Firefox 1.5: Trouble scrolling; Java problems, solutions; Common solution: Startup in safe mode and check plug-ins; more

Users are beginning to report some significant issues with the final release of Firefox 1.5, centering around improper page rendering, problems with Java applets, and interface navigation.

Many of the problems only manifest on Mac OS X 10.3.x (Panther) systems.

One reader generally laments:

"The little browser that could apparently can't! I was using 1.5rc3 without issue, and when I installed this release (the final), I felt like I went back in time. Pages don't display properly, javascript has become broken, the simplest things a browser should do (like display CSS pages) has become a visual nightmare, and it keeps crashing for no reason whatsoever."

Trouble scrolling Several users report various issues with scrolling up and down pages after upgrading to Firefox 1.5. Some report that scrolling movement is erratic or jerky.

Another issue is that many users -- primarily those running Firefox 1.5 under Mac OS X 10.3.9. -- can no longer use their "Page Down" or "Page Up" buttons to scroll through pages.

In version 1.0.7, the scrolling function worked properly. In this version 1.5, there are problems:

In many cases, these scrolling problems will only occur after the user has recently accessed a page containing Java content. The solution -- albeit inconvenient -- is to quit then re-launch Firefox after viewing pages with the problem-triggering content.

Java problems, solutions As alluded to in the above section, a number of users are having problems with Java content after in Firefox 1.5.

Some users experience freezes when accessing embedded Java content, other experience issues with graphic components of Java applets rendering properly.

Some Java problems may be resolved by updating to the Java Embedding Plugin (JEP) 0.9.5 b (JavaEmbeddingPlugin.bundle and MRJPlugin.plugin).

This can be accomplished by following these instructions to install JEP 0.9.5 b to the /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ directory.

You must then then remove the bundled JEP files (JavaEmbeddingPlugin.bundle and MRJPlugin.plugin) from the Contents/MacOS/plugins/ directory inside the Firefox application package. This can be accomplished by holding down the control key; clicking Firefox and selecting "Show Package Contents"; then deleting the aforementioned files.

Common solution: Startup in safe mode and check extensions Perhaps the most common culprits in problematic Firefox 1.5 operation are errant extensions.

As stated in Mozilla's release notes:

"Poorly designed or incompatible Extensions can cause problems with your browser, including make it crash, slow down page display, etc. If you encounter strange problems relating to parts of the browser no longer working, the browser not starting, windows with strange or distorted appearance, degraded performance, etc, you may be suffering from Extension or Theme trouble."

The easiest way to determine if a plug-in is causing your problems is to start Firefox in safe mode via the following Terminal commands (Press return after each):

• cd /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/
• ./firefox-bin -safe-mode

If the problems disappear, a plug-in is likely at fault. Try removing third-party plugins from within the /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ or ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/(profile)/Extensions/ folders, or use the software's uninstaller.

Another workaround-- deleting your old profile Another general solution for a variety of problems is to delete the old Firefox user profile found at:

• ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/(username).default/)

Cannot pass Acid2 test As noted by several users, Firefox still cannot pass the Acid 2 Test, which the latest iteration of Safari is able to pass.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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