arrived.

  39. Nuno
    Stop

    Firefox Claims

    "its browser is better than all the others cos it's open source, faster, fluffier, more secure and now ready to graduate into the big league".

    Well, you are forgetting the most important claim: standards compliance!

  40. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Intelligent choice?

    I dont understand why the intelligent would choose (Opera) a classic example of bloat ware (ala Office) that has so much crap inbuilt that most people won't use or care about.

    I'd say the intelligent would choose a light weight browser then install one or many of the thousands of plug-ins that are of some use to them!

  41. Daniel Bennett
    Stop

    "a bigger back button"

    Eh?

    I havn't even got a back button on mine!!

    Refresh, Stop, Home, URL Bar, Google Search

    Nout else :o

  42. Chris Hexter
    Alert

    make sure that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

    So... who couldn't see this coming? I bet El Reg had this story already typed up!

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    I got it here instead

    http://www.filehippo.com/download_firefox

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    We broke Sweden!

    The British English Firefox download is run from servers in Sweden and the FRA's spying computer is overloaded apparently and refusing to accept any more connections to Sweden. ;)

    WE BROKE SWEDEN! Sorry about that.

    Anyway, I just downloaded and installed it, I've just checked mozilla.org (21:30 CET) and that works fine. Grab it from mozilla Europe instead of Mozilla.org:

    http://www.mozilla-europe.org/

  45. Chika
    Dead Vulture

    I suppose it's all how you look at it

    Yes, I am posting this from a Windows version of Firefox 3, though my Linux version is giving me a few problems, especially as installation instructions are conspicuous by their absence so I'm trying a few tricks that sometimes get things like that working (though usually I don't expect this sort of fun from a large scale update that has supposedly been tested over many months!)

    Actually, I believe that part of the problem is that the folk behind the release forgot that June 17 starts at different times in different parts of the world, or at least didn't make it clear enough for users clamouring for the package, hence it was nearly 8pm BST before the Firefox 2 update page cme down for the last time and Firefox 3 went live. For us in the UK, therefore, June 17 is nearly over!

    I'll give it a good hammering once I've sorted out the Linux problem.

  46. Roland Newmark
    Thumb Down

    working now

    I can DL it. Not that I want to or will any time soon.

  47. dervheid

    SLOW...

    Just had 5 attempts to download, like being back on dial-up

  48. Michael Sheils
    Stop

    If you wanna be a record breaker

    Make sure your servers work.

    Serves them right really for the shameless bollocks that this PR exercise has been.

  49. Jach
    Linux

    Currently emerging it...

    I wonder, will they get in contact with all the major Linux distros to see how many downloads were made to the repos, or will they just count each distro mirror that adds it to the repo as one?

    rc1 had one bug for me: sometimes it'd freeze up if I closed a tab with Gmail on it from another tab. That's not enough to make me switch to something else though. (I emerged Opera 9.5 the other day, and I was not impressed at all.)

    As for the server being down, a friend of mine said the server wasn't responding but I told him to clear his cache and it worked.

  50. Thom Brown

    Yes, it is available

    You just need to look in the right place: mozilla-europe.org

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