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Mozilla 1.0 Browser-Suite Coming SoonMike Angelo -- 27 May 2002 (c)
Mozilla 1.0 is on its way! The Mozilla Organization is expected to release its Mozilla 1.0 browser-suite very soon. It appears that Mozilla 1.0 could hit the FTP servers anytime from 28 May to 12 June 2002. The Mozilla 1.0 browser-suite features a customizable UI, customizable, sidebar, W3C standards compliance, Tabbed Browsing, a JavaScript debugger, and lots more. The Mozilla Milestone 1.0 browser-suite is cross-platform (XP) and open source. Mozilla 1.0 builds will be available for free downloading for Linux, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, several UNIX platforms, and more. Source code will be available to custom compile your own Mozilla Milestone 1.0 build.
Have you been following the continuing Mozilla development roadmap and progress saga? If so, you might have noticed that the single, what's-new line in last week's Mozilla 1.0-RC3 Release Notes merely stated: We've landed 139 bug fixes since RC2, including fixes for plugins, usability, crashes, and internationalization issues. Please note there were no new features, enhancements, or whatever -- just bug fixes. That sort of highly-focused development often indicates a final release is just around the corner. The what's-new section in the Mozilla 1.0-RC2 Release Notes was rather short also -- mostly indicating security, system crash, and application lock-up bug fixes:
AOL-Netscape (NSCP) released its new Netscape 7.0-PR1 browser suite last week too. Netscape 7.0-PR1 is based on the Mozilla 1.0-RC2 code. Plans were to base Netscape 7.0 on Mozilla 1.0. The implication there is that the Netscape product-development team believed, or knew, that Mozilla 1.0-RC2 already was pretty much the Mozilla 1.0 code base and that is, in part, why Netscape 7.0-PR1 was released last week. Moreover, the Mozilla developers are hoping that after its shakedown cruise, the Mozilla 1.0-RC3 navigator edition, along with the other modules that comprise the Mozilla browser suite, will be ready to sail as Mozilla 1.0. That could mean a Mozilla 1.0 release at any time now and as early as this week. However, the Mozilla 1.0 main release party is planned for 12 June 2002 at San Francisco's DNA Lounge. Additionally there are lots of other parties planned at other US, and outside the US locations, too -- 15 different countries in all so far -- on an assortment of dates. If you would like to get in on the Mozilla 1.0 festivities, check the party list for a location near you. Taking into consideration (a) the various Mozilla 1.0 party dates, (b) the Mozilla 1.0-RC3 and Netscape 7.0-PR1 timing and results, and (c) other factors it appears that Mozilla 1.0 could hit the FTP servers anytime from 28 May to 12 June 2002. Unfortunately, the Mozilla developers have not bothered to put Mozilla 1.0 on their current Mozilla Development Roadmap schedule, although it is in their Tree Management diagram. Please see Figures 1 and 2.
However, Mozilla 1.0 was included in the 26 March Roadmap Schedule but none of the 1.0 release candidates were shown there. Please see Figure 3. At that time, the anticipated Mozilla 1.0 release date was sometime in (early) April 2002.
Incidentally, inserting the three Mozilla 1.0 release candidates into the Mozilla 1.0 development process was a very wise move. Although Mozilla 1.0 still lacks 1.0 caliber polish, it is lots more polished now than it was after the Mozilla 0.9.9 milestone release. Mozilla 1.0 has more bugs now than did Mozilla 0.9.9. However, even though Mozilla is buggier now than it was two months ago, some of the more noticeable, annoying, and detrimental bugs and issues have been resolved -- more benefit derived from adding the three Mozilla 1.0 release candidates to the Mozilla 1.0 agenda. The April Roadmap Schedule (Figure 4) showed Mozilla 1.0-RC1, but not Mozilla 1.0, 1.0-RC2, or 1.0-RC3. It's rather difficult to tell if the failure of the Mozilla Organization Staff to keep their Roadmap Schedule up-to-date and accurate is just another manifestation of the Mozilla Organization's poor project management and un-professional attitude or an attempt to keep development schedules in the closet to avoid criticism when schedules are not met. (Please notice the subtle change in Mozilla 1.1a ideal release from 10 May in Figure 3 to 22 May in Figure 4. Mozilla 1.1a has yet to be branched.)
It is understandable that pinpointing final release candidate, and the final Mozilla 1.0, schedules can be somewhat iffy. Nevertheless, it has been known since at least April that there would be at least two release candidates and of course the final Mozilla 1.0 product. The Tree Management diagram reflected that. The Mozilla Development Roadmap Schedule should have reflected that also. It did not. And it still does not show Mozilla 1.0. In any event, look for the likely Mozilla 1.0 release anywhere from 28 May to 12 June 2002. MozillaQuest Magazine (mozillaquest.com) will let you know as soon as it is released and MozillaQuest will have the download links and release notes information for you too. In the meantime, please check the MozillaQuest Magazine Front Page (mozillaquest.com), and the right sidebar there, regularly for more news about Mozilla 1.0 and up-to-date Mozilla bug counts. For more information about the Mozilla 1.0 release candidates, please see our companion article, Mozilla 1.0-RC1 Browser-Suite Sneak Preview. Please see our article, Mozilla Roadmap Update: Mozilla 1.0 Set Back to April 2002, for more information about the October 2001 Mozilla Development Roadmap and development schedule revisions. There is lots of bug information in that article too. For more information about the revised post-Mozilla 1.0 development roadmap and plan please see our article, Moz 1.0 April Release Confirmed & Post-1.0 Development Plan Announced.
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