Mozilla has recently announced significant improvements for Firefox users on Linux, specifically with regards to download sizes and decompression speeds. The browser will now utilize the tar.xz format for its official binary builds, which is powered by a more efficient LZMA compression algorithm. This transition means that downloads will be approximately 25% smaller and decompression will be twice as fast compared to the previous BZIP2 format.
According to Mozilla, while most Linux users receive Firefox updates through their distribution’s repositories (like Ubuntu’s Snap or Linux Mint’s DEB), the shift to tar.xz will enhance user experience through quicker downloads and reduced archive sizes.
The switch to a new packaging format has been in consideration since 2020 but has become a priority due to cost-saving measures at Mozilla. Smaller downloads not only minimize storage and bandwidth usage but also ease the development process, making it advantageous for both developers and users.
As of now, only Firefox Nightly utilizes the tar.xz format, with plans for this update to extend to all Firefox versions, including developer, beta, stable, and ESR releases in the future. For existing users, this change will not disrupt their experience, as auto-updates for their current installations will continue without issues.
For those keen to download the new format sooner, Firefox Nightly can be downloaded here.