Internet Explorer does it. Chrome does it. Mozilla tried it, backed off, and once again resurrects the goal of making Firefox run multiple processes at the same time. December 5, 2013 2:57 PM PST Hardly ready for wide implementation, Mozilla is nevertheless making progress on giving Firefox the kind of multiprocess architecture Chrome and Internet Explorer have had for years. (Credit: Mozilla) Firefox may offer a lot of competitive features in a tight browser marketplace, but one thing that it lacks is the kind of sandboxed, multiprocess architecture under its hood that other browsers already have. Changing to a multiprocess architecture would result in numerous benefits, wrote Firefox engineer Bill McCloskey, in the three key areas of performance, security, and stability. While Firefox's performance now is significantly faster than it was a few years ago, thanks in large part to projects like MemShrink and Snappy, a multiprocess backend would allow Firefox developers to more easily debug problems, which in turn would allow developers to make their JavaScript run faster. Related stories: IE 11 use surges post-launch of Windows 7 version Firefox OS fan Geeksphone plans high-end Revolution Free Firefox add-on graphs the trackers Chrome, Opera pass Epic Citadel demo's Web graphics test Enter Australis: Mozilla streamlines Firefox's look Another benefit on the performance front is that much of the work that went into Electrolysis, Mozilla's previous multiprocess attempt, found its way into Firefox OS. It would help, McCloskey wrote, for Firefox OS and Firefox to have backends that function as similarly as possible. Multiprocess architecture would be safer for Firefox users as well, he said, because it would allow the browser's content processes to be sandboxed. While sandboxing is possible in single-process systems, it doesn't make sense in a browser where add-on and other processes have to regularly access the file system. "Right now, if someone discovers an exploitable bug in Firefox, they're able to take over users' computers," McCloskey said. The browser would become more stable as a result of the multiprocess implementation because a process crash would only take down that specific process, not the entire browser. (Credit: Mozilla) McCloskey also said that the multiprocess architecture is a long way from reaching the stable version of Firefox. Concerns about keeping the browser's memory footprint small will keep Mozilla from switching to the new architecture until its ready. "The total memory usage for multiprocess Firefox is only 10 MB greater than single-process Firefox," McCloskey said. "We should be able to shrink this difference with some effort." Also keeping Firefox from achieving multiprocess architecture are concerns about add-on and plug-in compatibility. "It's a large project and any predictions at this point [about a release date] would be foolhardy," he said.
Internet Explorer does it. Chrome does it. Mozilla tried it, backed off, and once again resurrects the goal of making Firefox run multiple processes at the same time.
Hardly ready for wide implementation, Mozilla is nevertheless making progress on giving Firefox the kind of multiprocess architecture Chrome and Internet Explorer have had for years.
(Credit: Mozilla)
Firefox may offer a lot of competitive features in a tight browser marketplace, but one thing that it lacks is the kind of sandboxed, multiprocess architecture under its hood that other browsers already have.
Changing to a multiprocess architecture would result in numerous benefits, wrote Firefox engineer Bill McCloskey, in the three key areas of performance, security, and stability.
While Firefox's performance now is significantly faster than it was a few years ago, thanks in large part to projects like MemShrink and Snappy, a multiprocess backend would allow Firefox developers to more easily debug problems, which in turn would allow developers to make their JavaScript run faster.
Related stories:
- IE 11 use surges post-launch of Windows 7 version
- Firefox OS fan Geeksphone plans high-end Revolution
- Free Firefox add-on graphs the trackers
- Chrome, Opera pass Epic Citadel demo's Web graphics test
- Enter Australis: Mozilla streamlines Firefox's look
Another benefit on the performance front is that much of the work that went into Electrolysis, Mozilla's previous multiprocess attempt, found its way into Firefox OS. It would help, McCloskey wrote, for Firefox OS and Firefox to have backends that function as similarly as possible.
Multiprocess architecture would be safer for Firefox users as well, he said, because it would allow the browser's content processes to be sandboxed. While sandboxing is possible in single-process systems, it doesn't make sense in a browser where add-on and other processes have to regularly access the file system.
"Right now, if someone discovers an exploitable bug in Firefox, they're able to take over users' computers," McCloskey said.
The browser would become more stable as a result of the multiprocess implementation because a process crash would only take down that specific process, not the entire browser.
McCloskey also said that the multiprocess architecture is a long way from reaching the stable version of Firefox. Concerns about keeping the browser's memory footprint small will keep Mozilla from switching to the new architecture until its ready.
"The total memory usage for multiprocess Firefox is only 10 MB greater than single-process Firefox," McCloskey said. "We should be able to shrink this difference with some effort."
Also keeping Firefox from achieving multiprocess architecture are concerns about add-on and plug-in compatibility.
"It's a large project and any predictions at this point [about a release date] would be foolhardy," he said.
