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Much respect to Firefox for being the torch bearer in the darkness and all that, but their secret auto-updates in the background are why I don't use them. I us

Much respect to Firefox for being the torch bearer in the darkness and all that, but their secret auto-updates in the background are why I don't use them. I use a Mac not because I'm some techno-illiterate neo-lithic throwback, but because I'm a raging control freak. On the Mac I feel like I'm in control. Programs that go and do random weird stuff behind the scenes break that fragile illusion. :D The worst was when Firefox's stealthy self-updating broke itself. I don't remember which version that was (sometime in 2008? 2009?) and it might have been on a work machine (Windows? Vista?) but there was basically no going back (couldn't use previous versions because of stealth updates...), and no going forward (wasn't gonna sit around waiting for them to patch it).

msg 16y ago
All a little off topic, but... menu Preferences -> Advanced -> Update seek to "When updates to Firefox are found" check "Ask me what I want to do" Now you have your control again.
- podperson 16y ago
  Continuing off-topic -- I hate programs that think updating is more important than whatever I had in mind when I launched the program. I prefer programs that update/download in the background while I get stuff done then let me update at my leisure when they've finished downloading.
  - stoney 16y ago
    I was just thinking the same thing - why doesa Firefox insisted on installing updates just when I open it to use it (which really is exactly when I don't want it to be doing it). Why not do the updates when I close it down?
    - nl 16y ago
      The potential for data/program corruption is much higher when it is closing down (think of what happens when the computer shuts down, or when the program is closed immediately followed by a shutdown. )
    - msg 16y ago
      Also, unless my system crashes I tend not to close Firefox.
  - yaix 16y ago
    For programs that are permanently online, it is a good idea to have updating as a high preference. At least when your operating system is not doing the updating off all installed software automatically.

msg 16y ago

All a little off topic, but... menu Preferences -> Advanced -> Update seek to "When updates to Firefox are found" check "Ask me what I want to do" Now you have your control again.

podperson 16y ago
Continuing off-topic -- I hate programs that think updating is more important than whatever I had in mind when I launched the program. I prefer programs that update/download in the background while I get stuff done then let me update at my leisure when they've finished downloading.
- stoney 16y ago
  I was just thinking the same thing - why doesa Firefox insisted on installing updates just when I open it to use it (which really is exactly when I don't want it to be doing it). Why not do the updates when I close it down?
  - nl 16y ago
    The potential for data/program corruption is much higher when it is closing down (think of what happens when the computer shuts down, or when the program is closed immediately followed by a shutdown. )
  - msg 16y ago
    Also, unless my system crashes I tend not to close Firefox.
- yaix 16y ago
  For programs that are permanently online, it is a good idea to have updating as a high preference. At least when your operating system is not doing the updating off all installed software automatically.