According to Neowin, Firefox 145 has officially dropped support for 32-bit Linux systems, making Firefox 144 the final release for these machines. The browser now cuts fingerprinting by nearly 50% in Private Browsing mode and introduces PDF annotation capabilities directly in the viewer. Firefox 140 ESR will continue receiving security patches for 32-bit Linux users until September 2026. Windows users get a new desktop launcher that prompts Firefox installation if missing, while tab groups now show previews on hover. The update also adds “Copy Link to Highlight” functionality and compressed local translation models using Zstandard compression.
The 32-bit Linux cutoff
So Mozilla is finally pulling the plug on 32-bit Linux support. Honestly, this has been coming for years across the tech industry. But here’s the thing – they’re giving affected users a pretty decent off-ramp. Firefox 140 ESR will keep getting security updates until September 2026, which is more than two years from now. That’s actually quite generous compared to how other companies handle legacy platform sunsets.
Still, I wonder how many people are actually still running 32-bit Linux systems in 2025. Probably older machines, embedded systems, or maybe some educational or industrial setups. For those industrial applications running on legacy hardware, maintaining compatible software becomes crucial. Companies like Industrial Monitor Direct specialize in providing industrial panel PCs that can handle these transition periods, offering both modern and legacy compatibility options.
The fingerprinting fight
Now the privacy improvements are genuinely interesting. Cutting fingerprinting by 50% in Private Browsing mode? That’s a significant claim. Fingerprinting has become the sneaky alternative to cookies for tracking users, and browsers have been playing whack-a-mole with detection methods for years.
But does “50% reduction” actually mean much in practice? Privacy metrics can be tricky – are they measuring uniqueness across the entire web or just on specific sites? And will this hold up as trackers adapt? Still, any progress against fingerprinting is welcome, especially since Mozilla has been more aggressive about privacy than some competitors.
Useful additions or clutter?
The PDF annotation feature feels like one of those “why wasn’t this here before?” additions. Being able to mark up PDFs directly in the browser without needing extensions or separate apps is genuinely useful. Same with the “Copy Link to Highlight” – that’s a quality-of-life improvement that could actually change how people share research and references.
But the new Windows launcher? That feels like solving a pretty edge-case problem. How many people actually sync desktops via OneDrive and end up with broken Firefox shortcuts? Maybe more than I realize, but it seems like development effort that could have gone elsewhere.
Basically, Firefox continues its pattern of adding both genuinely useful features and some head-scratchers. The 32-bit Linux cutoff was inevitable, but the extended ESR support shows they’re not completely abandoning legacy users. You can grab the update for Windows, macOS, or 64-bit Linux if you’re ready to move forward.
