Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefox?

Discussion about Seamonkey builds
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Couscous1994
Posts: 7
Joined: December 5th, 2021, 9:58 am

Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefox?

Post by Couscous1994 »

I have been using SeaMonkey and its predecessors since the last millennium. I understand that SeaMonkey is based on the Gecko layout engine and shares code with Firefox and Thunderbird.

According to Wiki, the current version of SeaMonkey (2.53.10) uses Gecko 60.8. According to the release notes, this most recent version "contains the relevant Firefox 60.8 security fixes" and "additional important security fixes up to Current Firefox 78.15 ESR ... have been backported".

I find this information somewhat confusing because the current version of Firefox is 94 and I believe this also follows the Gecko version numbering. However, this would mean that the SeaMonkey rendering engine is based on a Gecko/Firefox version from May 2018, and incorporates security fixes from June 2020, but no later ones.

Is it possible that SeaMonkey is years behind Firefox in features and security? If so, this would lead me to ponder whether it wouldn't be better to switch to Firefox + Thunderbird, although I prefer the integrated suite in principle.

Thanks, Couscous
frg
Posts: 1361
Joined: December 15th, 2015, 1:20 pm

Re: Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefo

Post by frg »

Here we go again. Use search and it should all be explained.

The short version.

The SeaMonkey 2.53 line was orginally based on the latest Gecko 56 code. Now about 11000 updates later it is basically a fork. Security updates up to 91.4 are in 2.53.11b1 pre and the upcoming 2.53.10.1. I am quite sure we miss a few minor sec updates and only using one process makes it unsafe in the eyes of some. With uBlock origin and NoScript I am confident it is in some areas more safe because our versions can still block chrome code too.

Features are being added as time permits. We are also updating the upstream version code but while it compiles it is broken. Given what mozilla did to the code I am not sure I even would want a SeaMonkey based on current gecko but that is in the eye of the beholder. Not enough devs around so catching up is an uphill battle.

If you want to be boiled slowly with unwanted ui changes, other great "features" like pocket and dumbed down interfaces hop into the Mozilla/Firefox current cooking pot. Your choice.

Given the current status of the web you need a different browser for some sites anyway. For compatibility I picked Edge and when they finally ruin it (MS is on the way here too adding garbage) I might look at Vivaldi.

FRG
Couscous1994
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Joined: December 5th, 2021, 9:58 am

Re: Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefo

Post by Couscous1994 »

Thanks a lot for this information. It would have made sense to me (in the interest of efficiency and simplicity) if SM always used the most recent Gecko version. But I appreciate you guys spending time and effort to make SM even better than FF. I hope you can keep it up, because a fork is surely more cumbersome to maintain.
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ndebord
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Joined: December 7th, 2002, 9:53 am

Re: Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefo

Post by ndebord »

frg wrote: Given the current status of the web you need a different browser for some sites anyway. For compatibility I picked Edge and when they finally ruin it (MS is on the way here too adding garbage) I might look at Vivaldi.

FRG
FRG

I consider Edge ruined now. Forces you to use it whether or not you like it. Sites you don't want or need and can't easily get rid of. I have disabled it entirely. I use Vivaldi as my Chromium browser now and keep IE (only for absolute emergencies).

Nick
-N- Si vis pacem, para bellum
FrameWork, SeaMonkey(64-bit),Windows 10 Pro (X64- 21H2), WinPatrol, Malwarebytes & Panda Dome
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Snake4
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Joined: December 27th, 2017, 4:03 am
Location: Australia

Re: Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefo

Post by Snake4 »

why would you look at Vivaldi? all it is is a stockpile of Bloat
unbeleevabull
Posts: 54
Joined: August 4th, 2014, 10:02 pm

Re: Current SeaMonkey based on which version of Gecko/Firefo

Post by unbeleevabull »

Ungoogled Chromium is Chromium without the bloat of Vivaldi.* There are different versions so find the one that's right for you. I'm using a portable version which is a bit more difficult to find for Chromium. It has a little launcher program that starts it.

* The former Opera CEO really messed up by selling Opera and trying to build a similar UI on top of Chromium.
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