Firefox 2 - the lean, mean browser

[schapel]

In order to determine the relative memory usage of different browsers and reproduce memory problems, I created a browser memory benchmark, the <a href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=240026">Browser Mem Buster Test</a>. I just ran it on Windows XP last night, and the results are interesting:

Code: Select all

                VM Size  CPU Time
Firefox 2 RC1     94 MB    14:20
IE 7 RC1         150 MB    49:37
Opera 9.02       166 MB    27:35


If there were any major problems with Firefox using lots of memory or CPU, they seem to be gone, at least in the Windows version. It would be nice if others could provide some numbers from other operating systems.

[Pgr]

How does FF 1.5 perform on your test?
(so we can rejoice with the improvements )

[Vectorspace]

Most instances of high memory usage are due to extensions rather than Firefox itself.

Interestingly, it was also reported recently that Windowblinds might be a cause of Firefox using more memory than it should: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=467443

[schapel]

How does FF 1.5 perform on your test?
(so we can rejoice with the improvements )

With the original Firefox 1.5 from November 2005, I get 119 MB VM Size, 11:05 CPU time.

The CPU time might be less because in the other tests I left the last nine tabs open for hours (I ran the test overnight -- I was sleeping), and those tabs have some animated Flash content that takes some CPU.

The memory usage is higher largely due to Firefox 1.5 having a larger default memory cache than Firefox 2. My computer has 1 GB of RAM, which means the memory cache in Firefox 1.5 was 31 MB and in Firefox 2 is 18 MB. That accounts for 13 MB of the extra 25 MB of RAM used. Perhaps the other 12 MB was memory leaks.

[Vectorspace]

There have been memory leak fixes in several (if not all) 1.5.x.x updates - how does 1.5.0.7 perform?

[schapel]

With Firefox 1.5.0.7, I get 116 MB VM Size, 11:09 CPU time.

David Baron's memory leak detector reports:
Summary:
Leaked 128 out of 4147 DOM Windows
Leaked 47 out of 2831 documents
Leaked 0 out of 1509 docshells

With Firefox 2 RC1, the leak detector reports 0 leaked objects after the test. Obviously, there were some memory leaks in Firefox 1.5 and the developers did lots of work to fix them in Firefox 2.

[Scarlettrunner20]

Isn't there a test that doesn't require allowing popups from Alexa?! I wouldn't allow popups from anywhere. Besides how is that a good test? Most likely the high ram usage of Fx is due to extensions. I have always had a very high ram usage (350,000k with 1.5) from the first day I got Firebird or Phoenix...years ago but I always assumed that went with TBE which I have always had and consider to be an integral part of Fx. I would probably not use Fx without TBE. SeaMonkey's ram usage is just as high and I use TBE with it. Without it what point is there in Fx or Seamonkey? So, I don't see the ram usage going down. I always have 30 to 50 tabs open and I never shut down Fx, or my computer, or reboot unless something requires a reboot which I absolutely hate to do. I always have TBE save the session when I do close Fx so that I have it when I open it again. But closing Fx does reduce the Ram usage by about one-half. Minimizing does nothing. I see no difference in the amount of ram usage in 2.0 where I also have TBE working.

[malliz]

If you use TBE then DO NOT complain about Firefox memory usage, you know full well it is on the problematic extension list and is not being developed anymore

[schapel]

Isn't there a test that doesn't require allowing popups from Alexa?! I wouldn't allow popups from anywhere.

The test requires you allow popups from bugzilla.mozilla.org. If you do not want to allow popups, simply do not run the test.

Besides how is that a good test?

It's better than no test at all. If you want a better test, feel free make one yourself. I won't be offended.

Most likely the high ram usage of Fx is due to extensions.

If you run the test with extensions installed, it can indicate problems in extensions, too. It will indicate any memory problem at all, unlike the recently developed memory tools which indicate only certain specific kinds of leaks.

I see no difference in the amount of ram usage in 2.0 where I also have TBE working.

Then there is obviously a problem with TBE.

[Scarlettrunner20]

If you use TBE then DO NOT complain about Firefox memory usage, you know full well it is on the problematic extension list and is not being developed anymore

Where did I complain? I complained about the popup test but I didn't complain about ram usage. I simply stated that I have always had it and also in Mozilla/Seamonkey and attribute it to TBE which always used on on all three browsers. To me, Fx IS TBE. Without TBE what is the point in Fx? There are two extensions I would really miss and that is it if TBE cannot be used. I love RIP and ReSizable Text Area, but other than these three extensions I can't see that Fx is any better than any other browser.

Most of us hope Piro will take up TBE again. 2.0 is a much worse browser than 1.5 and 1.5 is much worse than 1.0PR which is worse than 0.8. This browser gets worse instead of better. I don't know that TBE is not being developed anymore. Where and when did Piro state this?

[malliz]

Yes according to the home page the bloody mess that is TBE is still being worked on

[Doug Weller]

What does TBE provide that you need that Tab Mix Plus doesn't? And can't you get that elsewhere?

[Frank Lion]

If you use TBE then DO NOT complain about Firefox memory usage, you know full well it is on the problematic extension list and is not being developed anymore

Where did I complain? I complained about the popup test but I didn't complain about ram usage.

I presume then that you just posted the following on a Firefox high memory usage thread, for no reason at all then :

My Fx ram usage approaches that of VmWare Workstation when I have a virtual machine running. It gets up to about 350,000k. Minimizing does nothing. I have to shut down Fx and then on reopening and reloading of all tabs (usually around 30) the ram usage will have been cut about in half and will stay that way for days before slowly building back up. Fx has always been like this and I don't see any improvement in 2.0 beta 2 that I have on my virtual machine.

Odd that you forgot to mention TBE there, isn't it? This is you being deliberately misleading yet again, isn't it?

[lelle]

What does TBE provide that you need that Tab Mix Plus doesn't? And can't you get that elsewhere?

I really liked the coloring of the tabs. Please tell if there is another extension able to do that (in a sensible way, i.e. tabs spawned from a common parent tab get the same color. TBE called it "groups").

TBE was great, really brought all those needed details to FFs tabs back then.

[pile0nades]

Rebuilding TBE's featureset with other plugins:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=47192