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Firefox For Linux

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MPL (Mozilla Public License)    

The Linux version of one of the most popular and powerful web browser products on the entire Internet, Firefox. #Firefox Web Browser  #Mozilla Web Browser  #Web Browser  #Firefox  #Mozilla  #Web  

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Things have come a very long way since 1990 when Tim Berners-Lee invented the first web browser. In today's context, more and more of everything is moving online, making browsers even more valuable than, say, a decade ago.

In a world dominated by Google Chrome, there's one browser that has always been relevant. Launched in 2002, Firefox is the beloved browser that comes pre-bundled in almost all important distributions.

In a vacuum, Firefox would be the perfect fit for almost all the world, as it always was, and it still is an excellent browser. However, you can't really talk about Firefox without comparing it to Chrome. After all, stats only tell a part of the story. What's more, Firefox has some undeniable advantages over Chrome and (for the sake of being objective) vice-versa.

When first launching Firefox, you're bound to discover a browser that's relatively modern-looking, very geared towards the user experience (thanks to a plethora of GUI customization options), secure, fast (thanks to the latest Quantum engine), and very resource-friendly.

Firefox has always been great at improving the user experience. Tab management, multi-tasking options, hardware acceleration, and a massive extension database are just some of the strong points of the latest iterations of Mozilla's browser.

The latest version of Firefox has a lot of tools meant to boost productivity too.

Smart search suggestions, bookmarks, history and open tab in results, a built-in screenshot tool, the ability to sync across devices, a reader mode, picture-in-in picture mode, built-in ad blocker, and an option for blocking the autoplay of videos and audio are all part of the Firefox experience.

You can't really go online nowadays and not think about security and privacy. While Firefox can mostly do what Chrome can at similar speeds and with generally the same ease, it's the privacy aspect that sets them apart the most.

Both browsers have the latest and greatest in terms of security features (with a slight edge for Chrome on this one, since Chrome updates more frequently).

Here's a basic list of what Firefox packs under the hood for protecting your privacy and data: third-party cookie, fingerprint, and cryptominer blocking, private browsing mode, protection reports, breached website alerts, DNS over HTTPS, enhanced tracking protection, and a built-in password manager.

Because Firefox is an open-source project, backed by a non-profit organization, the browser doesn't have built-in tracking elements (aka your private data is not sent to servers or third-party vendors and partners). This is the exact opposite of Chrome. Not to say that Google is not trustworthy, but all your data is collected in order to serve you ads.

Well, not the control over your own data and privacy, that's for sure. However, it depends on what you compare it with. If you were to compare it with Vivaldi, then Firefox doesn't seem all that customizable anymore.

Similarly, there are aspects that Firefox just can't quite offer you and Chrome can. For example, web development is arguably easier with Chrome (thanks to its awesome dev tools), Chrome integrates better with other Google products (doh!), and you don't get some built-in technologies such as Chromecast.

You may not know it, but Firefox has a long record of actually protecting the freedom of the Web and promoting the use of open-source technologies. It's always been there for users who don't like the idea of having to pay with their data every time they use the web.

For some, Firefox is just a browser, a means to an end. For others, Firefox is the romantic interpretation of a healthier Internet thanks to effective security and privacy protection.

At the end of the day, Firefox is a damn good browser, with a very good reputation, and with enough firepower to keep both beginner and more advanced users happy. It's somewhat sad that even though Firefox does so many things just right, the best thing about it is that it is not Chrome.

Firefox 124.0

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