525212 - Upgraded to version 3.5.4 without adequate warning it is a beta

Status: VERIFIED INVALID

(Firefox :: Installer, defect)

Description

[mummerx_sst]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.4) Gecko/20091016 Firefox/3.5.4 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.4) Gecko/20091016 Firefox/3.5.4 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

I use Firefox on my work PC (running Windows XP SP3, patched up-to-date). 

I returned to work today to find an invitation to upgrade to version 3.5.4 on my screen. It was only after I finished the upgrade that I learned that version 3.5.4 is a beta.

When I use software for my work, I want stability, not the possibility of bugs and crashes.

Please make sure future upgrade invitations clearly mark whether the software is alpha, beta or released.


Reproducible: Didn't try

Steps to Reproduce:
1.See details
2.
3.
Actual Results:  
See details

Expected Results:  
See details

See details

Comment 1

[mummerx_sst]

Should be trivially easy to fix.

Comment 2

[Mardeg]

3.5.4 is an official release as shown from http://www.mozilla.com

Comment 3

[Jo Hermans]

It's an official release. There was a release candidate ofcourse (see <https://wiki.mozilla.org/Releases/Firefox_3.5.4/Test_Plan>), but that's not offered as an update for the general public.

Comment 4

[Dave Garrett]

(In reply to comment #0)
> It was only after I finished the upgrade that I learned that version
> 3.5.4 is a beta.

Where did you hear that? Is there some official information somewhere that is confusing you somehow?

There were 3.5 alphas then 3.5 betas then 3.5 release candidates, now we're well into the final release phase, as you can tell by the 3.5.4 version number. The dot 4 part is the update number after the 3.5 major release.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle

Comment 5

[mummerx_sst]

> Where did you hear that? 
> Is there some official information somewhere that is
confusing you somehow?

I read that it was a beta on the first page that Firefox displayed after the upgrade completed. If memory serves it was a sort of "welcome to the beta program" page, with details on how to report problems. That's when the panic set in. :)

I am not at work at the moment, but when I am next in the office I will get the address of the page from the history and log it here. I hope that will help.

PS - I am relieved to hear that this is not a beta after all. Much cheered by that; thanks.

Comment 6

[Dave Garrett]

Well, if you just want to be sure and know that your user agent isn't lying, you can go to help->about and check the version number underneath the big "Firefox" up top (not the user agent on the bottom). A beta version will be something to the effect of 3.5b4, prerelease development versions have a "pre" in them, and the official release versions don't have letters in them, i.e. 3.5.4.

It could be that you installed a beta previously and somehow ended back at that page? Not sure.

Comment 7

[mummerx_sst]

Back in the office now. According to my history, I ended up at this page:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.5.4/whatsnew/

I've just loaded it again, and it says:
"Thanks for helping us beta test Firefox 3.5.4!"
and
"Why am I a Beta Tester?"

However, Help->About clearly shows "version 3.5.4" (no beta).
And the "user agent" specifies: "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.4) Gecko/20091016 Firefox/3.5.4 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)"

Does any of that help ... at all?

Comment 8

[mummerx_sst]

Interesting ...
I just visited that page again, and it does not now mention the beta program.
Either someone has fixed the page, or it was a caching "issue".
Whichever it is, I feel this "bug" can be closed off.
Thanks for your help, chaps.