The BYOB (Build your own Browser) Project !
April 30th, 2010 by cbookA few months ago we started a new Project called BYOB (Build Your Own Browser) and the http://byob.mozilla.com Website.
It’s not a finished project yet (we still working on fixing bugs and implement new features), which is why we’d like YOU to try BYOB out and send us comments/give us Feedback !
The Build Your Own Browser (BYOB) application generates installer files for a lightly customized version of Firefox that can be publicly distributed. These customized versions of Firefox are licensed under the Mozilla Public License (MPL), and the installer files and their contents are subject to the restrictions outlined in the Mozilla Trademark Policy
-Customizations you can make with BYOB include:
-a browser skin/theme using a bundled Persona
-pre-populated bookmarks and RSS feeds
-links to a Collection of your recommended add-ons
-multiple locales for Windows, OSX, and Linux
Of course more Features will be implement in the Future !
Also BYOB is not limited to a specific Usergroup like as example Companies. You can create as example a BYOB Build for your local Sportsteam with links to the Team, Team-Forum. As example we think of creating such a BYOB Version for the Mozilla QA Group with helpful links to get started into QA and contributing to the Mozilla Project !
All you need to create a customized version of Firefox is a registration at the http://byob.mozilla.com Website. After you created a Build with BYOB the changes you made will be reviewed and if they match with our Distribution and Generation rules and pass the review, the Installer Files will be generated and Installer Files will be available for download from your BYOB profile. Of course you will be informed about all progress via Email !
We need your Help !
As i mentioned the BYOB Project is fairly new and not finished yet and we work on a lot of new cool stuff – but we also depend on your Feedback! When you are using BYOB (and we hope you try it out 
we would like to hear from you about YOUR experience with BYOB, what went well or not so well ? Ideas / Suggestions ? You can reach us via the „contact us“ link on every https://byob.mozilla.com page.
Credits:
I’m personal very happy to work as QA-Lead part on the BYOB Project and i think its a very interesting and great Project.
And of course the BYOB Project would not be possible without a lot of people working hard to make the Project possible, work on new features, building websites etc. Some of the awesome Crew Members of the BYOB Team are: Kev Needham as the Project Lead, Les Orchard and Neil Lee and Chris Howse the Webdev Wizzards and Chris Cooper from Release Engineering and David Rolnitzky from the Marketing Team and many more !
April 30th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Hi, i’m from the Chilean Mozilla Community, ChileMoz (aka Mozilla Chile :P).
I tried sometime to obtain information about BYOB since I heard it in the news, because I think would be a great idea to implement, mostly in educational organizations.
Tonight we discussed via email about a situation with MSIE, because they had an personalized version of IE8 with contents of a local soccer club, Colo-Colo. (Similar agreements in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, countries with important soccer clubs)
I think this is an important idea we want to help
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:32 am
This is very cool!
Some remarks:
– please add support for all the languages; how will they upgrade btw? Languagepacks aren’t upgradeable like add-ons (bug 451824).
– it would be nice if you could also set the homepage
– why do you have to include Personas Plus, while FF 3.6 already supports Personas?
– how will the “new” Firefox bookmarks interfere with existing profiles, when someone already has Firefox installed?
– First-run page goes to Firefox 3.5
– will it be possible to localize byob.mozilla.org in the future?
– will it be possible to update included search plugins?
– adding more options for administrators would be very useful, like disabling installing add-ons, etc.
I definitely keep an eye on this project, good job!
May 29th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Its nice to see your Information. Many useful ideas and suggestions on the blogs through search make it easier to find. This blogs highly recommended.
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:28 am
This project looks like just what I am wanting but with the following caveats. I would like to be able to build in any arbitary plugin. Specifically I would like to bundle the R-Kiosk plugin to allow a single executable installation for a kiosk project. Any ideas on this? I think it would also be nice to allow the customisation of the browser home page such that it could be set to an intranet page (or whatever) by default.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
lucianoEADEAD5E@fireden.net clarenceEADEAD5E@fireden.net I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I find a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. Your thoughts are outstanding
February 17th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
I have been a massive fan of firefox and was converted back in my university days. I have always been spreading the word
February 24th, 2011 at 7:49 am
love the sound of the BYOB project, keep up the good work
March 14th, 2011 at 6:23 am
Very interesting post, extemely well thought out and put together. Keep up the good work.
July 26th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
that will be the next internet hit for 2012 , looking forward to try it soon , good work guys.
August 31st, 2011 at 9:37 am
Any word as why the site doesn’t work?
September 21st, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I signed up for this a while back now I’m getting emails how my account has been activated and so forth. But when I go to the link the link asks for my username and password.The link seems not to be working and thoughts on whats going on?
September 26th, 2011 at 11:32 am
the BYOB project seems very interesting, keep up the good work
September 26th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Any word as why the site doesn’t work?
October 7th, 2011 at 4:57 am
I have enrolled into the byob project… and have been unable to access/communicate/connect since!!
Every link requires authentication. the logon and password I saved have not worked since the beginning. I keep getting notifications that my browser definitions have been completed on the new buyild but i never get the link to download it. HELP
November 17th, 2011 at 10:55 am
This blog caused my browser to crash. I wonder what caused that?
December 7th, 2011 at 4:11 am
This appeaars to be a dead blog. No activity or replies from responsible parties at byob or mozilla.. Still cannot get into byob site
January 4th, 2012 at 4:10 am
Hey,
byob page is now online!
January 26th, 2012 at 9:06 pm
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June 10th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Very interesting post, I hope have person browser fast like chrome to browse graphic designs webpage
June 10th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Very interesting post, I hope have person browser fast like chrome for browse graphic designs webpage
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September 6th, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Very cool project! Please add support for all the languages though.