This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

We do not understand what Mozilla Firefox means by Firefox Final Release Channel

more options

We are a university that uses the Blackboard Vista 8 product. In order for our students to complete their courses online in Blackboard, they have to use compatible and certified browsers. The Blackboard vendor has a website detailing which browsers the students should use. The URL is http://kb.blackboard.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=75071574. No one understands what the vendor (Blackboard) or Mozilla Firefox means by the phrase "Firefox (Final Release Channel)." Does this mean the latest version of Firefox? If so, why not say the latest version and where did the word "channel" come from and what does it mean? It's not explained anywhere on the Firefox website.

We are a university that uses the Blackboard Vista 8 product. In order for our students to complete their courses online in Blackboard, they have to use compatible and certified browsers. The Blackboard vendor has a website detailing which browsers the students should use. The URL is http://kb.blackboard.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=75071574. No one understands what the vendor (Blackboard) or Mozilla Firefox means by the phrase "Firefox (Final Release Channel)." Does this mean the latest version of Firefox? If so, why not say the latest version and where did the word "channel" come from and what does it mean? It's not explained anywhere on the Firefox website.

All Replies (2)

more options

The link you provided is not working.

Firefox Update Channels

Edeziri site na Hasan

more options

Mozilla has 4 channels. In order of less to more secure and stable: Nightly, Aurora, Beta, Release.

On the page you reference, "Final Release Channel" refers to Mozilla's "Release". These are versions that have been completed and "pushed" out for download by everyone. The most current version is always available at https://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/fx/ (currently, Firefox 6.0).

There are only 2 currently supported versions: Firefox 6.0 and Firefox 3.6.20.

  • All other versions have stability and security issues that will not be corrected, but are corrected in the updated versions, as they are released.

Other download links:

According to the chart on the page you referenced, your students should be using Firefox 3.6.20 (Firefox 3.5.x versions are no longer supported or updated).

The certified/compatible classifications are Blackboard's determination.

Firefox Portable
If your students wish to use the most current version of Firefox for their everyday browsing and use a Blacboard compatible version for use only with Blackboard activities, they can have both on their systems by installing Firefox Portable (not produced by Mozilla):


If this reply solves your problem, please click "Solved It" next to this reply when signed-in to the forum.



Not related to your question, but...

You need to update some plug-ins (on the system you used to post your question):