Closed Bug 316725 Opened 20 years ago Closed 20 years ago

Turn off autoupdate by default

Categories

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Product:
Toolkit
Component:
Application Update
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
normal

Tracking

()

Status:
RESOLVED WONTFIX

People

(Reporter: jmff, Unassigned)

References

Details

User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; de; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051107 Firefox/1.5 Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; de; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051107 Firefox/1.5 I've a ISDN-Connection with 0,064MBit/s, which was full for a while. After short time firefox means to restart because it downloaded a update!!! IT HASN'T ASKED ME TO DOWNLOAD ANYTHING AND HASN't ASKED FOR INSTALLATION!!!! WHATS THIS FOR SOFTWARE?? It takes the right to download and to install without asking!!!! Ok, I reinstalled firefox because the update was broken. *GRUMPF* 1/2 Hour Download and a reinstallation!!!! Ok, last chance for FF: I turned off the option. But after my girlfriend work with another acount at my compi and I logged in again, IT ASKED ME AGAIN TO RESTART BECAUSE IT ALREADY HAS INSTALLED IT!!!!!!!!!! Without permission!!! And my girlfriend complained abount the horrible internet speed. PLEASE FIX IT ASAP! Even windows ask for the autoupdate!!!! Additional in my company I CANT ASK EVERY EMPLOYEE TO SWITCH OFF THE AUTOUPDATE!!!! SO I will disallow the usage of firefox! Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Take a isdn connection 2. instlall firefox and start it 3. complain about the terrible speed Actual Results: It download and installs without explicit permission Expected Results: To make nothing or ask for download/installation!!!! I'M REALLY ****. Microsoft is much better!!!
Geben Sie Mozilla Firefox eine Chance - Sie werden überrascht sein, wie schnell das Internet sein kann. ????? The internet is much slower because of the unnoticed download....
Component: Preferences → Software Update
QA Contact: preferences → software.update
Maybe "Ask me what I want to do" would be better as the default setting.. :)
The update system fetches up to 64 kilobytes each minute. On average, that's less than 1.1 kilobytes per second (or 8.8 kbps). Given a 64 kbps connection, 8.8 kbps should go virtually unnoticed. However, I recognize that that isn't the case, so I think we should make the update system's downloader smarter somehow to minimize its impact on your network. If you install FF in a directory that is readonly to the user, then the update system will be disabled automatically. This makes it easy for system administrators who may not want FF to update itself automatically. Finally, the update system preferences can be used to prevent the system from doing anything automatically. We feel that auto-update is important for security updates to the browser because people have a tendency to ignore software update notifications. Most users don't want to have to think about such things. Please note that so far we have only updated the builds in use by beta testers. We took some liberty in pushing updates to beta releases because we wanted to test the system on a broad scale. Your feedback is very much a part of that testing, and it is much appreciated.
1. Don't SHOUT. Don't say how bad this issue is for you. If Microsoft is better, well fine, you're free to go. If you think that the default setting is wrong, post a bug, say what's the problem and make some suggestions how to fix it. Most people are quite friendly here, get your problem immediately no need for any dramatical additions. 2. Another remark: Don't complain that auto update wasn't working, it's stated quite often that 1.5 isn't yet finished and that all released versions are for testing purposes only. 3. To the actual issue: I strongly disagree that auto update should be disabled, rather than just stay in background and apply upon restart (unnoticingly). I doubt there's a good (and easy) way to get the max. speed of the internet connection (currently) used. I'd rather try to see if there is "any" traffic, and stop the autoupdate if there is. (=no autoupdating while something is loading in Fx)
Summary: TURN OFF AUTOUDPATE BY DEFAULT → Turn off autoupdate by default
Auto-update is the default because we want our users to be secure, you can turn it off in prefs if desired.
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 20 years ago
Resolution: --- → WONTFIX
Sorry for shouting, but I was a bit angry because I saw the windows the forth time, even with disabled autodownloading. Stopping downloading while downloading isn't a solution because I work often with Remotedesktop, Rsync, Subversion, when I need every milli bit of download rate. All I want to do is that firefox ask, that an update is available and I want to have the option to stop downloading. Sometimes I'm asked to fix something broken with our hardware, and if this occures at 3o'clock in the morning I really don't want something to start downloading accidental. Currently it's only firefox, but if more than programm thinks its important to download something its no solution if I have to stop every program in case I'm in hurry. Additional in case of any emergency I have to take look into the internet and I'm first asked, that firefox makes an installation, it's wasted time for me, and if I have to install it again because any bug/reason, its terrible. Or do you think that any small security hole is important enough to risk any incompatibilities - even if I only have to look into a kb-entry of microsoft/oracle/anything? So I want to be asked from any programm at least once, if it wants to download or install something.
*** Bug 316902 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
(In reply to comment #5) > Auto-update is the default because we want our users to be secure, you can turn > it off in prefs if desired. > I understand that you want to users to be secure, and I agree that we should help the users to attchief this goal but it's still not a valid excuse to start downloading and installing something without the user knowing about it. What's the problem with at least asking the users if you they want to download the update? Like I said in Bug 316902, the option "Automatically download and install the update" in the preferences should not be the default setting. Instead this should have been "Ask me what I want to do" with offering the option to use the automatic action for the next time. At least this way, after the first occurence of an available update, the user knows what's going on with his system. After all, it's his/her system, not yours to take over. I seriously hope you'll reconsider the decision of which option should be set by default because I think it will cause a lot of "uncomfortable" feelings towards Firefox if you don't. Something I wouldn't like to see happening at all.
Can you make absolutely sure, that the firefox pages will never be hacked??? Otherwise you will install malware WITHOUT any notification of the users. Will you be responsible for this case? With at least one small dialog, the responsibility is moved to the user. Other examples: - Sony only wanted to keep some music files secure. I think they only wanted good things while installing a root kit without user notification. - GWB means it good to give democracy to iraq... - In germany telecom produced much disaster because their routers had an autoupdate - one version wasn't perfect and the people wasn't happy because they have to install a new firmware, especially if some of them was in hurry at that moment. Router software is at least as important as a browser, or is a browser much more important than a router? Who decide what is important for users?
Status: RESOLVED → UNCONFIRMED
Resolution: WONTFIX → ---
Can't this issue not be resolved by adding the an option to the customized installation which allows for turning off autoupdates? Both camps have valid arguments. For the average home ('mom and dad') user however I believe (unobstrusive) autoupdates are a good thing, even though I seriously hope the security aspects noted by MontiMcMannus are being addressed here (maybe someone can explain more about these?). Also, looking at it from the mozilla perspective I can imagine they want to have their beta-testers run the latest beta version. Falid argument. But it would be much nicer to have asked those testers first. Still, I agree that turning off auto-updates should not be hidden. When people lose control they get scared and that might cause a negative attitude towards the software. The way it's currently implemented can even be considered brutal, since there is no notification whatsoever (except for the release notes maybe (which is still not saying much about how it behaves)) that this new update system has been implemented (so therefore no-one of the complainers in this bug probably have considered turning off the auto-update functionality, at least I haven't). Proposed solution: Make it possible to for advanced users (via the customized installation route) to turn off the auto update. Thing I'm wondering however: Is it possible to create manually some kind of silent install currently? With certain settings being set per default, such that advanced users could prepare an install for more systems with a certain set of defaults other than those proposed by mozilla (such as a different setting for the updates)?
The security issues are designed-in so that we don't download anything from the HTTP mirror network without verifying it against a crytographic hash. Do not reopen this bug, bugzilla is not the proper place for advocacy. Auto-update can be changed from the preferences, there is no need for a separate installer pref.
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 20 years ago → 20 years ago
Resolution: --- → WONTFIX
I'm not convinced. It should not be a problem for you to present during installation a simple checkbox (maybe on by default) labelled "use autoupdates". I want only one button/one checkbox/one cancel button so I can see what FF is about to do. I want to be remembered that firefox has an autoupdate! A hint in the "tips of the days" will not be enough. FF should not be the first public program which takes the right to download and install without any user notification. A button hidden in menus and preferences is not a notification. Other program will follow this (terrible) example and the computer will download plenty of updates on an average computer (FF, IE, Outlook, Flash, Real-One, Java, Quicktime, Winamp, Firewall, Antivir, Spamguard, Adproxy - all important programm which may be a target from the bad www). Each of this programm will only take some 1kb/s, but in summary it will fill up the line completely. And if the computer presents a blue screen, which was the last updated programm??? I know you think FF is the most important and exposed program and it should be always up to date. But the other programm are considered as important by their programmers. But as I said you are not allowed to perform an download and a installation without users notification. Please remember: Even windows ask during installation that autoupdates are active and offers a choice to cancel. And this for the whole computer, not only for the current logged in user. And what happend if your superduper new version did not work? If somebody actively choose to keep uptodate or click an update button, he is responsible for any error installation. But any broken installation, where the user did not recognice the hidden autoupdate, will lower the acceptance of FF. By the way: As administrator of my computer, can I stop autodownloading for all logins??? Please don't give me a tip like "set the folder xyz" to readonly. For me is Firefox only one program to work with. Not a program which is my one and only. It was a very good programm for me before the first dialog "firefox had done a new installation" - sounds proud like I child which repainted my rooms - sorry
(In reply to comment #11) > > Do not reopen this bug, bugzilla is not the proper place for advocacy. > If this isn't the place to discuss this matter, what is? Where can a proper vote be held? > Auto-update can be changed from the preferences, there is no need for a > separate installer pref. > True, and there isn't a need for a new pref, the only thing required is that the option "Ask me what I want to do" is changed to be the default setting, not "Automatically download and install the update". I urge you guys to reconsider this decision, I'm not the only one disagreeing, I bet Firefox will be heavily under fire when this behaviour is going to be in the public release. From my point of view it's not just a matter of personal preferences, I only want what's best for Firefox. I'm very pleased to see the growing popularity of Firefox world wide, why waste it all with such a, what seems like an unthoughtful (so far), decision? So far there's no company I know of (not even Microsoft!) that even dares to be make a move like this, downloading and installing software without the user knowing about it by default, and there's a valid reason for this. It's simply unacceptable to make decisions like this for the user, it's their computer and only they have to right to decide what they think is best for the their computer. I agree that security is an important reason, but that doesn't justify this behaviour. Even more when there's no need for this in the first place, just offer them the option.
*** Bug 333929 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Product: Firefox → Toolkit
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