Firefox 54 arrives with multi-process support for all users

[Parsh]

Mozilla today launched Firefox 54 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. The new version includes the next major phase of multi-process support, which streamlines memory use, improving responsiveness and speed.

Mozilla’s multi-process support in Firefox has been in development for years as part of the Electrolysis project. In fact, work to make the frontend and add-ons support multiple processes began in early 2013, and Firefox Nightly gained multi-process support in November 2014.

With the release of Firefox 48, Mozilla enabled multi-process support for 1 percent of users, slowly ramping up to nearly half of the Firefox Release channel. With Firefox 49, Mozilla expanded support to include a small initial set of compatible add-ons, declaring that the goal was to have all Firefox users with multi-process sometime in the first half of 2017.

That time has now arrived with Firefox 54 — the Electrolysis project, which is the largest change to Firefox code ever, is live. Firefox now uses up to four processes to run webpage content across all open tabs. This means that complex webpages in one tab have a much lower impact on responsiveness and speed in other tabs, and Firefox finally makes better use of your computer’s hardware.

As a result, Firefox also uses less memory. To show the improvement, Mozilla ran tests comparing memory usage for various browsers on Windows 10, macOS, and Linux:

Mozilla today also shared an update on its plans to build a next-generation browser engine (Project Quantum) that takes full advantage of modern hardware.

Mozilla releases new Firefox versions every 6 to 8 weeks, and Firefox 55 is currently slated for early August.

Here’s the full Firefox 54 changelog:

• Added Burmese (my) locale
• Added support for multiple content processes (e10s-multi)
• Simplified the download button and download status panel
• Various security fixes
• Moved the mobile bookmarks folder to the main bookmarks menu for easier access
• Additional changes for web developers
• Added ability to create and save custom devices in Responsive Design Mode

Here’s the full Firefox 54 for Android changelog:

• Add Bulgarian (bg) and Kabyle (kab) locales
• Various security fixes
• Fixed formatting for right-to-left languages, including formatting of preference names in about:config
• Improved audio and video playback in the browser
• Improved bookmarks sync performance

 

[ttto]

Simplified the download button and download status panel

Now the download progression fills de arrow icon

 

[mekelek]

why does it feel like Firefox is kinda late to the party?

 

[SHvFl]

They used all their tries. Skipping FF for a while until they do something good and keep up with Chromium stuff.

 

[Parsh]

why does it feel like Firefox is kinda late to the party?

Certainly! But make sure to read the first quoted part More than a year and they've been experimenting..

They used all their tries. Skipping FF for a while until they do something good and keep up with Chromium stuff.

Same here. Will wait till they showcase how well their implementations do against the other browsers (you know which) already well accepted. Man, so many security and feature-rich Chrome & Chromium browsers out there

 

[brambedkar59]

why does it feel like Firefox is kinda late to the party?

Better late than never

 

[Huchim]

I'll try firefox until version 57 or 58 because there will be more interesting changes. Chrome is the best for me now

 

[Bot]

Released: Firefox 54.0

Changelog:
----------------------
New:

• Added Burmese (my) locale
• Added support for multiple content processes (e10s-multi)
• Simplified the download button and download status panel

Fixed:

• Various security fixes
• Changed:
• Moved the mobile bookmarks folder to the main bookmarks menu for easier access

Developer:

• Additional changes for web developers
• Added ability to create and save custom devices in Responsive Design Mode

----------------------

Download: Browse Freely

 

[212eta]

why does it feel like Firefox is kinda late to the party?

Because, they bring extra booze...

 

[SaeedLohana]

I am already getting everything from chrome, I don't think I will ever ditch this unless they stop supporting it.

 

[ravi prakash saini]

why does it feel like Firefox is kinda late to the party?

I do not think they are late they have completely missed the party.as they say old habits die hard most of people have become habitual of chrome and it is not easy for them to ditch chrome

 

[Deleted member 178]

FF is now a Chrome copy...multi-process, sandbox and even the UI is quite similar... the only things on which they surpass Chrome is the customization and extensions.
i have installed FF v54 beta 1-2 month ago to see the changes, let see what they will do in the future, it still doesn't impressed me enough to shift back to FF. (unlike Chrome made me shift from FF/Cyberfox years ago).