Thanks for taking the time to provide thorough feedback. 3) For Windows Vista, I don't see where the fire is. I realize that it has > a vastly smaller user base, but it is close to Window 7 code base and API > wise.
I'm sure the engineering team can probably provide a more detailed response on this one, but as I understand it the main issue is that the sandboxing effort [1] makes use of Chromium's sandbox [2] which now only supports Windows 7+. The challenge would come from maintaining a separate version for Vista (which given the relatively low user numbers is hard to justify). [1] https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Sandbox [2] http://www.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/sandbox Peter On Sat, Oct 15, 2016 at 5:53 AM, <keithgallis...@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm just a Developer Edition/Beta user and I have a Windows 10 system. > That said, you did ask for opinions from a 'broader audience', so I guess I > count. Here are my thoughts such as they are. > > 1) Mozilla supported Windows 95 for 6 years (1.5.0.12 in 2007) after its > last update (2001), Windows 98 SE for 2 years (2.0.0.20 in 2008) after its > last update (2006), and Windows 2000 for 3 years (12.0/ESR 10.0.12 in 2013) > after its last update (2010). Mozilla has a long history of extending > support to operating systems well past their expiration date. This is the > case even when it causes development problems just to keep in the spirit of > the Mozilla Manifesto that the Internet remain accessible to as many people > as possible. > > 2) Now with regard to Windows XP. XP SP2 had its last update in (2009) and > XP SP3 had its last update in (2014). Firefox has been supporting XP SP2 > for 7 years beyond its last update and XP SP3 for 2 years beyond its last > update. Mozilla's support for XP SP3 is about normal for the extending > support beyond the life cycle of an OS. Mozilla's support for XP SP2, on > the other hand, is downright saintly. I mean if you do drop it on ESR 52, > which ends in 2018, you will have supported XP SP2 for 9 years beyond its > last update. Considering how ancient XP is and how different its code base > and APIs are from any modern version of Windows, ESR 52 is probably a good > place to end support. Windows XP had a good run and should now receive an > honorary salute as it goes off into the horizon. > > 3) For Windows Vista, I don't see where the fire is. I realize that it has > a vastly smaller user base, but it is close to Window 7 code base and API > wise. Windows 2000 and Windows XP RTM/SP1 were also close like Windows > Vista and Windows 7 are. I remember that Mozilla kept Windows 2000 on > Tier-2 support next Windows XP RTM/SP1 on Tier-1 support until it > discontinued support for Windows XP RTM/SP1 in 2013. I don't see why > Mozilla can't continue to support Windows Vista with the Firefox 32 bit > installer on Tier-2 support at least until ESR 66 if not the length of time > that it supports Windows 7 SP1. > > Anyway, those are my thoughts. Thank you for your time. > _______________________________________________ > dev-platform mailing list > dev-platform@lists.mozilla.org > https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-platform > _______________________________________________ dev-platform mailing list dev-platform@lists.mozilla.org https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-platform
