Features/Desktop/64bit Firefox Windows 7
Status
Add support for 64-bit Firefox Windows 7/Vista | |
Stage | Definition |
Status | ` |
Release target | ` |
Health | OK |
Status note | ` |
{{#set:Feature name=Add support for 64-bit Firefox Windows 7/Vista
|Feature stage=Definition |Feature status=` |Feature version=` |Feature health=OK |Feature status note=` }}
Team
Product manager | Asa Dotzler |
Directly Responsible Individual | ` |
Lead engineer | ` |
Security lead | ` |
Privacy lead | ` |
Localization lead | ` |
Accessibility lead | ` |
QA lead | Mihaela Velimiroviciu |
UX lead | ` |
Product marketing lead | ` |
Operations lead | ` |
Additional members | ` |
{{#set:Feature product manager=Asa Dotzler
|Feature feature manager=` |Feature lead engineer=` |Feature security lead=` |Feature privacy lead=` |Feature localization lead=` |Feature accessibility lead=` |Feature qa lead=Mihaela Velimiroviciu |Feature ux lead=` |Feature product marketing lead=` |Feature operations lead=` |Feature additional members=` }}
Open issues/risks
- Plug-in support will be a major issue here. We do not want users to have a worse view of 64-bit builds than they do of 32-bit.
- Accessibility support will be an issue here. Some of the ATs inject their own DLL into Firefox's address space. That would break if they inject a 32-bit DLL into a 64-bit process.
- Not sure what to do if users have both 32-bit and 64-bit Firefox installed
Stage 1: Definition
1. Feature overview
Offering a x86 64-bit Firefox to Windows 7 (and Vista) 64-bit users brings one immediate and major improvement. It would help dramatically with OOM crashes due to address space exhaustion. There are potential performance benefits as well -- especially in JavaScript land.
This feature falls primarily in the Experience category (from the "Discover, Experience, and Connect" vision statement.)
2. Users & use cases
Users with 64-bit Windows 7 (and Vista) can currently use Firefox 32-bit builds and that's what we offer them. But the 32-bit builds can only use part of the user's memory address space and so we are not taking full advantage of the user's platform capabilities.
3. Dependencies
- Platform engineering resources are needed to implement running 32-bit plug-ins in 64-bit Firefox.
- Rel Eng will need to update systems for build, automation, and updating.
- QA will have one more platform to test.
4. Requirements
- Coherent 32 bit plugin on 64-bit build experience
- Build automation able to create 64 bit builds
- QA automation able to test 64 and 32-bit builds
- AUS changes to support 64 and 32-bit builds and updates
- www.mozilla.com to offer 64-bit builds
- Performance parity with 32-bit Firefox on Windows
- Stability parity with 32-bit Firefox on Windows
Non-goals
- We should not attempt support of 64-bit Windows XP (neither x86-64 nor Itanium)
- We do not immediately need a stub installer or website magic to deliver 64-bit builds to 64-bit Windows users.
- We do not need or expect memory use parity with 32-bit Firefox.
- We do not intend to drop support for 32-bit Firefox.
Stage 2: Design
5. Functional specification
`
6. User experience design
`
Stage 3: Planning
7. Implementation plan
`
8. Reviews
Security review
`
Privacy review
`
Localization review
`
Accessibility
`
Quality Assurance review
`
Operations review
`
Stage 4: Development
9. Implementation
- Rel Eng tracker: bug 558448
- Core tracker: bug 471090
Stage 5: Release
10. Landing criteria
` {{#set:Feature open issues and risks=* Plug-in support will be a major issue here. We do not want users to have a worse view of 64-bit builds than they do of 32-bit.
- Accessibility support will be an issue here. Some of the ATs inject their own DLL into Firefox's address space. That would break if they inject a 32-bit DLL into a 64-bit process.
- Not sure what to do if users have both 32-bit and 64-bit Firefox installed
|Feature overview=Offering a x86 64-bit Firefox to Windows 7 (and Vista) 64-bit users brings one immediate and major improvement. It would help dramatically with OOM crashes due to address space exhaustion. There are potential performance benefits as well -- especially in JavaScript land.
This feature falls primarily in the Experience category (from the "Discover, Experience, and Connect" vision statement.) |Feature users and use cases=Users with 64-bit Windows 7 (and Vista) can currently use Firefox 32-bit builds and that's what we offer them. But the 32-bit builds can only use part of the user's memory address space and so we are not taking full advantage of the user's platform capabilities. |Feature dependencies=* Platform engineering resources are needed to implement running 32-bit plug-ins in 64-bit Firefox.
- Rel Eng will need to update systems for build, automation, and updating.
- QA will have one more platform to test.
|Feature requirements=* Coherent 32 bit plugin on 64-bit build experience
- Build automation able to create 64 bit builds
- QA automation able to test 64 and 32-bit builds
- AUS changes to support 64 and 32-bit builds and updates
- www.mozilla.com to offer 64-bit builds
- Performance parity with 32-bit Firefox on Windows
- Stability parity with 32-bit Firefox on Windows
|Feature non-goals=* We should not attempt support of 64-bit Windows XP (neither x86-64 nor Itanium)
- We do not immediately need a stub installer or website magic to deliver 64-bit builds to 64-bit Windows users.
- We do not need or expect memory use parity with 32-bit Firefox.
- We do not intend to drop support for 32-bit Firefox.
|Feature functional spec=` |Feature ux design=` |Feature implementation plan=` |Feature security review=` |Feature privacy review=` |Feature localization review=` |Feature accessibility review=` |Feature qa review=` |Feature operations review=` |Feature implementation notes=* Rel Eng tracker: bug 558448
- Core tracker: bug 471090
|Feature landing criteria=` }}
Feature details
Priority | P2 |
Rank | 999 |
Theme / Goal | Experience |
Roadmap | Firefox Desktop |
Secondary roadmap | ` |
Feature list | Desktop |
Project | ` |
Engineering team | Plugins |
{{#set:Feature priority=P2
|Feature rank=999 |Feature theme=Experience |Feature roadmap=Firefox Desktop |Feature secondary roadmap=` |Feature list=Desktop |Feature project=` |Feature engineering team=Plugins }}
Team status notes
status | notes | |
Products | ` | ` |
Engineering | ` | ` |
Security | ` | ` |
Privacy | ` | ` |
Localization | ` | ` |
Accessibility | ` | ` |
Quality assurance | ` | ` |
User experience | ` | ` |
Product marketing | ` | ` |
Operations | ` | ` |
{{#set:Feature products status=`
|Feature products notes=` |Feature engineering status=` |Feature engineering notes=` |Feature security status=` |Feature security health=` |Feature security notes=` |Feature privacy status=` |Feature privacy notes=` |Feature localization status=` |Feature localization notes=` |Feature accessibility status=` |Feature accessibility notes=` |Feature qa status=` |Feature qa notes=` |Feature ux status=` |Feature ux notes=` |Feature product marketing status=` |Feature product marketing notes=` |Feature operations status=` |Feature operations notes=` }}
- Some plug-ins have 64-bit support already.
- Java http://www.java.com/en/download/faq/java_win64bit.xml#Java%20for%2064-bit
- Adobe Flash 64-bit http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer.html
- Microsoft Silverlight 64-bit http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/future/