Waterfox
Open-source web browser based on Firefox
 | |
 Screenshot of Waterfox G6.0.5 running on Windows 10, showing the English Wikipedia. | |
| Original author(s) | Alexandros Kontos |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Waterfox Limited |
| Initial release | 27 March 2011; 13 years ago (2011-03-27) |
| Stable release | |
| Preview release | G6.0 Beta 5 / September 14, 2023; 7 months ago (2023-09-14) |
| Repository |
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| Written in | C, C++, CSS, JavaScript, XUL |
| Engine | Gecko, SpiderMonkey |
| Operating system | Windows 7 or later, Mac, Android, Linux |
| Platform | x64, ARM64, PPC64LE |
| Type | Web browser, mobile web browser, feed reader |
| License | MPL-2.0 |
| Website | www |
Waterfox is a free and open-source web browser and fork of Firefox. It claims to be ethical and user-centric, emphasizing performance and privacy.[2] There are official Waterfox releases for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.[3][4] It was initially created to provide official 64-bit support, back when Firefox was only available for 32-bit systems.[5]
Divisions
Waterfox
Waterfox shares core features and technologies like the Gecko browser engine[6] and support for Firefox Add-ons[7] with Firefox. It is also compatible with Google Chrome and Opera extensions.[2] It disables telemetry and Pocket by default, which are present in Firefox builds. However, it collects technical information about the user's device to update properly.[5]
Waterfox Classic
Waterfox Classic is a version of the browser based on an older version of the Gecko engine that supports legacy XUL and XPCOM add-on capabilities that Firefox removed in version 57.[8][9] It is still partially maintained with fixes and patches from Waterfox and Firefox ESR releases. However, its development has been separated due to several changes from Waterfox that are otherwise unapplicable.[10]
Vulnerability
Waterfox Classic has multiple unpatched security advisories. The developer states that "changes between versions so numerous between ESRs making merging difficult if not impossible".[11][10]
History
Waterfox was first released by Alex Kontos[12][5] on March 27, 2011 for 64-bit Windows. The Mac build was introduced on May 14, 2015 with the release of version 38.0,[13] the Linux build was introduced on December 20, 2016 with the release of version 50.0,[14] and an Android build was first introduced on October 10, 2017 in version 55.2.2.[15]
From July 22, 2015 to November 12, 2015, Waterfox had its own search-engine called "Storm" that would raise funds for charity and Waterfox. Storm was developed with over £2 million of investor funding and powered by Yahoo! Search.[16][17][18]
In December 2019, System1, an advertising company which portrays itself as privacy-focused,[19] acquired Waterfox.[20][21] In July 2023, Alex Kontos announced that Waterfox had been turned into an independent project again.[22]
An Android release of the browser was made available via the Google Play Store in November 2023.[23]
Logos
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Waterfox logo used until 2015 -
Waterfox logo used from 2015 to March 2019 -
Waterfox logo used from March to June 2019 -
Waterfox logo used from May 2019 to August 2023 -
Waterfox logo used from August to September 2023 -
Waterfox logo used from September 2023 to present
See also
Free and open-source software portal
Internet portal
- Firefox
- LibreWolf
- GNU IceCat
- Pale Moon
- Basilisk
- K-Meleon
References
- ^ "Release G6.0.11".
- ^ a b "What Is Waterfox and Is It Safe?". MUO. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
- ^ "Waterfox, Free Web Browser". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ "Waterfox: Privacy Web Browser - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ a b c Proven, Liam. "Waterfox: A Firefox fork that could teach Mozilla a lesson". www.theregister.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
- ^ "FAQ". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ "Find and install add-ons to add features to Waterfox". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ Kev Needham (2015-08-21). "The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons". blog.mozilla.org. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
- ^ Villalobos, Jorge (2017-02-16). "The Road to Firefox 57 – Compatibility Milestones". blog.mozilla.org. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
- ^ a b "Waterfox Classic development will continue, but as a separate project from G4". ghacks.net. November 4, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "Unpatched Security Advisories · WaterfoxCo/Waterfox-Classic Wiki". GitHub.
- ^ "About Waterfox". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 38.0 Release". www.waterfoxproject.org. Archived from the original on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- ^ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 50.1.0 Release (Windows, Mac & Linux)". www.waterfoxproject.org. Archived from the original on 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
- ^ Kontos, Alex. "Waterfox 55 Release (Windows, Mac, Linux and Android)". www.waterfoxproject.org. Archived from the original on 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- ^ Kontos, Alex (12 May 2015). "4 Year Anniversary: Waterfox Charity and Storm Search". www.waterfoxproject.org. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
- ^ "New search engine from Waterfox founder aims to take a punch at Google". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ Lake, Howard (2015-08-07). "'Ethical search engine' Storm to generate funds for charities". UK Fundraising. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
- ^ Brinkmann, Martin (14 February 2020). "Waterfox web browser sold to System1". ghacks.net. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Waterfox has joined System1". www.waterfox.net. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "Welcome Waterfox!". www.system1.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ Kontos, Alex (2023-07-03). "A New Chapter for Waterfox". www.waterfox.net. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ^ Eswarlu, Venkat (November 30, 2023). "Firefox fork Waterfox is now available for Android with strict privacy defaults". MSPowerUser.
External links
- Official website
- v
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