Some of you who have a passing interest in tech news have probably heard terms like “Canary,” “Dev Channel,” “Aurora,” Or “Nightly” tossed around. You’ve probably got an inkling about what these are – they’re different channels through which each respective company releases different builds of their browser. However, you don’t know much more than that – you’re not really sure what build is released in each channel.
No worries, I’ll help you out with this one. For simplicity’s sake, we’re only gonna be looking at what can be termed “The Big Three” of the browser market: Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome.
Google Chrome Channels
Google generally organizes its rapid release channels by “Testing tiers”- basically, how stable each channel tends to be, coupled with how often it gets updated. Canary’s the least stable, while consequently Stable is the most. Do note that I’ve only included the release channels for Windows on this list.You can see the Mac release channels here.
Canary: The Canary channel is very much for experimental releases. Want to play with new features before anyone else? Think it’d be awesome if you could toy with new additions to the Chrome browser before anyone else gets the chance? Canary’s the build for you, then- though be advised that this build is untested. This build is updated daily, and is released as soon as it’s built. So while you’ll likely get to play with cool new software before anyone else does, be advised that there’ll most definitely be a lot more bugs here than you’d see in other builds of Chrome. This one can be run side by side with another Chrome release channel, given the fact that there’s actually a good chance some releases might not even run for some people.
Developer: Here’s the build I myself use. It’s sort of the next step up in the ‘testing tier’ from Canary. – which means that generally, it’s updated either once or twice weekly. The Dev channel’s lightly tested, and is a good choice for those who want to see what Google’s got in the works at the immediate moment. Do note that, while you get a lot of the new features quite well in advance of most people, this channel is considered by Google to be one of the “Unstable” Channels- there’s still a few glitches, and it will likely crash on you every so often. Tech geeks are probably going to use this coupled with Canary, to get a good handle on what Google’s got coming next.
Beta: Looking to see what Google’s going to be releasing next, without running the risk of your browser containing more bugs than an ant farm? Grab the Beta build of Chrome. It’s updated roughly every week, and major updates come every six weeks. The Beta channel receives all new features and functions well over a month before the stable channel. Still not fully tested; though it’s more stable than Canary or Dev.
Stable: This is the channel most of you are probably going to want to stick with. It only contains fully tested releases, though it’s updated far less often than any of the other channels on the list- two-three weeks for each minor release, and 6 weeks for major releases. It’s the default channel you’re prompted to download when you’re searching to install Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox Channels
Not surprisingly, Mozilla’s rapid release channels very closely mirror Google’s. Given that Firefox is trying to compete with Chrome’s methods here, so it’s not really surprising that they copied this. Honestly, there’s a lot of ‘give and take’ in the browser wars lately, so one shouldn’t begrudge one company for copying another’s formula- particularly if that formula is successful.
Nightly: Essentially, this is Mozilla’s Canary channel. You know the drill- experimental, front of the line features, updated daily. Not necessarily stable- just like Canary, it’s going to contain a lot of bugs and glitches. Just like Canary, it has the potential to crash a lot. And just like Canary, you’ll be able to access features and functions that no one else has gotten the chance to touch yet.
Aurora: The Aurora build is Mozilla’s answer to the Chrome Developer release channel. It updates roughly every six weeks, and includes new features and innovations that Mozilla’s working on at any given time. One interesting thing that Mozilla’s done with their Aurora channel is included user feedback- those of you using the Aurora channel can determine what features of the browser make the final release through the feedback you provide Mozilla. Not a bad idea, that. Again, this channel is mostly for those who know their way around the more technical bits of a browser.
Beta: This one’s pretty self-explanatory. New features, more stability; you know the drill. Again, as with the Aurora Channel, users can provide feedback to Mozilla. Since what’s going to be cut out of the browser has already been tossed to the side, this feedback instead helps Mozilla to polish and refine the features and functionalities of their browser before it makes it to the final release. The Beta channel updates roughly every six weeks, as well; generally at the same time as the Aurora channel.
Final: As with Chrome’s stable channel; this is probably the channel most of you are going to be using if you use Firefox. It’s the most stable and reliable. All the features are refined and adjusted to provide users with the best browsing experience possible.
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer…doesn’t really have any release channels. See, Microsoft isn’t updating IE on a rapid-release basis like Mozilla and Google are. While that means users don’t have to muck around through about five different builds of the browser, trying to decide which one to go with; it also means that there’s less choice for users- less chances to test out new features and try out new functionalities. And less user input into new features, as well.
As for what browser to use…personally, I’d go with Chrome, myself- but just go with what you’re most comfortable with.
Anyway, that’s about all there is to say. Hopefully you folks found this one helpful.
Via Microsoft, Mozilla, Google
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