back to article Keep that consumer browser tat away from our software says Oracle

Oracle has announced that it has certified four versions of Firefox's Extended Support releases, but can't be bothered even trying to keep up with the open-source browser's consumer version. Mozilla describes Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) as “intended for groups who deploy and maintain the desktop environment in large …

  1. Novex

    Mozilla Firefox Updates Getting Too Frequent

    I don't find Oracle's decision surprising. I'm considering sticking with the ESR releases in future as well. Too often Mozilla have introduced changes that have borked 'my' add-ons every time and it's getting very frustrating. I suppose it just goes to show that relying on another product as a framework for third party functionality is risky (relatively speaking). This issue affects a lot of other software as well, like WordPress; anything written for Java or .Net; in fact, even stuff written for Microsoft Office programs.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hardly anyone is going to be using any version of Firefox in a business situation anyway. 99% will be using IE.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      What Firefox lacks is a better integration with the OS (for example, certificates....) and being configurable via GPO. Some add-ons and other ways to achieve it exist, but it should be something out-of-.the box, if you really want it to be a business solution.

      Without them, it's not a good application for large deployments under Windows - IE becomes a better choice despite what you may think about it, because you can manage it centrally. And in some deployment, something you can't manage is also something that gets forbidden.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        What Firefox lacks is performance and consistent menu positioning and contents. Once the UI people take control of a project and start innovating, run for the hills.

    2. Hans 1

      >99% will be using IE

      Yes, victims of the window cleaner brigade posing as system admins.

      If you use IE, your opinion does NOT count.

      1. Rob Moir

        As much as I'd personally like to see IE die out tomorrow, if you're childish enough to think its that simple then believe me, it's YOUR opinion that does not count.

        1. Hans 1
          Windows

          I never wrote kill off ie, I just meant that those who are stuck with ie are victims of ....

          The other guy down below writes allowing e.g. Firefox means allowing drones to install anything, outrageous! You can deploy firefox, just like most other windows software, via SMS.

          You could also deploy LibreOffice that way, its "Save as PDF" feature (aka "Export as PDF") is worth the effort. Besides, when you get an old Office document it is sometimes better at opening it than Office 2010+.

          No, I used to administer a network of 150+ Windows boxen, though, incl. AD, Exchange and the lot ... you will say, not the same as 15000, agreed! Still, Firefox does come in handy.

          Just my $0.02, YMMV

    3. disgruntled yank

      Oh?

      I know some Deltek Time & Expense users who find printing a lot easier in Chrome than in IE. Could it be fixed in IE? Sure. Do I have the time to fuss with it? No.

    4. Joe Drunk

      @AC

      "Hardly anyone is going to be using any version of Firefox in a business situation anyway. 99% will be using IE."

      Have an upvote on me for stating reality.

      @Hans 1

      Have a downvote. Being a System Admin of your home network is not the same as a System Admin in a medium to large business. IE + MSOFFICE are the defaults on the desktop. It's a fact. You may see an alternate browser on a corporate desktop if permissions are relaxed enough that user can install their own apps. This isn't the case at the Fortune 50 companies I've contracted for in the past decade. Sorry to burst your bubble,

      1. AJ MacLeod

        I think you'll find that Fortune 50 companies are a tiny minority... most businesses I deal with (none of them huge) use something other than IE.

        (Edit to add:) None of them are using Oracle either, but some of them are using centos to serve up remote desktops - naturally enough they're also not using IE but are using Firefox ESR. The rate that Mozilla fires out standard Firefox releases is completely unworkable for any sysadmin, no matter what size of business they're looking after.

    5. ecofeco Silver badge

      AC is correct. IE is the first browser of choice in the corporate world.

      Full integration with Office being the biggest reason.

      Other than that, I don't know. "Nobody was ever fired for buying IBM" syndrome, I guess?

  3. sabroni Silver badge

    But what about the big boy who started the little and often update fad?

    Didn't they say anything about Chrome?

    1. ratfox

      Re: But what about the big boy who started the little and often update fad?

      I assume they refuse to have anything to do with that.

      Thieves… Nasty little thieves, they stole our precious!

  4. mrcreosote

    This isn't something new. This has been the case WRT to Firefox since forever. FWIW, they haven't certified IE11 yet, either.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      With every browser release, some little thing stops working in our web application ... ie 6, 7, 8 worked fine, 9 had a memory leak (exact same code as 8 fed to it), then comes 10 and it executes a JavaScript function twice because it returned nothing, or was that 11, cannot remember ... same with Firefox, you have a page that looks great in version 14, then comes 16 and the page is broken, you fix that for both, then comes version 22, broken again ... you can only consider supporting two of the latest versions + latest two ESR's ... and that is a lot of work.

      I understand Oracle on this one. Our stuff works in ie11, now, that was another odyssey.

      We now only support the latest two versions of ie, latest two of ff ESR and latest two ff.

  5. mrcreosote

    Let me get this straight.

    Oracle, a supplier of ENTERPRISE software to ENTERPRISE customers with ENTERPRISE IT departments managing ENTERPRISE desktops, has updated its long-standing position of only supporting the use of the ENTERPRISE version of Firefox for use with its ENTERPRISE business software, by stating ENTERPRISE customers can now use the latest ENTERPRISE version of Firefox with its ENTERPRISE business software. It also continues its long-standing position of not supporting those ENTERPRISE customers trying to use their ENTERPRISE business software with CONSUMER grade Firefox.

    Sorry, but I still don't see why that is a problem.

    Unless you are aware of ENTERPRISES clamoring to use CONSUMER grade Firefox with their ENTERPRISE systems.

  6. seven of five

    Is this the same Oracle corp?

    Is this the same Oracle like the one trying to slip McAffee with all my java updates?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is this the same Oracle corp?

      Consider yourself lucky, at least you can untick it. The poor sods who work for Oracle have to use McAfee, no choice.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is this the same Oracle corp?

        My downvote isn't against your comment but against all the McAfee crap on the Oracle laptop image which turns my nice speedy laptop into a arthritic wheezing abacus

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Is this the same Oracle corp?

          turns my nice speedy laptop into a arthritic wheezing abacus

          That might be Crashplan backup, when I uninstalled that the effect on my laptop battery life and performance was astonishing.

    2. disgruntled yank

      Re: Is this the same Oracle corp?

      Either that one, or the one trying to install the Ask.com toolbar.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is this the same Oracle corp?

        "Either that one, or the one trying to install the Ask.com toolbar."

        Or even worse Spyware - like Google Chrome for instance.

  7. phil dude
    Linux

    Choice, itis a FOSS thing...

    Thing is, I like the browser updates - I run linux and i don't reboot very often.

    This means I can have as many versions of browsers as I like. And I do.

    I have one for thesis work, where all the plugins work and citation management and latex integration are seamless. Some older firefox where the bugs are cooperative. Profiles really are *useful*.

    I have one for browsing El Reg and other "common fare" type sites; this is firefox-31 will soon be 32.

    I use opera, to see what things are missing from other browsers.

    I use chrome to talk to google and google apps.

    I use chromium when I want less google, and a flash box - yes it works and with Pulseaudio *every* flash window gets its own audio control with *sticky* state - crap ads if not blockable are SILENT!!! ( A shout out for PA).

    Finally I even use Internet Explorer (6,7,8,15? WTF?) via the crossover/wine mechanism, for US Govt websites that apparently need it...(looking at you healthcare.gov)

    Choice, it's a FOSS thing. It is a GOOD thing.

    P.

    1. Irongut

      Re: Choice, itis a FOSS thing...

      Sounds like a fucking nightmare trying to work out which browser you're supposed to use for a given site.

      Oh and Opera = Chrome now so you may as well get rid of it.

    2. mrcreosote

      Re: Choice, itis a FOSS thing...

      Somehow I don't think you are the target market for Oracle E-Business Suite.

  8. MyffyW Silver badge

    Plenty of enterprises use Firefox

    My current employer have Firefox 24 in their standard build, whilst supporting IE11 and Chrome too.

    My previous employer used Firefox tactically where their ancient IE8 standard wouldn't pass muster.

    Both have 40,000+ employees.

    In all cases the latest, stable release was used.

  9. Henry Wertz 1 Gold badge

    Agreed

    Agreed, supporting ESR releases seems sensible. You want to use a newer version? It'll probably work but I wouldn't want to have to retest everything every 6 weeks either.

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