Brace your ballz because two more new image formats are coming: .avif (natural succesor of .webp and .vp9 video) and JPEG-XL (self-explanatory)

It's a good thing because both are truly free and efficient but, well, ahem... good luck with that

PS. well, probably the same or other guy will make a javascript decoder

 

Thanks for your message, @Xupito!

The heart of the problem is the following: the extensions I use intensively everyday, like for example DownThemAll (an incredible and complete download manager), have lost many functionalities when Mozilla years ago decided to stop all XUL extensions, and replace all of them with WebExtensions (the same format as Chrome, and many other browsers), who are very, very limited in functionalities, for example with the "modern" version you cannot choose external folders anymore, you have to choose mandatory the "Download" folder which is on your system drive...

Another example: I have a backup extension called F.E.B.E., which, at regular intervals, copies locally all my profile' folder, settings files and all my extensions (and anything else I want), so that even if everything crashes I will always have a local backup ready. Guess what? this kind of functionality is forbidden with WebExtensions, you cannot manipulate local files this way anymore...

This is only one example among many, many possibilities I have with the old XUL extensions, that you cannot have with the modern system...

This is a total software regression! And here, I don't talk about one particular browser anymore: All recent browsers have exactly the same problem, because they have all adopted, more or less, the google extension's system. All of that because of the Play Store, the G equivalent of the Apple App Store. This is a real situation of monopoly, which restraints the market to a point where there is no real choice concerning the internals of your browser: even Microsoft have succumbed!

For now, the Mozilla code stays (relatively) independent, but looking at the detailed release notes since a while I just found that they have integrated a LOT of Google's... "things", like libraries... They're even integrated entire parts who came directly from Chrome...!

So for me it's just a question of time: even if the facade and security functions varies from browser to browser, the internals (like the rendering framework) become inexorably all the same, whatever the app you choose! A fatal situation I don't like at all.

 

Yep, it's true. Firefox is the only major Windows browser that isn't based on Chromium. But they still removed the XUL technology. If memory serves it was because it was hard to maintain at several levels, like security. But that's because those extensions can be more powerful.
Many people got quite pissed off. I remember the polemic despite not using Firefox.

I understand your point. If you have functionality that works best try to keep it.
It's a bit like people who still uses Windows 7. I don't do it but I understand the reasons.

 

Very nice, I love it! I dunno if my beloved extensions will still work, will try ASAP!

Now I still use My old FF v54.. as a Download manager! I mean that I grab and copy links from the modern, up-to-date Firefox, then I copy them into the old version of DownThemAll => DL full speed with full functionalities (speed depends of course on the speed of my "debrid" service)!

I've tested several DL managers, including JDownloader... But all these proggies lack of a real integration with the browser... Why? of course because of the hard limitations of the "web extension" format (google), which limits a lot what a developer can do...

Thanks a LOT, @BlackHaze1986, great discovery! There's still people who believe in XUL, that's THE great news!

EDIT: Result: It's incredible, but everything's work with Basilisk! All my beloved extensions: Speed Dial (the original, the best), FEBE (backup), DownThemAll (GetThemAll), Grab and Drag, Paste and Go, Textarea Cache, Add Bookmark Here, on the Basilisk' site they even have an extension to extend the functionality of the status bar (like Status-4-Ever, but less buggy) etc etc etc... Wooow!

I just hope that the developpers will not abandon the users and keep on adapting it to modern codecs (like Webp, working 100%, as you said!) and new web functionalities.

Triple thanks to you, @BlackHaze1986, I'm grateful!

 

Last edited: Nov 29, 2022

No Problem Fam i'm happy to help