Just a few minutes ago, Firefox automatically downloaded and installed version 1.5.0.2 on my system all by itself. I was at 1.5.0.1 when it did this. I just had to click the button to tell Firefox to go ahead and shutdown and restart afterwards.

I did not know that Firefox could self-update on a Linux platform, as I've never seen it occur before on any platform but Windows.

I'm running Xorg X11 6.9.0 and KDE 3.5.2 on a Slackware 10.2 system with 2.6.13 kernel, if that makes a difference. Is this self-upgrade of Firefox under Linux some new capability, or is it something normal that I've just never experienced before? It took me by surprise.

It just means that Linux is getting more like Windows....

What we really need is an IE extension that automatically downloads FF, and then disables IE.....Or maybe a Windows utility (perhaps promoted as a security app) that quietly installs a Linux distro.

As far as I know, the automatic update feature has been around since Firefox 1.0.x on all platforms. My Fx 1.5.0.1 on Mac OS has been automatically updated to 1.5.0.2 as well.