MozillaWiki

Firefox/4/Beta: Difference between revisions

< Firefox‎ | 4
(→‎Firefox 4 Beta 1 FAQ: fixing presentation issues)
 
(48 intermediate revisions by 17 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:
We will collect feedback through a variety of in-product and out-of-product mechanisms, and communicate the goals of each beta ''revision'' to users as it is delivered to them.
We will collect feedback through a variety of in-product and out-of-product mechanisms, and communicate the goals of each beta ''revision'' to users as it is delivered to them.


= Goals =
==Goals==
We have some. They are to be crisply defined!
* more than 2M users running Firefox 4 Beta prior to launch
* engaged beta audience submitting tweet-like feedback through product
* beta audience that matches our general user audience demographics
* frequent milestones to gather feedback throughout development cycle


You can also read about the [[Firefox/4/Beta/Background|background]] for this program.
You can also read about the [[Firefox/4/Beta/Background|background]] for this program.


= Milestones =
==Milestones==
{| class="fullwidth-table"
{| class="wikitable fullwidth-table"
|- style="background:#efefef"
|-
| '''Milestone'''
! Milestone
| '''Expected'''
! Expected
| '''Actual'''
! Actual
| '''Notes'''
! Notes
|-
|-
| Branch
| Branch
| tbd
| [[Firefox/Planning/2010-07-28#Questions_and_Concerns|In time for b5]]
|  
| Expected after release
| Stabilize mozilla-central and create a mozilla-1.9.3 branch for Firefox 4
| Stabilize mozilla-central and create a mozilla-2.0 branch for Firefox 4
|-
| Freeze
| tbd
|
| Stabilize branch and complete work on all blocking1.9.3:beta1+ bugs
|-
|-
| Ship Beta r1
| Ship Beta r1
| Thursday, June 24
| Thursday, June 24
|  
| July 6 ''(+12 days)''
| Ship first revision of beta, offer as advertised major update to 1.9.2 beta channel users
| Ship first revision of beta
|-
|-
| Freeze
| Ship Beta r2
| tbd
| Friday, July 23
|
| Tuesday, July 27 ''(+4 days)''
| Freeze for first beta update (need a better way to name these things)
| Ship second revision of beta
|}
 
= Beta 1 FAQ =
 
== Firefox 4 Beta 1 FAQ ==
'''Q: When will Firefox 4 be available?'''
A: Firefox 4 is currently in beta. To become a Firefox 4 beta tester, please visit http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/beta/ .The Firefox 4 beta software will update regularly so you can test new features or changes, and will eventually be updated to the final release of Firefox 4. We are excited to receive your feedback and look forward to hearing from you!
 
'''Q: What’s new in Firefox 4 Beta 1?'''
A: Firefox 4 Beta 1 includes dozens of major features and improvements – by testing them early we’ll be able to respond to your feedback for future versions of Firefox. Once you download Firefox 4 Beta 1, you’re part of our beta program and will receive regular updates as more features launch.
 
If you are using a Windows PC, the most noticeable new feature will be the look of the browser. We moved the tabs to the top to make it easier to focus on the web content and easier to control the tools in your Web browser. Also, if you have Windows 7 or Windows Vista the Menu bar was replaced with a single Firefox button so you can get to the most used options with just one click. These changes will be coming soon for Mac and Linux.
 
'''Q: Why does Firefox look different than it used to?'''
A: We updated the default look of Firefox to make it easier to focus on Web content and easier to control the tools in your Web browser. Also, we think it’s prettier looking. This change is on Windows PCs only in Firefox 4 Beta 1.
Detailed blog posts explain what we did to streamline the interface and why Tabs are on Top in Firefox 4
 
'''Q: Can I still customize the user interface?'''
A: Of course! The Firefox UI remains completely customizable. You can switch the locations of tabs, whether or not a menu bar, bookmark bar or status bar is visible.
 
'''Q: How did stability improve in Firefox 4 Beta 1?'''
A: We hate crashes. When Firefox crashes, we try to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible, but we’d much rather you not crash in the first place. Mozilla recognizes that third-party plugins provide important functionality in many of today’s websites. At the same time, plugins can lead to problems for users as they browse. With the ability to alert users when they have out of date plugins, and now crash protection on all operating systems, Firefox allows users to experience all the content they love without any of the hassles.
 
'''Q: How does Firefox 4 protect my privacy?'''
A: Firefox puts your privacy first. Firefox 4 Beta 1 fixes flaws in the CSS Web standard that allowed your browser history to be exposed. Future releases will provide easy to use tools that let you control your privacy.
 
'''Q: Is the Firefox 4 Beta safe to test?'''
A: Yes! Mozilla developers have been using Firefox 4 preview builds as their primary Web browser for months.
 
'''Q: My existing Add-Ons don’t work with Firefox 4 Beta 1. What can I do?'''
A: You can install the Add-On Compatibility Reporter and test your Add-Ons!
 
'''Q: Is Firefox 4 Beta 1 available in my language?'''
A: Firefox 4 Beta is currently only available in English. Future Firefox 4 Beta releases will be available in more languages, so stay tuned.
 
'''Q: Where can I get a quick overview of Firefox 4?'''
A: We’ve created a Firefox 4 Beta Features page: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/beta/features. This is the best place to learn all about the exciting new and enhanced features in Firefox 4. You can also get a guided video tour of Firefox 4 Beta 1 and see the new features in action.
 
'''Q: Where can I see some cool demos of Firefox 4?'''
A:  You can always check out http://hacks.mozilla.org
 
'''Q: How can I give feedback on my experience with Firefox 4 Beta 1?'''
A: Using the Feedback button in the upper right corner of the browser. Tell us anytime something makes you happy or sad!
 
'''Q: What is the Feedback Add-On?'''
A: Firefox 4 Beta comes with the Feedback Add-on which adds a button in the upper right corner. You can use this to provide instant feedback at any time. You will also be notified about user studies (run by Mozilla Test Pilot) which collect information about how you use Firefox, but not which websites you visit. You have control over your participation, and can choose to opt out of any study, or see what data has been collected. You will be asked before any data is sent to Mozilla, and that data is subject to the Feedback and Test Pilot privacy policies.
 
'''Q: Will the Feedback Add-On be included in Firefox 4?'''
A: No. It is only included with the Firefox 4 Beta.
 
'''Q: Should I expect Firefox 4 to look just like Firefox 4 Beta 1?'''
A: We expect there to be many changes between this first beta and the final release of Firefox 4. More will be added to the final release, and we can’t guarantee that everything you see in Beta 1 will make it to Firefox 4. We need your help to decide what should. Listening to our users is a vital part of the process
 
'''Q: When should we expect the next beta?'''
A: We plan on iterating quickly, and shipping new versions of the beta every 2 to 3 weeks. Once you download a beta, it will automatically update whenever a new version is released.
 
'''Q: What can we expect in the next beta?  Or future betas?'''
A: We’re not even sure yet, because we never ship software until it’s ready, and we never ship beta features until they’re ready to be tested. We do know that on the horizon are things like Firefox Sync, further Javascript engine optimizations, improvements to startup time, new privacy controls, more progress on HTML5 and CSS features and of course, refinements to the look and feel of the browser.
 
'''Q: Where can I learn more about Firefox 4 Beta?'''
A: To learn more about the Firefox 4 Beta:
 
*<a href="http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/beta//">[Download Firefox 4 Beta 1]</a>
*<a href="http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/beta/features/">Learn more about the features</a>
*<a href="http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/beta/feedback/">Give us feedback</a>
*<a href=”http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/4.0b1/releasenotes/”>Release Notes</a>
 
= Beta Features =
The initial beta must be stable enough, and compelling enough, to convince users to switch to it as a daily use browser. It must also contain at least the initial expression of code changes which may have a large impact on:
* user experience
* web compatibility
* add-on compatibility
 
== Beta r1 ==
* <b>[[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=blocking1.9.3:beta1+ beta1 blockers ]]
* [[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=blocking1.9.3:%22?%22  beta1 nom's ]]</b>
 
{| class="fullwidth-table sortable"
|- style="background:#efefef"
! '''Summary'''
! '''Owner'''
! '''Priority'''
! '''References'''
! '''Status'''
! '''Notes'''
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/New_Theme|Theme & UI (XP)]]
| shorlander
| P1
| {{bug|544820}}
| {{ok|}}
|
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/New_Theme|Theme & UI (Vista)]]
| shorlander
| P1
| {{bug|544820}}
| {{risk|}}
| not expecting to be able to draw in title bar ({{bug|513162}}) until week of June 21; can we speed that up?
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/New_Theme|Theme & UI (Win7)]]
| shorlander
| P1
| {{bug|544820}}
| {{risk|}}
| not expecting to be able to draw in title bar ({{bug|513162}}) until week of June 21; can we speed that up?
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/Tab_Matches_in_Awesomebar|Switch-to-Tab]]
| Unfocused
| P2
| {{bug|480350}}
| {{done|}}
|
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/Extension_Manager_Redesign|Add-Ons Manager Redesign]]
| Mossop
| P1
| {{bug|461973}}
| {{done|}}
| also includes [[Firefox/Projects/Extension_Manager_API|EM API rewrite]]
|-
| :visited privacy fix
| dbaron
| P1
| {{bug|147777}}
| {{done|}}
|
|-
| HTML5 Parser
| hsivonen
| P1
| {{bug|373864}}
| {{done|}}
| any outstanding regressions/blockers?
|-
| Web Sockets
| smaug
| P2
| {{bug|472529}}
| {{done|}}
|
|-
| Out of Process Plugins
| bsmedberg, josh (OSX)
| P1
| {{bug|478976}}
| {{ok|}}
| might still have two icons when a plugin starts
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/Console|Web Console]]
| ddahl
| P2
| {{bug|529086}}
| {{ok|}}
|
|-
| [[Firefox/Projects/Inspector|Web Inspector]]
| robcee
| P2
| {{bug|547453}}
| {{risk|}}
|
|-
| Retained Layers
| roc
| P1
| {{bug|564991}}
| {{risk|}}
| still under review
|-
| Graphics HW Acceleration
| joe
| P1
| D2D: {{bug|569166}}
| {{miss|}}
| D3D9 acceleration for some things done, D2D not done, needs Layers to land first
|-
|-
| [https://intranet.mozilla.org/Labs/TestPilot_Planning/FX_Beta Test Pilot]
| Ship Beta r3
| jinghua
| Friday, August 6
| P1
| Wednesday, August 11 ''(+5 days)''
| {{bug|tbd}}
| Ship third revision of beta
| {{ok|}}
| under review, also looking at how to package it
|-
|-
| Add-On Compatibility Reporter
| Ship Beta r4
| fligtar
| Friday, August 20
| P2
| Tuesday, August 24 ''(+4 days)''
| {{bug|tbd}}
| Ship fourth revision of beta, offer as major upgrade to branch beta channel users
| {{ok|}}
| blocked on 565610
|-
|-
| OSX 10.6 build symbols
| Ship Beta r5
| ted
| Friday, Sept 3
| P2
| Tuesday, September 7 ''(+4 days)''
| {{bug|567424}} {{bug|558947}}
| Ship fifth revision of beta. (Feature and string freeze was moved to beta 7)
| {{risk|}}
|  
|-
|-
| Multi-process crash reporting on mac
| Ship Beta r6
| nobody
| n/a
| P2
| Tuesday, September 14
| {{bug|559228}}
| Extra beta inserted. Only included 2 fixes for regressions.
| {{risk|}}
|  
|-
|-
| Finish calc() and CSS transitions
| Ship Beta r7
| dbaron
| Friday, September 17
| ?
| Wednesday, November 10 ''(+54 days)''
| {{bug|363249}}, {{bug|537142}}
| This will be the feature/string/API freeze milestone (was originally the last Firefox 4 Beta)
| {{risk|}}
| probably doesn't need to be in the first beta; listed together because finishing transitions is easier if it can depend on calc()
|}
 
== Beta Future ==
(coming soon, but basically everything else that's not in the above list)
 
= Feedback Collection Mechanisms  =
 
{| style="width: 477px; height: 370px;" class="fullwidth-table sortable"
|- style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(239, 239, 239);"
| '''Mechanism'''  
| '''Feedback On'''
| '''Channel'''
| <span style="font-weight: bold;">Priority</span><br>
| '''Owner'''
| '''Status'''
|-
|-
| [https://intranet.mozilla.org/Labs/TestPilot_Planning/FX_Beta Test Pilot]
| API & Feature Freeze
| Performance, Design, Surveys. W/ user demographic info.
| b7 code freeze (formerly b5)
| Bundled
| Beta 7
| Beta r1
| Finalize all interfaces, no more API changes on mozilla 2.0, no new feature work
| Jinghua
| {{ok|}}
|-
|-
| Surveys
| String Freeze
| Design, Customer Sat., Messaging, Education
| b7 code freeze (formerly b5)
| Test Pilot or Web
| Beta 7
| Beta r1
| Finalize all string work, no semantic changes to strings
| LMesa
| {{ok|}}
|-
|-
| Beta website
| Ship Beta r8
| N/A
| November 30 (tentative)
| N/A
| Wednesday, December 22 ''(+22 days)''
| Beta r1
| Ship eighth revision of beta
| LMesa
| {{ok|}}
|-
|-
| Add-On Compatibility Reporter
| Ship Beta r9
| Add-On Compatability
| December 16 (tentative)
| Beta Site/AMO/Bundled?
| Friday, January 14 ''(+28 days)''
| Beta r1
| Ship ninth revision of beta
| Fligtar
| blocked on 565610
|-
|-
| SUMO
| Ship Beta r10
| Web Compat., UI, User Education
| Expected asap in the week of January 24
| SUMO / Beta site
| Tuesday, January 25
| Beta r2+
| Ship tenth revision of beta
| Cheng
|  
|-
|-
| [[Firefox/Input|Input]] <br>
| Ship Beta r11
| Web Compat., Customer Sat., Add-On Compat.  
| Asap in the week of January 31
| Bundled
| Tuesday, February 8 ''(+1 week)''
| Beta r1
| Ship eleventh revision of beta, with more betaN+ hardblockers fixed ([https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=blocking2%3Abeta+sw%3Ahard 14 betaN+] hardblockers not fixed)
| aakashd
| {{done|}}
|-
|-
| Bugzilla
| Ship Beta r12
| Specific Bugs
| Beta 12 will [http://christian.legnitto.com/blog/2011/01/25/updated-firefox-4-beta-plan/ not have a fixed schedule] and will instead be built when the remaining betaN hardblockers are at zero
| BMO/Beta Site
| Friday, February 25
| Beta r1
| Ship twelfth revision of beta, with all betaN+ hardblockers fixed
| &nbsp;?
|  
|-
|-
| Crash Reporter
| Ship Release Candidate 1
| Stability
| ''early 2011, [http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_thread/thread/de7325151710d66f TBD March 2011]''
| Bundled
| Wednesday, March 9
| Beta r1
| Complete work on all blocking2.0:final+ bugs, generate release candidates
|
| [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=559228 mac blocked on bug 559228]
|-
|-
| Twitter/FB
| Ship Release Candidate 2
| Customer Sat, Messaging, User Education
| [http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_thread/thread/d7cd3c9e9650b1b3?pli=1, March 18]
| Beta Site
| Saturday, March 19, ''(+1 day)''
| Beta r1
| Two very small, very isolated fixes in order to better protect Firefox 4 users.
| LMesa
| {{ok|}}
|-
|-
| Forums (UserVoice, for developers)
| Ship Final Version
| Web Compat., Customer Sat.
| [http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_thread/thread/d7cd3c9e9650b1b3?pli=1, March 22]
| MDN, Beta Site
| Tuesday, March 22
| Beta r1
| Final version of Firefox 4
| LMesa/ CBlizzard
| {{ok|}}
|}
|}
= Beta Outreach Program =
== Beta R1 ==
=== Marketing ===
* Beta site core, aimed @ developers
** 4 pages
*** Home Page/Download Page
*** Features Page  (what we have and what's coming down the line --sync, account manager).
*** Feedback page
*** First Run page
=== Promotion ===
* Developer Feature screencasts/demos
* Ribbon Promotion of Test Pilot (after release of betav1)
**Sent to Fx4 Beta users one week into the beta.
* FB Post for Test Drivers
* MDN
**Promo on MDN
* Labs Post b/c of Test Pilot
**Promo on labs website
* Add-ons promotion b/c of new Add-ons manager (TBD)
**Promo on AMO
=== PR ===
* FAQs
*Blog Post (from Mike B)
=== L10N ===
* Localization of beta likely in 10-15 most active locales
**Indonesia id
**Brazil pt-BR
**Germany de
**India
**Vietnam
**United Kingdom en-GB
**Philippines (no locale)
**Malaysia (no locale)
**Russia ru
**Poland pl
**Italy it
**China  zh-CN, zh-TW
**Japan ja
**Spain es-ES
**Turkey
**Argentina es-AR
* L10N of Surveys, Feedback channels (likely)
== Beta R2 and Beyond==
=== Marketing ===
* Creative Campaign
* Beta site content for mainstream users added
** FAQ
** What's new page
** Features Page (more consumer content)
** Feedback Page
** New First Run Page
** Spread the Word page
** Multimedia Page (for videos/screencasts, but only if needed)
=== Promotion ===
* "Invitations" to use the Beta
* FB Posts to General FB pages
* Campus Reps
* Promos on "What's New" pages.
* Affiliate Buttons
* Spread Firefox
** Home Page Promo
* Email Program
* Dubbable General Video (for l10n--V3?)
* Screencasts for new developer and user facing features
* Labs
** Promo
* AMO
** Promo
=== PR ===
* Reviewer's Guide (Abridged)
* Blog Post(s) from Mike B
=== L10N ===
*L10N of beta site in 10-15 locales, with others joining as we roll through the beta (likely)  (V2/V3)

Latest revision as of 17:48, 23 March 2011

The Firefox 4 Beta aims to engage 1M-4M users in an interactive process through which frequent updates are evaluated by a representative set of web users and their feedback shapes the direction of future development updates.

We will collect feedback through a variety of in-product and out-of-product mechanisms, and communicate the goals of each beta revision to users as it is delivered to them.

Goals

  • more than 2M users running Firefox 4 Beta prior to launch
  • engaged beta audience submitting tweet-like feedback through product
  • beta audience that matches our general user audience demographics
  • frequent milestones to gather feedback throughout development cycle

You can also read about the background for this program.

Milestones

Milestone Expected Actual Notes
Branch In time for b5 Expected after release Stabilize mozilla-central and create a mozilla-2.0 branch for Firefox 4
Ship Beta r1 Thursday, June 24 July 6 (+12 days) Ship first revision of beta
Ship Beta r2 Friday, July 23 Tuesday, July 27 (+4 days) Ship second revision of beta
Ship Beta r3 Friday, August 6 Wednesday, August 11 (+5 days) Ship third revision of beta
Ship Beta r4 Friday, August 20 Tuesday, August 24 (+4 days) Ship fourth revision of beta, offer as major upgrade to branch beta channel users
Ship Beta r5 Friday, Sept 3 Tuesday, September 7 (+4 days) Ship fifth revision of beta. (Feature and string freeze was moved to beta 7)
Ship Beta r6 n/a Tuesday, September 14 Extra beta inserted. Only included 2 fixes for regressions.
Ship Beta r7 Friday, September 17 Wednesday, November 10 (+54 days) This will be the feature/string/API freeze milestone (was originally the last Firefox 4 Beta)
API & Feature Freeze b7 code freeze (formerly b5) Beta 7 Finalize all interfaces, no more API changes on mozilla 2.0, no new feature work
String Freeze b7 code freeze (formerly b5) Beta 7 Finalize all string work, no semantic changes to strings
Ship Beta r8 November 30 (tentative) Wednesday, December 22 (+22 days) Ship eighth revision of beta
Ship Beta r9 December 16 (tentative) Friday, January 14 (+28 days) Ship ninth revision of beta
Ship Beta r10 Expected asap in the week of January 24 Tuesday, January 25 Ship tenth revision of beta
Ship Beta r11 Asap in the week of January 31 Tuesday, February 8 (+1 week) Ship eleventh revision of beta, with more betaN+ hardblockers fixed (14 betaN+ hardblockers not fixed)
Ship Beta r12 Beta 12 will not have a fixed schedule and will instead be built when the remaining betaN hardblockers are at zero Friday, February 25 Ship twelfth revision of beta, with all betaN+ hardblockers fixed
Ship Release Candidate 1 early 2011, TBD March 2011 Wednesday, March 9 Complete work on all blocking2.0:final+ bugs, generate release candidates
Ship Release Candidate 2 March 18 Saturday, March 19, (+1 day) Two very small, very isolated fixes in order to better protect Firefox 4 users.
Ship Final Version March 22 Tuesday, March 22 Final version of Firefox 4
Retrieved from "https://wiki.allizom.org/index.php?title=Firefox/4/Beta&oldid=293517"