What is status of "unbranded" Fx Builds -- out yet?

[nuncus]

Dear folk:

First, what is the current status of the availability to users of the "unbranded" versions of Fx beyond Fx Ver. 45? Are they out yet; and, if so, where can we obtain them in "safe" form?

I have some add-ons, such as Menu Editor, which I really do not want to lose, but which are probably never going to be signed. Right now, I am halted at Fx Ver. 45.0.2 and have the "xpinstall.signatures.required" setting set to "false."

Is this the last version of Fx that allows the signing requirement to be disregarded?

Secondly, will the ESR versions of Fx all allow the signing requirement for add-ons to be neutralized with the about:config setting? If so, where is the information located that sets out the instructions for switching from the "release" update channel to the ESR update channel?

Heretofore, we have used the "release" track version of Fx as our business browser; BUT we have also relied heavily on certain add-ons, such as, for example, Scrapbook and Menu Editor. The developers already have rendered Scrapbook all but useless by removing the status bar (upon which Scrapbook largely depended for its wonderful web page editing capabilities); and now we are losing the ability to use an "unsigned" add-on, even if we want to use it -- and that includes any custom made add-ons that are unsigned.

Thus, unless we want to discard eleven years of customized browser, our only two choices seem to be either to start using "unbranded" Fx versions, which is dicey in the business context (unless, of course, the unbranded version will nevertheless be produced by the Fx development team, in which case we can certainly make do without the "logo"), or, we can hang out on the trailing edge of the technology in the ESR zone.

I suppose we could try using the "developer" version of the browser; but in that event, can it also run as an "ordinary" Fx version -- i.e., without all the developer bells and whistles? and does it have a "normal" updating path? Developer versions of major apps like Fx tend to require all kinds of sophisticated and advanced skills just to operate and use.

Thus, any light that any of you can shed for us with respect to how we should approach coping with the new "add-on signing requirement" would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

nuncus

[TheVisitor]

There is already a thread here: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=2961665 - no need for another.

IMO, there will Never be an 'Unbranded' Build' - Close as your going to get is to use Nightly builds, but.... not recommended for production use and they update daily, sometimes a couple times a day, and yes things can at time blow up unexpectedly. I've been using Nightly for years now, and to be honest they are pretty stable and its rare anymore that something just flat 'explodes'.

[nuncus]

Dear TheVisitor:


Thank you for your reply.

The most current post in the thread with which you provided me was by patrickjdempsey and is dated "Posted Sep Tue 22nd 2015 3:42pm." It is now Saturday, 11 June 2016.

I, in fact, prior to posting my questions, already searched for, found, and read that thread; I was hoping there might be some information regarding my questions that was a bit more "current" than that which is contained in that thread. That thread contained mostly speculation in the apparent time frame of the Fx ver. 42 browser. I re-read the thread again; it does not really appear apposite to my questions.

Is there simply no "fresher," or more definite, information available than what is contained in an almost year old thread, or, alternatively, has there simply been no movement in this area in almost a year?

Also, does ESR now contain the opt out switch? As I indicated in my original post, we are certainly willing to be a little less "current" in the version of Fx we use in exchange for more feature stability. We are in fact using Fx as a business and basic information research browser and are not doing anything particularly technologically sexy with it. We are not engaged in any software or web programming activity.

Finally, can the developer version in fact run without all the developer bells and whistles that are present in it? I.e., can the developer version be stripped down by a user in such a manner that it is essentially just an ordinary Fx but one that has the opt out option relative to the extension signing requirement in the regular Fx? I guess the most important question on that point is whether the current user profiles and customization files can carry over to a developer version of the browser.

Best regards,

nuncus

[johnp_]

There is no unbranded build yet, but removing the "xpinstall.signatures.required" preference "has been pushed back until the unbranded builds become available".

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... nX4BDI2eF4

This is as of June 6th, so quite up to date. If you have further questions you should ask them in the mailing list thread. (Mozillazine is no official support forum, the official firefox-dev mailing list is a better place for this kind of questions)

[LIMPET235]

Locking as a duplicate.