Program Management/Firefox/ReleaseTiming
From MozillaWiki
Agenda
- Timing of features for silent update and improving add-on compatibility across the next several releases.
- Timeline of what we are planning to land and when.
- Discussion of data, metrics we are gathering.
- Options, alternatives, pros/cons.
Notes
Firefox 8
- Add-ons
- Provide users an opportunity to opt out of some add-ons that are installed without their consent.
- Feature to prevent this from happening in the future - catch this and warn the user on install.
- Should have meaningful impact for users that upgrade.
- Users will see the opt out in FF8.
- For FF8 we are also removing the Java console on updates - incompatibility.
- This will mean that FF8 update will be a bit noisy but it improves from there.
- Silent Update
- Not prompting when an update is pending until 24 hrs.
- Most users restart within that time frame.
- Fix is in FF8 but won't show up until FF9 goes that - it's then that they will see this update go away.
- Need to keep the prompt for security reasons.
- Other
- There was a telemetry feature to collect information on add-ons.
- This was originally backed out of FF7 due to privacy concerns but we fixed the text in the opt in dialog for FF9.
- There is a telemetry bug we have since uncovered which involves people getting re-prompted for telemetry add-on opt in.
- We likely won't have this in for FF9.
- Can we consider using the metrics ping - how many users, rate of retention. Not telemetry so no privacy implications.
- 20 hang fixes, 110 crash fixes, 61 security bugs, 40 sg:crits
Firefox 9
- Key feature is Type Inference which gives us performance wins
- Hotfix add-on feature - may be safe enough to put in FF9
- Could fix some problems that requires and update
- Standing add-on that lives in FF where we can deliver hotfixes.
- Nothing in FF9 that handles further progress on silent update or add-on compatibility.
- We do have stability, security and hang fixes though which better the product.
- 27 hang fixes (including QT hang), 84 crash fixes, 57 bugs, 38 sg:crit, 8 high
Firefox 10
- Scheduled to include add-on compatibility - compatible by default with some mitigation.
- Feature controlled by a pref.
- Make the whole experience better around updates.
- Silent update - background updates.
- Silent update - we have patches, they are being reviewed.
- We might find something serious so lots of risks here.
- Users experience the silent update when FF11 is released.
- Add-ons compatible by default - have a client and server side piece.
- Blair has patches in progress.
- Probably won't get it in at the merge point.
- 4 bugs on the AMO side - 2 are fixed
- Other 2 bugs - one is easy.
- Do we need a backup plan for the updater?
- Can we pref this off - probably.
Data
- Christian provided some data around features, stability, security and hangs fixes that are in FF8, FF9 and FF10 so we understand the value add with releasing.
- Media:8_9_stats.pdf
Take Aways
- We are on track getting the most serious user issues addressed as quickly as possible.
- We agreed that there is value add to move forward with FF8, FF9 and FF10 as planned.
- Keeping on a predictable schedule is better from a marketing perspective.
- Although most of the key add-on fixes and silent update changes are in FF10, we have done lots of work on stability, hangs and other things that improve the user experience in FF8 and FF9.
- We understand that there are still some risks getting the work completed for FF10 due to the nature of the features.