Bye, Windows 98

Discussion of general topics about Mozilla Firefox
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Metalstream
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Post by Metalstream »

Yes, there is no worrying about about...
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supernova_00
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Post by supernova_00 »

Metalstream wrote:
schapel wrote:If it uses Gecko 1.8, why not just stick with SeaMonkey 1.1 or Firefox 2.x? I don't understand why people are considering switching to another browser <i>now</i>, as Firefox 2.x will work on Windows 9x and will get security updates for years.


Because firefox 2.X maybe, will not support 9x.
Well if 9x users can't with seamonkey or firefox there is other browsers...
K-Meleon, Flock, I don't know...Maxthon if you want...Opera also...
Well I will install a GNU/Linux distro I know this support problem since last year and I recommend if you don't want a Linux only install windows 2000 I always felt that is much better than XP...


K-Meleon and Flock both use Gecko so as long as they upgrade to gecko 1.9 thats also a no go.
schapel
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Post by schapel »

Metalstream wrote:Because firefox 2.X maybe, will not support 9x.

I suppose it was a remote possibility for a short while. Gerv merely suggested it and has already admitted it wasn't a great idea. Firefox 2.x will support Windows 9x.
RyanVM
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Post by RyanVM »

webworm98 wrote:Does Gecko 1.9 which uses Cairo work on other non-windows system?
Yes, Gecko 1.9 will work on Linux and OS X
webworm98
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Post by webworm98 »

RyanVM wrote:
webworm98 wrote:Does Gecko 1.9 which uses Cairo work on other non-windows system?
Yes, Gecko 1.9 will work on Linux and OS X


Thank you.

Could some explain to me why Gecko 1.9 would not work on windows98,and windowsme?
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Post by teoli2003 »

webworm98 wrote:
RyanVM wrote:
webworm98 wrote:Does Gecko 1.9 which uses Cairo work on other non-windows system?
Yes, Gecko 1.9 will work on Linux and OS X


Thank you.


Could some explain to me why Gecko 1.9 would not work on windows98,and windowsme?


It uses Windows APIs present only in W2K and after. In order to provide compatibility, these APIs has to be emulated in Fx, meaning that Fx developpers should be rewrite, and distribute in the unique binary, part of Windows, which is:
1) A waste of time, these elements are already existing in newer Windows
2) A waste of place (for 99% of Fx Windows Users) as they should be included into Fx's executable.
webworm98
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Post by webworm98 »

How come Gecko 1.9 will work on Linux, Mac and other systems? I take it the Gecko 1.9 engine will be written differently for those systems.
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Post by pikaunforgiven »

its mostly because linux and osx dont have the API limitations of the windows 9x series. using gtk helps quite a bit in that reguard.
schapel
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Post by schapel »

webworm98 wrote:How come Gecko 1.9 will work on Linux, Mac and other systems? I take it the Gecko 1.9 engine will be written differently for those systems.

No, Gecko is written as portable code that compiles differently on different systems. Gecko 1.9 will not work on Windows 9x because it uses Cairo and Cairo does not work on Windows 9x.
webworm98
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Post by webworm98 »

http://cairographics.org/manual/
I was looking at this site and it say nothing mention of not supporting windows 98, ME.

I was reading this

Cairo is a 2D graphics library with support for multiple output devices. Currently supported output targets include the X Window System, win32, and image buffers. Experimental backends include OpenGL (through glitz), Quartz, XCB, PostScript and PDF file output. Cairo is designed to produce consistent output on all output media while taking advantage of display hardware acceleration when available (eg. through the X Render Extension)

OpenGL does work on Windows 98se/ME. If I understands backends. It would be possible to use Firefox2 using an openGL library. So it is still possible to run Cairo on Windows 98se/ME
Last edited by webworm98 on June 11th, 2006, 5:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
schapel
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Post by schapel »

webworm98 wrote:OpenGL does work on Windows 98se/ME. If I understanding backends. It would be possible to use Firefox2 using an openGL library. So it is still possible to run Cairo on Windows 98se/ME

Yes, it's certainly possible. And since Mozilla is open source, anyone willing to do the work required to get Firefox 3 running on Windows 9x is welcome to step up to the plate.
pikaunforgiven
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Post by pikaunforgiven »

i think you are meaning firefox 3, 2 doesnt have cairo. as far as i know, the real problem is the fact that the cairo library doesnt work with 9x yet, so someone would have to step up to the plate there to make the cairo library compatible as well as the backend work with firefox. im one of those who would love to see it happen, but im not a programmer nor do i have the skills to be one :(
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douray
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Post by douray »

An interesting thing though is the size of this thread, and the number of views it has garnered...for an operating system that (according to the stats quoted earlier) has a 2% share among users, and is undoubtedly headed for the ash heap like other Windows versions (they have to keep the revolving 'guess-I'll-just-get-a-new-computer' door going).
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ehume
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Post by ehume »

I think part of it is that there are lots of machines not connected to the Internet that run Win 9x, especially Win 98. Lots of us see those when we are moseying around the back offices of various businesses. Unlike some visitors, we can often recognize what OS is running on a machine just by looking at the screen - and it almost doesn't matter what happens to be on that screen.

We know that Win 98 has a much higher non-Internet market share than 2%. Now, should those machines matter when it comes to browsers? Of course not. But it colors our thinking. Especially when we get messages from people who use our software (in my case, themes) on Win 98 machines. You hate to let go the people who are just barely hanging on.
Firefox: Sic transit gloria mundi.
webworm98
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Post by webworm98 »

ehume wrote:I think part of it is that there are lots of machines not connected to the Internet that run Win 9x, especially Win 98. Lots of us see those when we are moseying around the back offices of various businesses. Unlike some visitors, we can often recognize what OS is running on a machine just by looking at the screen - and it almost doesn't matter what happens to be on that screen.

We know that Win 98 has a much higher non-Internet market share than 2%. Now, should those machines matter when it comes to browsers? Of course not. But it colors our thinking. Especially when we get messages from people who use our software (in my case, themes) on Win 98 machines. You hate to let go the people who are just barely hanging on.


I sure would like to know where they get this 2% market share?
I have never been polled. If using google stats it's not accurate.

The problem is people don’t have a choice when it comes to preinstalled system. If one of the Manufacture would step up and offered a choice. I bet more people would use windows 98se.

You just need to know how to configure windows 98se to run correctly
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