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What Does the EBS Vendor Recommend About Firefox?
- Mac OS - Discontinue using Firefox and use the Safari browser only.
- Microsoft Windows - Discontinue using the mainline version of Firefox and, instead, use the Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) version.
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How Do I Find My Firefox Version?
- In the top right corner of the browser window click the three horizontal bars (Open Menu).
- Select Help
- Select About Firefox.
What Version Do I Need to Have?
In the About Mozilla Firefox window the version will display. For the purpose of EBS you will want Firefox ESR.
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Why has EBS moved to the ESR version of Firefox?
The mainline [rapid release] version of Firefox issues new versions every six weeks. EBS is not able to accurately test and communicate on a specific mainline version of Firefox before a new version is released (at which point the vendor [Mozilla] no longer offers prior versions for download).
EBS vendors (Adobe and IBM [BI]) have switched their support to the ESR version only, and it is expected that other businesses and large organizations will soon follow this trend. Note: For MacOS users, SAP (the HR/Payroll application vendor) only supports the Safari browser.
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What are the primary differences between Firefox mainline/rapid release and ESR version?
In short: longevity and stability. ESR versions are released by Mozilla every 42 weeks, and are supported and available for download from Mozilla for 54 weeks from the time of their initial release. This allows greater flexibility for EBS to properly test and recommend the version that will most effectively work with EBS applications.
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Can you provide some additional information on ESR?
The first ESR version was released on January 31, 2012, and was based on the the Firefox mainline version in use at that time (version 10). Every 7th release of the mainline version will continue to be copied and used as the new ESR version.
While the rapid release version changes every six weeks (along with functionality and other major updates), ESR versions only get small incremental updates applied (usually security updates) and this greatly reduces the possibility of compatibility issues being found.
EBS will test and support current version of ESR for all Windows EBS users [see the EBS Compatibility Matrix for specific ESR version recommendations].
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I currently use Firefox for other job-related tasks outside of EBS; will I be able to use the ESR version for these other activities?
You should be able to use ESR for all web processes, since ESR is based on an existing and stable mainline version of Firefox. It is recommended that you check with your local technical support area or with the vendor(s) that provide other software you are accessing, to confirm their compatibility with ESR.
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Does it matter what mainline version of Firefox I am currently on, before I switch to ESR?
No, you can currently be on an older or newer version; the ESR installation still works properly. You do not need to uninstall the mainline Firefox version before installing ESR.
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