Frequently asked questions

Does Firefox have to be paid for?
No, Firefox is free of charge, so anybody may download and use the program.

Is Firefox also an option for Linux users?
Yes, Firefox supports XFT, which means that Linux users will be able to use Firefox.

Is Firefox secure?
Firefox is extra secure when compared with a number of other Internet browsers, because it is not integrated with MSWindows. Moreover, Firefox has additional protection against ‘phishing’ in order to prevent breaches of privacy.

Does Firefox open a link in a new window or in a new tab?
In Firefox, you decide how you want an external link to be opened.
You do this as follows: Go to ‘Tools >Options > Tabs’, and select how you want to open links to other applications in Firefox.

Where will the downloaded files end up?
This can be set under Tools > Options > General, where you will be able to indicate where files downloaded in Firefox have to be stored. You can also indicate here whether you want Firefox to ask you for each file where you want it stored.

Popup windows are blocked, so how will I be able to accept a website in a popup?
You can indicate whether or not you want to block popup windows in ‘Tools > Options > Content’. In addition, you can indicate which sites are to be accepted as popup windows by adding them to the ‘Allowed Sites’ list.

Do I have to update Firefox periodically for security updates?
Firefox itself automatically handles all updates, so you will not have to do this yourself. When an update becomes available, a message will appear as soon as Firefox has downloaded it. The message will show the options of installing the update either immediately, or later.

If I want to arrange the updates myself, can this be done?
Yes, of course! You can adjust the settings for the updates with ‘Tools >Options > Advanced > Update’. There, you can place or remove a tick to indicate whether you want updates for Firefox, plug-ins or search engines. You can also indicate whether you want Firefox to install the updates automatically, or whether you want to give your permission for each update.

Where can I get extensions and themes (add-ons)?

Extensions and Themes can be downloaded from Firefox Add-ons.

Who makes Firefox 2?

Lots of people. See Help->About Mozilla Firefox, Credits for a list of some of the people who have contributed to Firefox 2.

Where’s the Firefox 2 source code?

A tarball of the Firefox 2 source code is available for download. The latest development code can be obtained by cvs. Firefox-specific source is in “mozilla/browser”, “mozilla/toolkit”, and “mozilla/chrome”. Please follow the build instructions.

Where is the mail client?

Firefox 2 works with whatever mail client is the default on your system. However, we recommend Mozilla Thunderbird, our next-generation email client and the perfect complement to Firefox.