Still using Mozilla's Firefox 1.5?

Be aware that today marks the last security and stability update for the 1.5 version of the open-source browser. After this release, users will be urged to migrate to Firefox 2.

"On Wednesday, May 30, we expect to begin distributing Firefox 1.5.0.12 and Firefox 2.0.0.4 via automatic updates," wrote Basil Hashem, senior director of product management at Mozilla, in a blog. "We expect this is the final stability and security release for the version 1.5 product series. Firefox 1.5.0.12 includes an auto-update mechanism that offers users the ability to migrate to Firefox 2."

The upgrade offer, according to the blog, is slated to be enabled by mid-June.

Users can manually install Firefox 2 at Mozilla's download site.

In April, Mozilla announced that it was extending support for Firefox 1.5 for another month because the company wanted to squeeze in one more security update. Hashem said in a written statement to InformationWeek last month that the original end-of-life date for Firefox 1.5 originally was set for April 24.

"We have communicated the plan for an end-of-life of the Firefox 1.5.0.x series of products since November of last year," he said. "Yet, we encourage users to upgrade to the latest version of Firefox to take advantage of new functionality that is available."

As of February, Mozilla's open-source browser in all its versions, had been downloaded more than 300 million times since its initial release on Nov. 9, 2004.