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Contributor forteller on Firefox

Native Firefox on Ubuntu is even slower than on Wine  
Written by Dinth the 15 Feb 09 at 12:43. New
This new benchmark shows that native linux version of Firefox is very slow comparing to Windows version, even when run on Wine.
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Solution #1: Compile Firefox with PGO by default
Written by Dinth the 15 Feb 09 at 12:43.
One of reasons why Firefox is so slow on Linux, is that Windows version is compiled with PGO - https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Building_with_Profile-Guided_Optimization . Ubuntu devs should compile firefox packages with PGO enabled to speed up Firefox on Ubuntu
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Solution #2: Compile Firefox with ICC (Intel compiler)
Written by Dinth the 15 Feb 09 at 12:46.
Propably compiling Firefox with ICC would greatly speed up this application.
It is a trouble when user must do compiling with so unusual compiler on his own, but Ubuntu devs can easly do it and put binary packages in repository, or at least PPA.
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Solution #3: Add native 64bit Java and Flash packages to PPA
Written by Dinth the 15 Feb 09 at 12:52.
There are avalible native 64bit Java and Flash versions on Suns and Adobe websites. ATM they are in beta state, but there are pretty much stable, so why dont package them to repo or at least PPA? This would greatly speed up Firefox on 64bit systems - now, sometimes nspluginwrappers takes 50% of cpu power when playing video from some sites.
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Solution #4: Help with Systemtap so that Developers can work out WTF is going on
Written by AndrewLuecke the 16 Feb 09 at 13:19.
Its simple, profiling tools on Ubuntu are WAY behind.

Ubuntu should join in on the Systemtap project so that we have a better tool available to help identify the reasons why Firefox is so slow on Linux.

Doing so will also speed up every other program in the repos.
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Solution #5: Work with Mozilla to Ensure Linux version is Perfomance Optimized
Written by lutimdale the 18 Feb 09 at 04:37.
There probably aren't as many developers testing the linux version as this isn't the biggest install base.
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Solution #6: Support the development of swiftweasel
Written by JanMalte the 19 Feb 09 at 06:56.
Support the development of the swiftweasel project.
This is an pgo compiled version of firefox.
http://swiftweasel.tuxfamily.org/
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Solution #7: Epiphany as default browser
Written by danielrmt the 26 Feb 09 at 20:11.
I have been using Epiphany for the last months, and I really enjoy it. I still miss some Firefox extensions, but it's ok. I think it is a good choice for Ubuntu. Maybe not now, but when it gets a stable webkit support.
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Solution #8: Support the development of Google's Chrome
Written by brownbat the 14 Mar 09 at 02:20.
The "support x browser instead" options are tanking, but I wanted to give everyone an option to vote down (or up?) Google's browser too.
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Solution #9: Port Firefox to Qt
Written by flammon the 14 Mar 09 at 22:18.
I love GNOME and use it every day, have been since pre 1.0 but I think that its weakest part is GTK/GDK. Qt is faster and GPL so perhaps it is time to start porting. Firefox is mostly written in C++ so using Qt shouldn't be a problem.

The project has already begun and I'm anxious to see the results.

http://browser.garage.maemo.org/news/10/
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Solution #11: Option to install firefox32 on 64-bit distributions
Written by sanketmedhi the 15 Apr 09 at 09:24.
Edit: I take this back. I upgraded to Janty 9.04 and Firefox works like a charm with the Flash 10 driver!

I have been using Ubuntu 64 bit versions for several years. And what I still don't like is that my system slows down pathetically when the browser tries to load a Flash or Java applet which are used on most pages on the Internet today, not to mention ads.

Although, its not exactly Ubuntu's problem that the sources providing these plugins do not entirely support x86_64 platforms, users should have the freedom to choose whether or not to use these packages and how to use them.

There should be a meta package that installs firefox32 and removes firefox64 on 64 bit versions of Ubuntu. Also, plugins for Firefox like Flash, Java, Adobe Reader, Shockwave, etc. should be replaced with 32 bit versions without any intervention.

See the 27 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 1 Nov 09 at 12:34) >>

Firefox EULA  
Written by tacone the 14 Sep 08 at 19:21. Not an idea
In the nearing Intrepid release, Firefox display an EULA to the user the first time it is started.

This raises a number of concerns:
- the EULA refusal doesn't prevent the user in any way from using Firefox, therefore EULA's is just noise added to the user experience.
- the EULA agreement would make firefox a non-free application which should be moved to multiverse.
- refusing the EULA would (legally) leave the user without a browser in the default install.
- EULA approval on first start would make firefox less usable when using the Live CD.

So far the options are the following:

- Keeping firefox as it is, even with the EULA.
- Switch to Epiphany as the default webbrowser.
- Adopt IceWeasel from debian (which is firefox, with logo and brand replaced)

You can find the full discussion here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox-3.0/+bug/269656

*** If you'd like to vote for keeping firefox as it is, vote this idea. ***

if you preferer to adopt IceWeasel vote this idea:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/13201/

if you prefer to adopt Epiphany vote this idea:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/13202/
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closed
Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #13200
Written by tacone the 14 Sep 08 at 19:21.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #13200 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 7 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 23 Oct 09 at 06:51) >>

Remove Ebay from default search engines list in firefox  
Written by Auzy the 22 Mar 08 at 01:06. New
Based on idea 5321, by Eldmannen (about removing yahoo).

We should remove ebay from the default installed searches, because:
- It reduces competition with other auction sites.
- Recently there was a uproar about changes in ebay which make in some case make it unfair. I agree!
- Ebay VERY heavily pushes Paypal, which is acknowledged by many to be very dodgy. A lot of people know someone who has been screwed by ebay. And here in aus, I had to upgrade my account because they had a bug which prevented me accessing my money (which is very unprofessional). The freenet Project owner was also screwed by ebay (and it demonstrated they don't research at all claims made against customers), and another friend of mine was charged 2x the amount he was supposed to be receiving because someone used a stolen credit card against him (so seems they profit from illegal credit cards).
- If ebay was a bank, they would have a 24/7 riot outside their building by customers who were screwed.
- Ebay doesn't exactly listen to feedback. If are a typical large company, where you have no way of providing feedback (if you scream at them over the phone, maybe they will let you speak to a manager). But they clearly dont care much (no forums).

Its to our advantage to promote competition within the auction sites. More competition means lower costs for us, and better payment methods. We should try to encourage the development of a world wide auction site that is more consumer/seller friendly, that actually promotes active feedback and improvement.

There is nothing stopping a patch being applied to the firefox code to prevent ebay being a default search engine (and it shouldn't be hard to do).
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #5361
Written by Auzy the 22 Mar 08 at 01:06.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #5361 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 29 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 3 Oct 08 at 16:30) >>

firefox should remember what workspaces its windows are on  
Written by collinstocks the 13 Sep 08 at 20:20. New
When Firefox recovers from a crash or restart, it should remember what windows were on which workspaces and recover them to there correct position.

This should work for both compiz and metacity.
56
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #13156
Written by collinstocks the 13 Sep 08 at 20:20.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #13156 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 4 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 21 Sep 08 at 02:22) >>

Take into account swfdec/gnash in browser loading progress  
Written by Warbo the 6 Sep 08 at 22:08. New
Swfdec and Gnash are free software flash players which work on Ubuntu. When using these, for example browsing YouTube, the "page loaded" progress bar fills up even though the bulk of the page (ie. the video) hasn't downloaded yet.

It is a small issue, but would be nice to fix.
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Solution #1: Incorporate Free Flash player's loading progress
Written by Warbo the 6 Sep 08 at 22:08.
The loading progress of files in these players is accessible in Swfdec by right-clicking the file and selecting Properties, so it could be incorporated into the page loading progress bar.

This would be a nice feature to have over Adobe.

Add a comment or propose a solution >>