Other Firefox Dynasty - Firefox for OS X 10.8+

[Wowfunhappy]

I think it's about time we had a dedicated thread for this browser!

For anyone daily driving an old version of OS X, it is essential to be able to use a modern web browser! As of this writing, none of the major web browsers are compatible with Mac operating systems older than macOS 10.15 Catalina.

One popular option for the past couple of years has been Chromium Legacy. Chromium Legacy remains an amazing project, and the only option for accessing the few unfortunate websites which are only compatible with Chrome. However, Chromium Legacy has always been somewhat buggy and crash-prone, and as of this writing it hasn't been updated in more than six months.

To all of our immense luck, there is now a second option: Firefox Dynasty, a port of the latest version of Firefox to OS X 10.8 and above. It was created by i3roly and I'm so thankful for his work!

Official builds can be downloaded directly from Github: https://github.com/i3roly/firefox-dynasty/releases

Alternately, I have created a Preference Pane which can download new releases of Firefox Dynasty and will apply some of my own customization and default settings on top. These are mostly attempts to make Firefox better follow Apple's Design Guidelines. I also spent a lot of time getting Firefox to respect system-wide settings in System Preferences, particularly around custom keyboard shortcuts. Download from: https://github.com/Wowfunhappy/Firefox-Dynasty-Downloader-PrefPane/releases

If you use my PrefPane, please don't report bugs to i3roly (you can report them to me first, and I may tell you to report them to him). Note that if you've used my Chromium Legacy PrefPane, the Firefox one is currently much simpler; in particular, at the moment it will not update Firefox automatically.

I also encourage installing (or at least trying) this theme, it really helps the window chrome blend with the rest of OS X.

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Nowadays, most desktop apps are actually just websites. Whether or not this is a good thing can be debated, but it's great if you're using an old operating system! Once you have a web browser, you can use whatever webapps you want!

The only problem is that you'll have to do everything inside of a browser window. Figma and Slack and Whatsapp become little browser tabs amongst the sea of all the websites I have open. I really prefer having different icons in my Dock for apps vs web pages. Chromium has "app shortcuts" which help with this, but they don't quite act like individual Mac apps, and Firefox has no equivalent feature.

So, I used Firefox Dynasty to create a "Web App Template". By changing the icon and editing info.plist, you can transform this application into an app for any web-based software you'd like! Download from: https://github.com/Wowfunhappy/Firefox-Dynasty-Web-App-Template/releases

Let me know what you think, and/or if you find a way to "break out" into a normal Firefox window or setting screen (there is one way I'm aware of).

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Edit: None of this applies anymore!

One more note that I didn't want to include in the first post, because hopefully it will become irrelevant very soon:

You might be wondering which release of Firefox Dynasty you should download. As of this writing, there are two logical options:

The latest release based on a stable build of Firefox is "FIREFOX_133_0_3_BUILD1". This means it's equivalent to the version of Firefox at the top of mozilla.org right now, as opposed to if you explicitly downloaded a Beta or Nightly build of Firefox. If you're running macOS 10.13 or newer, you should unreservedly choose this build.

However, version 133.0.3.BUILD1 of Firefox Dynasty has an annoying bug: on macOS 10.12 and older, Firefox Dynasty will not be able to open links from other apps. So if Firefox Dynasty is your default browser and you click a link in (for example) Apple Mail, nothing will happen.

This bug has been fixed in a test build of Firefox Dynasty which i3roly has (at his discretion) labeled "f***around" on Github. However, this build is based on the latest code in Mozilla-Central, effectively equivalent to a "Nightly" build of Firefox. In this version, some menu items have a weird background color, and I've noticed problems with fonts on some websites. These are "upstream" bugs unrelated to Firefox Dynasty.

If you're unsure, you should probably still download FIREFOX_133_0_3_BUILD1. You can always upgrade later, but going backwards from an unstable build to a stable build generally means starting over with a new profile.

Presumably, we will get a stable build in the near future without the aforementioned bug and the choice won't be necessary.

 

[rampancy]

Any possibility we might get 10.7 or 10.6 compatibility?

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Any possibility we might get 10.7 or 10.6 compatibility?

Yes! As mentioned in the first post it already partially works in 10.7, and i3roly has said several times that 10.6 is the goal!

 

[MacBiter]

One question - I've been testing Dynasty 132 in my High Sierra VM (it's fine), but haven't yet replaced FF 115 ESR with it. After an earlier version of Dynasty failed in my main 10.9 OS I haven't used it here yet. However, I will but... will it automatically pick up my FF 78 ESR Profile, or will I have to do some ducking and diving to make it work?.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

No idea, I'm sorry! I can tell you it reads profiles from ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox—like most any build of Firefox I would have assumed.

I do think it might be a good idea to start over with a clean profile when doing such a big jump between Firefox versions to avoid any possibility of weird issues, but that's just how I operate.

 

[MacBiter]

No idea, I'm sorry! I can tell you it reads profiles from ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox—like most any build of Firefox I would have assumed.

I do think it might be a good idea to start over with a clean profile when doing such a big jump between Firefox versions to avoid any possibility of weird issues, but that's just how I operate.

I have so many tabs dating back years! Yes I should tidy up but I'd not want to lose them all...

 

[RK78]

Very cool!

Just ran the 134. Moved everything over from my 10.13 115.18esr Profile, including Aris (mostly) CSS. Appears to be working problem free.

 

[MacBiter]

I've just used the new Preference Pane to fetch Dynasty 134, and after the usual slight delay I was told this had been installed.

However, it's not in my Applications folder! (Just my current version FF 78 ESR, and an earlier version of Dynasty 131.) Nor is it in Downloads. So... where is it??

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I've just used the new Preference Pane to fetch Dynasty 134, and after the usual slight delay I was told this had been installed.

However, it's not in my Applications folder! (Just my current version FF 78 ESR, and an earlier version of Dynasty 131.) Nor is it in Downloads. So... where is it??

Search for Firefox with Spotlight.

It will save over wherever LaunchServices says your current copy of Firefox is. If you have more than one copy of Firefox, that could be... any of them. Apparently, for you it's not your copy of 78 ESR or Firefox Dynasty 131, do you maybe have others in your Downloads folder?

By the way, I'm open to suggestions on better ways this could work. But I'd like to not ask the user every single time where they want to save Firefox, and I'd like to not assume that they want to save to their Applications folder...

 

[MacBiter]

Search for Firefox with Spotlight.

It will save over wherever LaunchServices says your current copy of Firefox is. If you have more than one copy of Firefox, that could be... any of them. Apparently, for you it's not your copy of 78 ESR or Firefox Dynasty 131, do you maybe have others in your Downloads folder?

By the way, I'm open to suggestions on better ways this could work. But I'd like to not ask the user every single time where they want to save Firefox, and I'd like to not assume that they want to save to their Applications folder...

For some reason a search didn't find it, but it turned out to be in Downloads inside a folder called 13103, which is obviously where I'd taken Dynasty 131 from! Maybe your preference pane could at least make sure that if it doesn't go into Applications, it at least creates a new Downloads folder 'Firefox Dynasty xxx'?

I will find out which profile 78 ESR uses, then move 134 to Applications and point it to the same profile.

 

[MacBiter]

Done. It picked up my existing profile automatically so nothing to be done there.

However, there's a new Firefox tab which says my version may start having problems from January 14th? Something to do with a root certificate expiring. Should I be worried....

 

[Wowfunhappy]

However, there's a new Firefox tab which says my version may start having problems from January 14th? Something to do with a root certificate expiring. Should I be worried....

That message is for Firefox 78 ESR. If you're seeing it in Dynasty it must have something to do with importing the 78 ESR profile, I haven't seen it.

 

[MacBiter]

That message is for Firefox 78 ESR. If you're seeing it in Dynasty it must have something to do with importing the 78 ESR profile, I haven't seen it.

Ah, ok. 'About Firefox' says I'm up to date, so I guess I can ignore that.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

By the way, I'm open to suggestions on better ways this could work. But I'd like to not ask the user every single time where they want to save Firefox, and I'd like to not assume that they want to save to their Applications folder...

Hmm, perhaps you just ask if its ok to install to the apps folder. If user chooses yes, fine it goes there. If they choose no, then the next step allows them to point to the specific path/location they want FFD to install to.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Hmm, perhaps you just ask if its ok to install to the apps folder. If user chooses yes, fine it goes there. If they choose no, next step allows them navigate to the specific location they want FFD to install to.

So what happens right now is:

1. If no copy of Firefox is found, it will ask where you would like to save Firefox. The Applications folder is the default choice, but you can navigate to anywhere.

2. If a copy of Firefox is found (no matter where), it will save over that copy with the new version.

Here's the use case—let's say I want to keep Firefox on my desktop, or in a folder called "Web", or in my Documents folder. I'm a big believer in the idea that OS X apps are just files* and you can put them anywhere just like any other file.

In this case, the PrefPane shouldn't ask you every single time where you want to save the Firefox app, it should just update your current copy.

Where this gets strange is if you have a copy of Firefox that you don't know about, hidden in a cluttered Downloads folder or some such. I did add code to make the PrefPane ignore any copies of Firefox that aren't on your startup disk, but other than that I don't want to start special-casing specific locations.

Even though it confused MacBiter, I mostly feel like the PrefPane did the right thing here. It found a copy of Firefox and updated that one.

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* I know apps are literally folders, but from the perspective of Finder they're files.

 

[MacBiter]

Even though it confused MacBiter, I mostly feel like the PrefPane did the right thing here. It found a copy of Firefox and updated that one.

Ah no, it didn't! It found a folder in Downloads (not with Firefox in its name) where there USED to be a copy of Dynasty 131 before it was moved to Applications, and put it there. Distinctly counter-intuitive! But I did find it in the end, have moved to Applications and all is well. Looking forward to living with the Preference Pane. .

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Ah no, it didn't! It found a folder in Downloads (not with Firefox in its name) where there USED to be a copy of Dynasty 131 before it was moved to Applications, and put it there.

Oops I misunderstood, however... I don't want to doubt you per se, but I am skeptical this is what happened. There is no way the PrefPane could have known where there used to be a copy of Firefox!

I think it's much more likely that there was still a copy of Firefox in that folder. For example, perhaps you accidentally copied it to your Applications folder instead of moving it.

 

[MacBiter]

Oops I misunderstood, however... I don't want to doubt you per se, but I am skeptical this is what happened. There is no way the PrefPane could have known where there used to be a copy of Firefox!

I think it's much more likely that there was still a copy of Firefox in that folder. For example, perhaps you accidentally copied it to your Applications folder instead of moving it.

Oops - yes, checking my clone that's exactly what must have happened .

 

[Hiker159]

Firefox Dynasty is a treat for my 2014 macbook air!

With the release of firefox-dynasty (super duper thanks, i3roly!!!), I was able to get a firefox theme based off of Chrome 1-58 called Geckium! It works a treat, and with the right settings, almost perfectly mimicks old chrome versions!

Official builds are available directly from Github: https://github.com/angelbruni/Geckium

Cheers, yall! Awesome projects!

 

[aUsern@me]

Anyone have an idea how to "sign" Firefox Dynasty so that it appears to be from an identified developer?
I'm still hanging onto 1Password 7, which is giving this error:

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Anyone have an idea how to "sign" Firefox Dynasty so that it appears to be from an identified developer?

I'm still hanging onto 1Password 7, which is giving this error:

Uh. Buy an Apple Developer Account for $99 per year. Any other type of signature will be "unidentified".

There's really no option in 1Password to bypass this? This type of thing makes my blood boil, it's so stupid.

 

[aUsern@me]

There's really no option in 1Password to bypass this?

I think the approved way is to buy a never-ending subscription to the current 1Password - which I'm never going to do. I agree with you, it is very frustrating.

Looks like I'll be stuck on Firefox 115 ESR until the end of days. Or until I switch password managers.

 

[f54da]

>I'm still hanging onto 1Password 7, which is giving this error

If it were me I'd patch 1Password itself. No idea if 1Password itself has anti-tampering mechanism (it probably does if they're this nitpicky) though.

 

[Hiker159]

You could try an older version, like 1password 6...

I dont know if you can downgrade your password database or if 1password 6, 5, or 4 will work with your subscription or have this anti-tamer check for firefox, but maybe try older versions of the extension or something along those lines.

Just an idea, hope you get it working!