getfirebug.com has released Firebug 1.4b3 for Firefox 3.0 and 3.5. This version fixes a number of bugs that could have affected a lot of folks.

Our TODO list for 1.4 is now pretty short:

1. Make the test driver 100% reliable (three tests fail occasionally)
2. Internationalization
3. Fix the blocking bugs,
4. Add more bugs to the list of blocking bugs,
   
5. Go to step 3.

If you use Firebug and you want to be sure that 1.4 works for you,  now is the time to test is out.

jjb

Please post followups to the newsgroup.

Somehow in all of the excitement about the upcoming Firefox 3.5 release we neglected to talk up Firefox 3.0 as the preferred browser for using Firebug 1.4 beta versions.

Firebug 1.4 was developed on Firefox 3.0 and we have extensive experience with this combination. For most Firebug users, Firebug 1.4 on Firefox 3.0 is the best choice.

We have recent shifted our development on to Firefox 3.5 and by the time it comes out we expect Firebug 1.4 to be solid on this browser.

jjb

Please post followups to the newsgroup.

I  downloaded FireFox release candidate 3.5RC1 build2 for win32 and installed Firebug 1.4Xb2, then ran our FBTests. 424 pass, 1 fail (net/1764). More important, this version does not crash if you hit a breakpoint and put your mouse on the Script panel.  Looks like that problem is behind us.

To get this version, install Firefox 3.5b4 and then immediately use Firefox > Help  > CheckForUpdates and the RC1 will be installed.

jjb

If you are keen to use Firebug with pre-release versions of Firefox 3.5, I suggest you use the nightly build from June 5.

Firefox 3.5b4 had a number of problems that have been fixed since it was released. So in general the 3.5 nightly builds have been steadily improving. Unfortunately a change on June 6 causes Firefox to crash if you breakpoint in Firebug and bring the mouse over the script panel.

On the Firebug side, we are working towards integrated testing with Firefox so we can prevent this in future.

jjb

Please follow up on the newsgroup.

getfirebug.com has Firebug 1.5X.0a3. This is the first Firebug release that passes all of our “FBTests”, a collection of tests mostly inspired by user issues or new features.  Last week, using 1.4a31, we passed all the tests running under Firefox 3.0.10; now we pass using the Firefox 3.5 nightly build, very close to the Firefox version that will be released as Firefox 3.5 Preview in the next 24 hours.

At this point can now turn the Firebug 1.4 branch over to Jan “Honza” Odvarko for the 1.4 beta releases. The rest of the development team will commit to branches/firebug1.5 and Honza will pick from the commits there to move the beta forward.  This way Honza will be able to keep a steady improvement to the final release of 1.4.

We will try to bring out a 1.5a release ahead of every 1.4b release, both with similar code as a extra check to help the beta.  So the content of 1.5a3 is a preview of the 1.4b release we hope to have tomorrow.

jjb

Please post follow ups to the newsgroup, thanks!

getfirebug.com has released Firebug 1.4a31. It passes ‘all’ of our FBTests (43 test files, 443 unit tests) on Firefox 3.0.10.

On Firefox 3.5 nightly build we still have about 20 failing tests. My guess is that most of these are caused by changes in the order of events between 3.0 and 3.5. I think what is happening is that our test-verification code is running before the Firebug test code runs, so the test fails the verify, then the test code runs correctly. But of course guessing is exactly what test cases are meant to prevent…

jjb

Please followup on the newsgroup, thanks.