02-05-2025 03:08 AM
Just updated to FF 135.0 and after restarting the program, the "What's New" page informed me that I can now "Edit PDFs in Firefox". Firefox is supposed to be a browser, not a PDF program. In fact, this kind of feature creep is exactly why Firefox came about as a successor to the Mozilla Suite.
Whenever I need to edit a PDF file I can assure you that for privacy and security reasons, the last program I would want to use would be one which has access to the internet and which I have no desire to block with a firewall. For editing PDF files, there is plenty of excellent freeware out there to do so.
IMPO, adding this kind of capability to Firefox only accomplishes:
1. an addition of bloat to the program's code
2. diverts developer attention away from the main purpose of Firefox as a browser.
Perhaps Mozilla has some kind of agenda for promoting such a capability in Firefox but regardless, editing PDF files in any browser isn't something I'd ever do.
It would be a great idea if such feature creep could be added as optional modules which could be deselected during setup so as to avoid installing them. Otherwise, Firefox is a great program and one I've used since it first appeared as the successor the Mozilla Suite which was the successor to Netscape (etc. all the way back to Archie and Veronica.)
02-18-2025 10:03 PM
In fact, Firefox CAN NOT edit PDF files. Advertising it as such is misleading.
At best, it can fill in forms and annotate PDF files by adding a few overlayed objects to them. That is not editing. If you say it can edit PDFs, that would imply it can also change or remove anything already in the file, not just add to it. And I really mean anything: texts, images, page size, margins, styles, and so on. Without that it has no right to claim to be PDF editing software.
The OP is right that we wouldn't want all that in Firefox. However, filling forms and at least basic annotating is an expected feature of PDF VIEWER software, so it's ok to have it IMO. But don't advertise it incorrectly.