Recently Mozilla announced the release of the new version of your web browser Firefox 138, a release that not only introduces new features but also improves the extended support releases 115.23.0 and 128.10.0.
With this new version 14 vulnerabilities are also fixed, six of which are related to memory management, such as buffer overflows or improper access to already-freed areas. Another fixed issue affects the "copy as cURL" tool, which could allow command injection by not properly escaping special characters.
Main new features of Firefox 138
Firefox 138 introduces a renewed profile management system that completely transforms the way users can organize their browsing sessions. This functionality allows you to create completely independent profiles, with its own bookmarks, history, add-ons and settings. Each profile is saved in a separate subdirectory and can be customized with name, color, and icon. The new interface, accessible from the main menu, makes it easier to create and change profiles, although it's not yet enabled by default for all users. Those who wish to activate it manually can do so from about:config by setting the browser.profiles.enabled parameter.
Another innovation in Firefox 138 is the incorporation of weather recommendations directly into the address bar. When entering weather-related words or city names, users (currently in the US only) will receive contextual weather information. This feature can be enabled in advanced settings via browser.urlbar.suggest.weather.
In addition, Windows 11 users will notice a more integrated design, Pop-up menus now use the operating system's acrylic style. A shortcut has also been added to the context menu when right-clicking on a tab, allowing you to quickly copy the page link.
Smarter autocomplete and contrast control
Firefox 138 introduces an improved ""address and card data auto-completion system", especially in dynamic forms that display additional fields based on the data enteredOptions have also been added to the configurator to customize contrast colors, allowing users to define their own color schemes or adopt the system's accessibility settings.
Developer and security improvements
In addition to that, Several adjustments are introduced for web developers and advanced users. Among them, the Browser can now verify the integrity of JavaScript modules imported using hashes via the integrity attribute within the importmap. Additionally, methods such as Error.isError and Error.captureStackTrace are incorporated to improve compatibility with other browsers. The behavior of headers has been corrected, which now maintain a uniform style regardless of the HTML block where they are used.
Module imports have also been improved with the ability to add custom attributes. Specifically, it is now possible to import modules using JSON syntax. As for WebRTC, the degradationPreference property is added, which allows you to adjust whether frame rate or resolution should be prioritized when network bandwidth is compromised.
Another key improvement is in the support for the Clear-Site-Data HTTP header, which now supports the cache directive, allowing servers to order the clearing of the browser cache, ideal for strengthening privacy after session closure.
Within the developer tools, a new column called "Path" has been added to the network panel, which displays the full path of requested resources, making it easier to analyze loads and requests.
Specific news on Android
Firefox 138 also introduces new features for its mobile version. On Android tablets, desktop mode is enabled by default., although it can be disabled manually. They have improved the markers, allowing you to sort them and pin folders to the top. Additionally, you can now use the share button to send downloaded files or the links from which they were obtained, and you can sort downloads by time or category.
Lastly, Support for TLS certificates has been implemented used in client authentication, a key feature for users accessing secure platforms from their mobile device.
Interested in knowing more about it, you can consult the release notes in the following link
How to install Firefox on Linux?
If you are already a Firefox user, you should know that you can easily update to the latest version accessing the configuration menu. Those with automatic updates enabled need not worry as they will receive the new version without manual intervention.
Alternatively, if you prefer not to wait for the automatic update, you can do it manually by going to Menu > Help > About Firefox. This will open a window showing the installed version and, if the feature is enabled, it will check for available updates.
For Ubuntu, Linux Mint and other derivatives users from Ubuntu, too It is possible to update Firefox through the official PPATo do this, open a terminal and enter the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mozilla-security/ppa -y sudo apt-get update sudo apt install firefox
Another available installation option is via Flatpak. To use this method, you need to have Flatpak support on your system. Once enabled, you can install Firefox by running the following command in the terminal:
flatpak install flathub org.mozilla.firefox
As for those who already have the browser installed, it is enough to execute the following command to not only update Firefox, but also all its applications that are in Flatpak format:
flatpack update
In the case of those who prefer the use of Snap, the installation of the browser can be done by typing the following command:
sudo snap install firefox
And to update the applications that we have installed in Snap format, just type the following in the terminal:
sudo snap refresh