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Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

gadfly
Grafter
Posts: 39
Registered: ‎02-09-2010

Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

Welcome to the Pale Moon project homepage -
"Current version: 3.6.11.
Why settle for a basic build of your Firefox browser on Windows Operating Systems when you can have one that performs 25% faster? Mozilla does not provide optimized browser packages for Windows, while many Linux ("from scratch") users get the advantage of a browser built specifically for their system. That needs to change! So, here is the Pale Moon project: Custom-built and optimized Firefox browsers for Windows Operating Systems. Make sure to get the most speed out of your browser!" - http://www.palemoon.org/
9 REPLIES 9
fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
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Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

Quote from: gadfly
Mozilla does not provide optimized browser packages for Windows
I just don't believe that statement, Windows is a massive segment of the market, and if a 25% speed increase could be had from merely a few tweaks I put good money on betting The Mozzilla Foundation would be doing it.
Doesn't ring true to me.
pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

the Wilders Securityforum  is scathing about it  http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=1772987
fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
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Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

Doing some more research, it does appear legit, although apparently the work of one man.
Personally I wouldn't use it, there is no accountability or in effect any peer review of this one mans work.
The browser seems to interfere with and disable many FF features if you have them both installed, and frankly, I just don't believe that this one guy can speed FF up 25% by there mere expedient of disabling accessibilities features (see http://www.palemoon.org/technical.shtml where he says 4 things are disabled, only 1 of which is for speed).  Which means much of the claimed improvements come from using different compiler optimisation, something that can have a great effect, but I just do not believe that Mozilla don't know about this, indeed I find it inconceivable, and am left to conclude that 25% is a wildly optimistic claim, or that he's overlooked some huge and important something (almost certainly to do with security) or is lying for some reason.
shutter
Community Veteran
Posts: 22,206
Thanks: 3,769
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

As a point of interest.....
does that mean that the "google search" page , (or any other page) will appear 25% faster on my screen,.....? and will I really notice it is there 25% faster.... ?
pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

thats what one man and his job claims, other say rubbish or nonsense
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
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Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

If you can reduce the working set by using some very specific compiler settings, it is conceivable that you could get "quite a lot" of the code to reside in CPU cache.
Cache sizes have grown a lot in recent years and if you could also rewrite the source so as to get substantial multi-threading using multiple cores, you might see some improvements.
Doesn't seem worth it though unless you have a mighty processor and minuscule memory.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

fourfourdevon
Grafter
Posts: 1,101
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Registered: ‎10-09-2010

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

He claims he has not altered the code at all, which is why he says he doesn't publish the code of his project.
Crazy
I can't quite see how he produce a product that doesn't break Mozilla's trademark and the traditionally copyrighted things (like the fox graphic and the Firefox name) and yet not alter *something* in the source.
I also don't see how he can produce an executable that works differently from Firefox (i.e. with some features disabled) again without modifying *something* in the source.
So one man claims he can do what FF cannot, but that he does this without any coding or indeed any changes to the Mozilla code and he refuses to publish the source code of the project as is required by the MPL.
I'm somewhat amazed there is ANYONE out there who DOESN'T think something is dodgy.
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
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Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

He could use a special program loader (virus) which could be used to amend the binary code - this would be why its aimed at a Windows environment, rather than a more secure Linux environment.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Steve
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 6,853
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Registered: ‎13-07-2009

Re: Pale Moon Project - customised faster version of Mozilla Firefox

Quote from: A
this would be why its aimed at a Windows environment, rather than a more secure Linux environment.
Linux Is free " Open source " and anyone can see the code and change It as they wish, If Its not In  Linux and he wont give the code and targeted at windows user's that rings alarm bells to me
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.