Mozilla is releasing a new Firefox version to the stable branch. Firefox 78 is notable for bringing improvements to the installer and the built-in PDF reader. It is a new ESR release from Mozilla. Also, there are some new system requirements for Linux and macOS.
Firefox 78 comes with the following changes.
Refresh Firefox from Uninstaller
You can now refresh Firefox from the uninstaller. If you have issues when running Firefox and want to re-install it, the new option can be helpful and time saving.
System Requirements
- The minimal system requirements on Linux have been updated. Firefox now needs GNU libc 2.17, libstdc++ 4.8.1 and GTK+ 3.14 or newer versions.
- Firefox 78 is the last major release with support for macOS versions 10.9, 10.10 and 10.11. Users of these macOS versions will be supported through Firefox ESR 78.x for the coming year.
PDF Reader
The built-in PDF reader in Firefox can now be registered as your default PDF viewer in Windows. It is now possible to make the browser handling PDF files. It is worth mentioning that I have such option starting in Firefox 77.
The user interface of the PDF reader is now redesigned. It features a tiny floating toolbar instead of the vertical one, and plays well with the other user interface elements of the browser.
Tab Context Menu
Firefox 78 has introduced a re-arranged context menu of tabs. There is a new submenu, Close Multiple Tabs, which now hosts commands 'Close other tabs' and 'Close tabs to the right'.
There is also a new 'Undo close tab' command that you can use instead/in addition to the Ctrl+Shift+T keyboard shortcut.
Disable Top Sites in Address Suggestions
In addition to Browsing history, Bookmarks, and Open tabs, you can now remove Top sites from the address bar suggestions. Those are the sites you visit most frequently.
They now can be disabled from appearing under Settings > Privacy & security > Address bar in Firefox.
Protections Dashboard
With Firefox 78, Mozilla announces the Protections Dashboard feature (about:protections). It shows what’s been blocked on all sites over the past week.
Other changes
- WebRender is now enabled on all Intel devices (GPU/CPU pair)
- Pocket recommendations are now enabled for all users in the UK.
Download Firefox
To get the browser, visit the following link:
You will see a number of folders. Click on one of the following folders:
- win32 - Firefox 32-bit for Windows
- win64 - Firefox 64-bit for Windows
- linux-i686 - Firefox for 32-bit Linux
- linux-x86_64 - Firefox for 64-bit Linux
- mac - Firefox for macOS
Each folder has subfolders organized by the browser's language. Click on the desired language and download the installer.
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The Undo Close Tab option is not new, perhaps if you normally use the keyboard short cut you simply haven’t noticed it before.
Sorry for that.
Yep, I NEVER use the tab context menu to re-open the closed tab(s). I have a keyboard shortcut habit since the classic Opera 9.x browser/
Does it come with an email app like the old Outlook which I’ve used since Adam and Eve were around.
I’ve had to start using Thunderbird and I’m having a lot of difficulty. I’m too old for change.
no, it doesn’t.