firebirdfirefoxphoenix
I am looking for an old version of Mozilla Firefox from before it was called Firefox.
It used to be called Mozilla Phoenix before it was ever called Mozilla Firebird.
I am looking for some of the oldest versions around (for Win32). Where can I find them?
A bit late on replying to this question, but anyway there goes my 2 cents.
I've been using the multi-version + multi-profile dance with FF since version 2.0 or 3.0. An added bonus is profile portability between different computers and different Windows versions. Let's see the basics:
Install as many FF versions as you wish to, each in its own directory. 'C:\Program Files (x86)' is no longer the best option under Win7 (due to UAC), but I keep using it even so (out of WinXP bad habits). In this machine, for example, I have:
Have a dedicated folder to store your collection of FF profiles, with one sub-folder for each profile (hopefully named in whatever meaningful way, in order to avoid confusion). Again, in this machine I have:
Go inside each of the install directories and make multiple copies of firefox.exe (OFC with different names – again, meaningful names!). For example ...
C:\Program Files (x86)\Firefox_31\firefox.exe
What follows requires a healthy dose of attention to detail; not really complicated, but it needs lots of copy-pasting and careful search & replace: have a collection of .BAT files that will MATCH some given version of FF with some given profile folder. I have some very long and convoluted .BATs which I'm not posting in full right now, but some key elements follow:
set dir_applic=C:\PROGRA~2\FIREFO~3
REM
REM .BAT is happier with old DOS 8.3 filenames (when 'normal' filenames contain spaces)
REM
set dir_profil=I:\FF_profiles\Profil_38.0_discard_sessions
set ff_exe=firefox(v38_txyz_discard_sessions_bypass_Avast).exe
set coman=start %dir_applic%\%ff_exe% -no-remote -profile %dir_profil%\
REM
REM I don't like and don't use parm '-P' for 'profile NAMES'
REM
echo %coman%
pause
REM
REM ... the echo+pause lets you SEE the actual command expansion before execution
REM
%coman%
REM
REM the cooked-up command has just been executed.
REM
set real_drive=D set fake_drive=I subst %fake_drive%: %real_drive%:\TJ\Fake_subst_%fake_drive% REM ... so that the .BAT actually goads FF into seeing a sub-folder of D: as I:
The above setup allows you to run multiple combos of versions+profiles SIMULTANEOUSLY (OFC as long as the available RAM will allow).
Now, for each profile, you NEED to have all the following valid; otherwise, imminent BORK is guaranteed to occur, not only within one particular PROFILE folder but also within one particular INSTALL folder. You have been warned!
about:config: extensions.update.enabled = falseHeavily recommended as a GLUE to the whole strategy:
More or less recommended (don't let the 'security experts' learn of this), depending OFC on your (mis)behaved browsing habits: resist the temptation to have ALL of FF's latest versions. You'd have to install each one in its own directory and have a NEW profile directory to match, as well.
Whenever you feel the urge to have a brand-new FF version, you'd have to follow this procedure:
clone your previous .BAT file into a new one, where you'll carefully replace the contents of the following variables:
dir_applic (if containing spaces, use its 8.3 DOS notation)
dir_profil
ff_exe
run the newly cloned & edited .BAT file, so that a RENAMED firefox.exe from the NEWLY installed FF version will reference the NEW just-filled PROFILE folder (while OFC totally ignoring and preserving the previous FF versions and each of their corresponding profiles)
Since FEBE's settings contain a DESTINATION folder for profile backups, you should now change it from its previous value, so that from now on any new FEBE backups will get stored in a folder different from the backups of the previous FF version.
Generate TWO FEBE backups: one itemized and one all-in-one. Verify that both backup sets ended up in the NEW destination folder (i.e., NOT together with the backups from the previous profile-version combo).
Create – and test – a shortcut somewhere, pointing to the newly tested .BAT file.
Have a sigh of relief, and/or blame myself for such a complicated and involved procedure.
Cheers & good luck!
Edit on July 5, 2015, to clarify some issues raised in a comment by the OP to my proposed solution above:
A. If I "run one of the various firefox_xxx.exe files without specifying a profile on the command line" ... it would [try to] run the 'default' FF profile of my Windows user, i.e., the profile located inside "C:\Users\myusername". Results would be random, depending on which version is the current FF .exe running the default profile and on which version was the previous FF .exe that attempted a previous run on same default profile. Remembering, in my scheme of things, that:
B. The "check for updates" button is not meant to be pressed in my scheme of things. However, in a hypothetical situation where it would be pressed, the following would happen, approximately:
C. As I expect to have demonstrated above, your statement "If updating one install affects other installs ..." is not true, and therefore your conclusion "the installs are not fully independent" is invalid.
D. The lockpref approach which you've linked to is aimed to be used in an environment where there's an 'admin' which needs to prevent undesired actions by 'common users'. My solution, OTOH, is a construct created by a geek for its own use, and as such it assumes not only strict and careful usage parameters, but also an absence of other users who might bork it thru careless usage.
Best Answer
Firefox Releases: Scroll down for older versions. Phoenix 0.1 is the oldest release available here.
Directory of Phoenix Releases: A download location for Phoenix 0.1 through 0.5.