5 ms·

As others said, this happened to all kinds of versions, not just 96.

jacquesm 5y ago
I was perfectly happy with the one that didn't support this 'feature', and automatic updates are what brought it to my system.
- zuhsetaqi 5y ago
  Why don’t you just disable automatic updates?
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    Good question. Because for security reasons you want to stay up-to-date on software that connects to various websites. At the same time, from a functionality point of view I wished I'd never have to update anything.
    - zuhsetaqi 5y ago
      Yes it has its pros and cons like everything. But as a default for the average user I think auto update should be enabled
    - mikro2nd 5y ago
      It's not a question of avoiding updates altogether, but the sad reality that it always seems to choose the most inconvenient and/or expensive time to do it. If they'd just do as Thunderbird does -- notify me that there's an update and ask me what action I'd like to take -- there'd be no problem. As it is, being unable to choose when the update happens is unacceptable. FWIW I've tried every documented setting, "enterprise" policies, etc. to prevent automatic updates in FF, but nothing seems to stick.
      - jcynix 5y ago
        Hmm, works for me (Firefox ESR) under Preferences > General and there "Allow Firefox to" ... "Check for updates but let you choose to install them" That's s private installation, a company-wide centrally managed might work differently ... but companies normally want to control updates too.
- bipson 5y ago
  Yeah, the alternative is running a system with a ton of outdated software, with known bugs and active exploits while casually surfing the "oh-so-cosy-and-entirely-harmless" WWW... The goal is not to ostracize automatic updates, but to have faster fixes. Or to separate security updates from feature updates, but I think this ship has long sailed for modern browsers.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    > Or to separate security updates from feature updates, but I think this ship has long sailed for modern browsers. That would be my preferred solution. But yes, as you say, that ship has sailed. No reason why it couldn't sail back though.
    - mixedCase 5y ago
      > No reason why it couldn't sail back though Maintenance cost.
    - dragonwriter 5y ago
      > No reason why it couldn't sail back though. Multiplying the number of parallel maintenance tracks and associated support costs is not “no reason”.
  - johnnywasagood 5y ago
    The goal is to fully control your environment and not to expecting some unexpected updates. User is the one who must choose update policy. If user is choosing to not update then it's their own problem and no manufacturer has the right to deside otherwise.
    - CorrectHorseBat 5y ago
      Automatic updates are a good default, you can always disable them if you don't want them.
      - 5y ago
- guipsp 5y ago
  Http3 has existed in ff for a while. What triggered this was some back end service switching to http3, triggering the bug. Even if you don't update your browser, the world updates around it
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    My browser isn't supposed to have any 'backend services'. Especially not backend services that I did not explicitly opt in to.
    - semi-extrinsic 5y ago
      It's not a backend service on your browser, it's on whatever webpage you tried to visit.
      - foxfluff 5y ago
        This bug can be triggered without visiting any webpage at all.
      - torstenvl 5y ago
        No, it's in the browser. Turn off all data collection and the bug disappears. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1749908#c10 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1749908#c10
        progval 5y ago
        lower in the linked thread: > Telemetry has nothing to do with this, it just happens to be one of the first services with H3 load balancer.
        torstenvl 5y ago
        You... do understand that that's self-contradictory, right? It's impossible for both parts of that sentence to be true. If telemetry really had "nothing to do with" the bug, then the fact that telemetry "just happens to be one of the first services with H3 load balancer" wouldn't trigger the bug.
justemre 5y ago
Yes, I was using 95 and mine was broken too.
pmontra 5y ago
It's not happening to me with Firefox 95.0.1 on Ubuntu 20.04. I'm disabling http3 anyway. Re-enabling it when Mozilla will explain what's going on. Edit: reading further comments it occurred to me that maybe I'm not affected because I'm not sending any data to Mozilla so I don't hit their HTTP3 load balancer.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Disable telemetry while you're at it: "Firefox Data Collection and Use" in settings. It seems to have re-enabled itself on some silent update. Sneaky bastards.
  - pmontra 5y ago
    It didn't re-enable for me.
    - jacquesm 5y ago
      When did you disable it?
      - romland 5y ago
        Anecdotal and same for me (it's not re-enabled). I have not touched those telemetry settings for years, cannot say exactly when.
      - pmontra 5y ago
        Ages ago, probably the first time Mozilla added telemetry to the browser. Go interview people Mozilla. Less analytical data but you'll end up knowing your users.
  - haakon 5y ago
    I was surprised to find I had telemetry enabled. I could have sworn I disabled it, but it would have been a long time ago, so I was thinking maybe I remember it wrong. I would like to see any source that may exist on it having been silently re-enabled. I know telemetry is anonymized and totally harmless or whatever, but re-enabling it behind my back would feel like such a breach of trust.
stef25 5y ago
V94 didn't work either
OnlyLys 5y ago
I'm on 97.0b2 (developer edition), same issue.
conradfr 5y ago
I'm on Firefox 90 and yes it suddenly stopped working in the middle of a Youtube video. Thanks anyone in this thread who helped!

I was perfectly happy with the one that didn't support this 'feature', and automatic updates are what brought it to my system.

zuhsetaqi 5y ago
Why don’t you just disable automatic updates?
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Good question. Because for security reasons you want to stay up-to-date on software that connects to various websites. At the same time, from a functionality point of view I wished I'd never have to update anything.
  - zuhsetaqi 5y ago
    Yes it has its pros and cons like everything. But as a default for the average user I think auto update should be enabled
  - mikro2nd 5y ago
    It's not a question of avoiding updates altogether, but the sad reality that it always seems to choose the most inconvenient and/or expensive time to do it. If they'd just do as Thunderbird does -- notify me that there's an update and ask me what action I'd like to take -- there'd be no problem. As it is, being unable to choose when the update happens is unacceptable. FWIW I've tried every documented setting, "enterprise" policies, etc. to prevent automatic updates in FF, but nothing seems to stick.
    - jcynix 5y ago
      Hmm, works for me (Firefox ESR) under Preferences > General and there "Allow Firefox to" ... "Check for updates but let you choose to install them" That's s private installation, a company-wide centrally managed might work differently ... but companies normally want to control updates too.
bipson 5y ago
Yeah, the alternative is running a system with a ton of outdated software, with known bugs and active exploits while casually surfing the "oh-so-cosy-and-entirely-harmless" WWW... The goal is not to ostracize automatic updates, but to have faster fixes. Or to separate security updates from feature updates, but I think this ship has long sailed for modern browsers.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  > Or to separate security updates from feature updates, but I think this ship has long sailed for modern browsers. That would be my preferred solution. But yes, as you say, that ship has sailed. No reason why it couldn't sail back though.
  - mixedCase 5y ago
    > No reason why it couldn't sail back though Maintenance cost.
  - dragonwriter 5y ago
    > No reason why it couldn't sail back though. Multiplying the number of parallel maintenance tracks and associated support costs is not “no reason”.
- johnnywasagood 5y ago
  The goal is to fully control your environment and not to expecting some unexpected updates. User is the one who must choose update policy. If user is choosing to not update then it's their own problem and no manufacturer has the right to deside otherwise.
  - CorrectHorseBat 5y ago
    Automatic updates are a good default, you can always disable them if you don't want them.
    - 5y ago
guipsp 5y ago
Http3 has existed in ff for a while. What triggered this was some back end service switching to http3, triggering the bug. Even if you don't update your browser, the world updates around it
- jacquesm 5y ago
  My browser isn't supposed to have any 'backend services'. Especially not backend services that I did not explicitly opt in to.
  - semi-extrinsic 5y ago
    It's not a backend service on your browser, it's on whatever webpage you tried to visit.
    - foxfluff 5y ago
      This bug can be triggered without visiting any webpage at all.
    - torstenvl 5y ago
      No, it's in the browser. Turn off all data collection and the bug disappears. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1749908#c10 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1749908#c10
      - progval 5y ago
        lower in the linked thread: > Telemetry has nothing to do with this, it just happens to be one of the first services with H3 load balancer.
        torstenvl 5y ago
        You... do understand that that's self-contradictory, right? It's impossible for both parts of that sentence to be true. If telemetry really had "nothing to do with" the bug, then the fact that telemetry "just happens to be one of the first services with H3 load balancer" wouldn't trigger the bug.

justemre 5y ago

Yes, I was using 95 and mine was broken too.

pmontra 5y ago

It's not happening to me with Firefox 95.0.1 on Ubuntu 20.04. I'm disabling http3 anyway. Re-enabling it when Mozilla will explain what's going on. Edit: reading further comments it occurred to me that maybe I'm not affected because I'm not sending any data to Mozilla so I don't hit their HTTP3 load balancer.

jacquesm 5y ago
Disable telemetry while you're at it: "Firefox Data Collection and Use" in settings. It seems to have re-enabled itself on some silent update. Sneaky bastards.
- pmontra 5y ago
  It didn't re-enable for me.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    When did you disable it?
    - romland 5y ago
      Anecdotal and same for me (it's not re-enabled). I have not touched those telemetry settings for years, cannot say exactly when.
    - pmontra 5y ago
      Ages ago, probably the first time Mozilla added telemetry to the browser. Go interview people Mozilla. Less analytical data but you'll end up knowing your users.
- haakon 5y ago
  I was surprised to find I had telemetry enabled. I could have sworn I disabled it, but it would have been a long time ago, so I was thinking maybe I remember it wrong. I would like to see any source that may exist on it having been silently re-enabled. I know telemetry is anonymized and totally harmless or whatever, but re-enabling it behind my back would feel like such a breach of trust.

stef25 5y ago

V94 didn't work either

OnlyLys 5y ago

I'm on 97.0b2 (developer edition), same issue.

conradfr 5y ago

I'm on Firefox 90 and yes it suddenly stopped working in the middle of a Youtube video. Thanks anyone in this thread who helped!