Iceweasel
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| Developer: | GNU | Debian |
| Latest release: | 1.5.0.7 / Sep 14, 2006 | 2.0.0.3 / Mar 23, 2007 |
| OS: | Linux | |
| Use: | Web browser | |
| License: | MPL/GPL/LGPL tri license | |
| Website: | Homepage of GNU Gnuzilla and IceWeasel | |
| Firefox Main article |
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| Mozilla |
| Community / Customization |
| Forks and Related Projects |
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Flock • Iceweasel |
| Origins and Lineage |
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Mozilla Application Suite • Netscape Communicator |
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Iceweasel is the name of two currently independent Mozilla Firefox rebranding projects. One is part of the Gnuzilla project, a GNU project to provide versions of Mozilla programs which are made of entirely free software. The other is a rebranded build prepared by Debian in order to satisfy a demand from Mozilla that they either drop the Firefox name or comply with other terms that Debian policies find unacceptable.
Gnuzilla IceWeasel removes the artwork and plugins[1] classified as non-free by free software advocates. Though Gnuzilla claims to have removed the talkback plugin, there was no way to include this in unofficial builds anyway. It is a fork of Firefox, but its maintainers plan to continue to synchronize with upstream releases in the future.
Debian Iceweasel is based on the modified version of Firefox provided in the Firefox package, but has now removed the Firefox branding replacing it with a new set that fits with the new name. Thunderbird and SeaMonkey have been renamed to Icedove and Iceape respectively in the same way and for the same reason.
Debian Iceweasel still uses some internet-based services from Mozilla, including the Mozilla plugin finder service, Mozilla Add-Ons, and notification of updates. There has also been no change to how non-free components, such as Flash, are found or used.
The Debian Iceweasel maintainer has stated that he will contact the Gnuzilla team to see if the two projects can collaborate, but that there is not time for collaborative changes before the release of Debian Etch.
The current release of Gnuzilla IceWeasel is based on the 1.5.0.7 version of Mozilla Firefox,[2] while the current version of Debian Iceweasel is based on the 2.0.0.3 release of Firefox.
Debian backports any required security fixes to whatever versions of software are shipped in their stable releases until support for those stable releases are dropped; the Iceweasel rename represents no change in this regard.
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[edit] Gnuzilla IceWeasel features
The main advantage of using GNU's IceWeasel is an ethical one: it is made of entirely free software.[3]
Differences from the official Firefox release:
- Contains only free software — see Licensing below
- Replacement of the proprietary artwork with free artwork
- Removal of the proprietary Talkback crash reporting system (due to its non-free "binary only distribution" licensing)
- Use of a plugin finder service that offers only free plugins
- Added privacy features — protection from:
- 3rd party zero-length image files resulting in 3rd party cookie (web bugs).[3] Note that in Firefox 1.0 and 1.5 3rd party cookies can be disabled completely via the UI. However the UI option was removed in 2.0.
- URL redirection (warning only)[3]
[edit] History
[edit] Origins of the name
Mozilla enforces trademarks vigorously and claims the right to deny the use of the name "Firefox" to unofficial builds.[4] Distributions that do not have special permission must either compile the Firefox source with an option enabled that gives Firefox a different name and does not use the official logo or other artwork, or use the binaries supplied by Mozilla.[4]
This policy led to a long debate within the Debian Project in 2004 and 2005. During this debate, the name "Iceweasel" was coined to refer to rebranded versions of Firefox. The first known use of the name in this context is by Nathanael Nerode[5], in reply to Eric Dorland's suggestion of "Icerabbit".[6] It was intended as a parody of "Firefox."[3] Iceweasel was subsequently used as the example name for a rebranded Firefox in the Mozilla Trademark Policy[4], and became the most commonly used name for a hypothetical rebranded version of Firefox. By January 1, 2005, rebranding was being referred to as the "Iceweasel route".[7]
The term "ice weasel" appeared earlier in a line fictionally attributed by Matt Groening to Friedrich Nietzsche: "Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra when suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come."[8]
Debian was given permission to use the trademarks, and adopted the Firefox name.[9] However, because the artwork in Firefox has a proprietary copyright license which is not compatible with the Debian Free Software Guidelines, the substituted logo had to remain.[10]
[edit] Gnuzilla IceWeasel release
In August 2005,[11] the Gnuzilla project adopted the IceWeasel name for a Firefox distribution[11] using free artwork.
The first Gnuzilla IceWeasel release was based on the 1.5.0.4[12] version of Firefox. There was no release based on Firefox 1.5.0.5 or 1.5.0.6. The current version of IceWeasel is 1.5.0.7 as of December 30, 2006.
[edit] Debian Iceweasel appears
In February of 2006, Mike Connor, representing the Mozilla Corporation, wrote to Debian and informed them that Mozilla did not consider the way in which Debian was using the Firefox name to be acceptable.[13] Connor confirmed that the Mozilla Corporation was revoking the previous agreement with Debian that allowed them to use the Firefox name. Further messages from Mike Connor clarified Mozilla's current policies: "Yes,if you are shipping a browser called Firefox, we should be signing off on every deviation from what we ship."; and "If you are going to use the Firefox name, you must also use the rest of the branding." Debian could not use the logo because of the Debian Free Software Guidelines.
The "Iceweasel" name was revived in the Debian community as a possible name to give the rebranded version of Firefox. The Iceweasel used in Etch is not the GNU application of the same name but a rebranded Firefox created by Debian. The Debian maintainer has stated that he will "get in touch with them to see what we can do together"[14] Because exactly the same problems required that Debian rename Mozilla Thunderbird and SeaMonkey, the names Icedove and Iceape were coined and used to rename those two applications. Soon after the renames Debian also replaced Mozilla's unbranded logos with new logos designed to fit with the new names.
[edit] Downloads available
[edit] Gnuzilla
IceWeasel is available as a free download for the 32-bit, i386 architecture. Both binaries and source are available, though the current build is available only for Linux.
[edit] Debian
According to packages.qa.debian.org, Iceweasel, Icedove and Iceape were first accepted into the Debian project's unstable repository on November 20, 2006, on October 14, 2006 and on December 1, 2006, respectively. Icedove was migrated to Etch and Thunderbird removed on November 11, 2006. Iceape was migrated to Etch on January 11, 2007 (the old Mozilla suite having previously been removed on October 6, 2006). Iceweasel was migrated (and Firefox removed) on January 18, 2007.
[edit] Licensing
Neither Gnuzilla nor Debian has seen fit to restrict their modifications to the code any more than the original. Both are available under Mozilla's standard MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license. Unlike Mozilla, both Iceweasels' default icons are under the same tri-license.
[edit] See also
- Mozilla Firefox
- History of Mozilla Firefox
- Debian Free Software Guidelines
- Comparison of web browsers
[edit] Notes
- ^ List of What's Removed.
- ^ IceWeasel 1.5.0.7 Download location.
- ^ a b c d Gnuzilla Homepage
- ^ a b c Mozilla Trademark Policy.
- ^ Nathanael Nerode 27 Feb 2004 email to debian-legal.
- ^ Eric Dorland 27 Feb 2004 email to debian-devel.
- ^ Joel Aelwyn 01 Jan 2005 email to debian-legal.
- ^ Groening, Matt (1986). Love Is Hell. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0394744543.
- ^ Gervase Markham 14 Jun 2005 email to debian-devel.
- ^ Gervase Markham 19 Jun 2005 email to debian-devel.
- ^ a b Gnuzilla/IceWeasel Project Application.
- ^ IceWeasel 1.5.0.4 Download location.
- ^ Debian bug report started by Mozilla and containing much information on the Iceweasel issue.
- ^ Facts about Debian and Mozilla® Firefox®.
[edit] External links
- Homepage of Gnuzilla and IceWeasel
- Debian and Mozilla - a study in trademarks - a summary of the debate at LWN.net
- Arguments on the Debian Bug tracking system
- Kerner, Sean Michael. "Firefox Not Really Free?", internetnews.com, September 27, 2006.
- Kerner, Sean Michael. "Firefox Set Free in IceWeasel", internetnews.com, October 6, 2006.
- Kerner, Sean Michael. "Debian Fights Mozilla's Fire, Thunder With 'Ice'", internetnews.com, October 17, 2006.
- Logo proposals in Ubuntu Wiki
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