Mozilla Firefox is all set to utilize the Windows Background
Intelligent Transfer Service, or BITS, to download the software updates in the
background, this initial phase in the possible release of a standalone
"Update Agent" that will perform updates despite when the browser's
closed.
Presently Firefox will look for the new updates when the
user opens the browser and either show a notification that an update is
available or automatically install it.
Mozilla developers are likewise taking a shot at an
independent application written in Rust called "Update Agent" which
will discreetly run while checking for new browser updates notwithstanding when
Firefox isn't open. For the users who don't run Firefox every now and again,
it'll make it simpler for them to receive the new updates.
The purpose behind the Update Agent being planned as a 'background
process’ which will remain running even after the browser is closed to download
and apply updates is to make updating progressively helpful for everybody and
lessen the time to get the new updates for users who aren't all around
bolstered by the present update process since they don't run Firefox very much
or they do not have an access to a proper internet connection.
This technique makes Firefox progressively secure, as
regardless of whether a user immediately installs the update when prompted to
do so, despite everything it comes up with an open door for a vulnerability
which could be exploited before the update as well as its security fixes, can
be installed.
For Windows users, Mozilla will utilize the Windows
Background Intelligent Transfer Service, or BITS, since it enables updates to
be downloaded in a manner that can be recovered if a download ends or is paused
for reasons unknown. This enables the update to keep downloading where it left
off when it can and spare time completing the update.
As the Update Agent application isn't prepared as of yet and
requires a few different bugs to be settled with first, Mozilla is empowering
BITS in Firefox with the goal that the browser can start utilizing the support
and service of download browser updates.
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| Firefox BITS preferences |
While the Mozilla developers are effectively taking a shot
at this venture, with the goal that they can positively finish it sooner rather
than later, then again in the Firefox Nightly build, Mozilla has included two
new flags that can be utilized to test downloading software updates through
BITS. Users can thus enable this test by setting the app.update.BITSenabled and
app.update.BITS.inTrialgroup preferences to true in about:config.
