View source for The Book of Mozilla

{{Short description|Easter egg in Firefox and related web browsers}}
{{redirect|about:mozilla|other uses of "about:"|about: URI scheme}}
{{primary sources|date=August 2017}}
{{Italic title}}
'''''The Book of Mozilla''''' is a computer [[Easter egg (media)|Easter egg]] found in the [[Netscape]], [[Mozilla]], [[SeaMonkey]], [[Waterfox]] and [[Firefox]] series of [[web browser]]s.<ref>{{cite news
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/09/technology/fundamentals-user-s-guide-it-s-time-to-hunt-for-easter-eggs.html
| title = User's Guide; It's Time to Hunt For Easter Eggs
| author = Michelle Slatalla
| work = [[The New York Times]]
| date = 1998-04-09
| access-date = 2018-11-24
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HKO-tDY38fUC
| title = Firefox Hacks
| publisher = O'Reilly Japan

| date = 2005-08-29
| pages = 441
| isbn = 9784873112411
}}</ref>
It is viewed by directing the browser to {{code|about:mozilla}}.<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22774810_ITM
| title = Find software Easter eggs
| author = Stan Miastkowski
| work = [[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]
| date = 2003-04-01
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714014333/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22774810_ITM
| archive-date=2009-07-14
| access-date = 2018-11-24
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IGFPnJpa5cIC
| title = Don't Click on the Blue E!: Switching to Firefox
| author = Scott Granneman
| publisher = O'Reilly
| year = 2005
| pages = 267
| isbn = 9780596009397
}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0LtQAAAAMAAJ
| title = Xhtml 1.0 Web Development Sourcebook: Building Better Sites and Applications
| author = Ian S. Graham
| publisher = John Wiley
| date = 2000-09-07
| pages = 293
| isbn = 9780471374862
}}</ref>

There is no real book titled ''The Book of Mozilla''. However, apparent quotations hidden in [[Netscape Navigator|Netscape]] and [[Mozilla]] give this impression by revealing passages in the style of [[apocalyptic literature]], such as the [[Book of Revelation]] in the [[Bible]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Galey |first=Alan |title=The History of Reading, Vol. 3: Methods, Strategies, Tactics |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2011 |editor-last=Crone |editor-first=Rosalind |location=New York |pages=196–214 |language=en |chapter=Reading the Book of Mozilla: Web Browsers and the Materiality of Digital Texts |hdl=1807/95532 |isbn=9780230316737 |editor-last2=Towheed |editor-first2=Shafquat |chapter-url=https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/95532/1/Galey%20-%20Book%20of%20Mozilla%20-%20open-access%20version.pdf }}</ref> When {{code|about:mozilla}} is typed into the location bar, various versions of these browsers display a cryptic message in white text on a [[maroon]] background in the browser window.

There are eight official verses of ''The Book of Mozilla'' which have been included in shipping releases, although various unofficial verses can be found on the [[Internet]]. All eight official verses have scriptural chapter and verse references, although these are actually references to important dates in the history of Netscape and Mozilla.

The eight verses all refer to the activities of a fearsome-sounding "beast". In its early days, [[Netscape Communications]] had a green fire-breathing [[dragon]]-like [[lizard]] mascot, known as [[Mozilla (mascot)|Mozilla]] (after the [[code name]] for [[Netscape Navigator|Netscape Navigator 1.0]]). From this, it can be conjectured that the "beast" referred to in ''The Book of Mozilla'' is a type of fire-breathing lizard, which can be viewed as a [[metaphor]] for, or [[personification]] of Netscape.

While part of the appeal of ''The Book of Mozilla'' comes from the mysterious nature, a knowledge of the history of Netscape and Mozilla can be used to extract some meaning from the verses. Furthermore, the Book of Mozilla page has annotations for each of the first, second, third and fifth verses hidden as comments in its [[HTML]] source code.<ref name="bookofmozilla">{{cite web
| url = https://www.mozilla.org/book/
| title = Book of Mozilla
| publisher = [[Mozilla Foundation]]
| access-date = 2018-11-24}}</ref> These comments were written by Valerio Capello in May 2004 and were added to the [[Mozilla Foundation]] site by Nicholas Bebout in October that year. Neither Capello nor Bebout are 'core' Mozilla decision-makers; and there is no evidence that Capello's interpretations received any high-level approval from the senior management of the Mozilla Foundation.

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 12:10 ==
''The Book of Mozilla'' first appeared in Netscape 1.1 (released in 1995) and can be found in every subsequent 1.x, 2.x, 3.x and 4.x version. The following "prophecy" was displayed:

{{quote frame |text= And the beast shall come forth surrounded by a roiling {{em|cloud}} of {{em|vengeance}}. The house of the unbelievers shall be {{em|razed}} and they shall be {{em|scorched}} to the earth. Their tags shall {{em|blink}} until the end of {{em|days}}. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 12:10}}

[[File:The Book of Mozilla, 12-10.png|thumb|300px|alt=Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 12:10 in Netscape Navigator 1.1|The Book of Mozilla made its debut in an early version of [[Netscape Navigator]].]]
The chapter and verse number 12:10 refers to December 10, 1994, the date that Netscape Navigator 1.0 was released.

The Book of Mozilla page,<ref name="bookofmozilla" /> which includes seven verses from ''The Book of Mozilla'', contains the following explanation in its HTML source code:
<syntaxhighlight lang=HTML>
<!-- 10th December 1994: Netscape Navigator 1.0 was released -->
<!-- This verse announces the birth of the beast (Netscape) and warns bad coders (up to Netscape 3, when you watched the HTML source code with the internal viewer, bad tags blinked). -->
</syntaxhighlight>

The "beast" is a metaphor for Netscape. The punishments threatened towards the "unbelievers" (most likely users who didn't conform to standards) are traditionally biblical but with the strange threat that their "[[HTML element|tags]] shall [[Blink element|blink]] until the end of days". This is a reference to a feature in early versions of Netscape that would make bad tags blink, as seen in the source code comments from the Book of Mozilla.
{{clear}}

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 3:31 ==
On May 10, 1998, [[Jamie Zawinski|Jamie "JWZ" Zawinski]] changed ''The Book of Mozilla'' verse to reference the fact that Netscape had released its code as [[Open-source software|open source]] and started the Mozilla project. This verse was included in all Mozilla builds until October 1998, when a rewrite of much of the Mozilla code meant that the Easter egg was lost. On February 5, 2000, [[Ben Goodger]], then working for Netscape, copied ''The Book of Mozilla'' verse across to the new code base. It was included in all subsequent Mozilla builds (until the introduction of the 7:15 verse), Netscape versions 6 to 7.1 and [[Beonex Communicator]]; it still appears in [[Classilla]] due to that browser's unusual history.

The verse states:
{{quote frame |text= And the beast shall be made {{em|legion}}. Its numbers shall be increased a {{em|thousand thousand}} fold. The din of a million keyboards like unto a great {{em|storm}} shall cover the earth, and the followers of Mammon shall {{em|tremble}}. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 3:31 (Red Letter Edition)}}

[[File:The Book of Mozilla, 3-31.png|thumb|300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 3:31 (Red Letter Edition) in Netscape 6]]
The chapter and verse number 3:31 refers to March 31, 1998, when Netscape released its source code.

The Book of Mozilla page has the following comment in its HTML source about this passage:<ref name="bookofmozilla" />

<syntaxhighlight lang=HTML>
<!-- 31st March 1998: the Netscape Navigator source code was released -->
<!-- The source code is made available to the legion of thousands of coders of the open source community, that will fight against the followers of Mammon (Microsoft Internet Explorer). -->
</syntaxhighlight>

Again, the "beast" is Netscape. The text probably refers to Netscape's hope that, by opening its source, they could attract a "legion" of developers all across the world, who would help improve the software (with the "din of a million keyboards"). The "[[legion (demon)|legion]]" is actually a reference to the biblical quote Mark 5:9 in the King James Version (KJV) bible ("And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."), since The Book of Mozilla is presented as a sort of "computer bible" with prophecies. "[[Mammon]]" refers to [[Microsoft]], whose [[Internet Explorer]] browser was Netscape's chief competition. The word "mammon," in various [[Semitic languages]], is related to money and riches; it appears in English translations of the Bible, and is sometimes used as the name of a [[demon]] of [[avarice]]. It may therefore imply not only that Microsoft has vastly greater funds to draw on, but that it has greedily abused that fact to further its own position in the marketplace; it also highlights the difference between the purely commercial development of Internet Explorer, and the new community-driven development of Netscape/Mozilla. "[[Red letter edition|Red Letter Edition]]" may be a reference to so-called Red Letter Editions of the Bible, which print quotations by [[Jesus]] in red ink. It could also be a reference to a fact that March 31, 1998 was a [[Red letter day|red-letter day]] for the Mozilla project.
{{clear}}

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 7:15 ==
The next installment of ''The Book of Mozilla'' was written by Neil Deakin. It is included in all versions of Mozilla released from September 2003 to July 2008 (Mozilla 1.5 – Mozilla [[Firefox]] 3.0 Beta 2), all versions of [[Camino (web browser)|Camino]], all versions of the [[Mozilla Thunderbird]] email client until 2.0.0.24, all versions of the [[SeaMonkey]] application suite until 1.1.19, the [[Epiphany (web browser)|Epiphany]] web browser (version 1.8.0), the [[Minimo]] Pocket PC web browser, and all Netscape versions from 7.2 to 8.1.3 (except some [[Netscape Browser]] prototype releases):

{{quote frame |text= And so at last the beast {{em|fell}} and the unbelievers rejoiced. But all was not lost, for from the ash rose a {{em|great bird}}. The bird gazed down upon the unbelievers and cast {{em|fire}} and {{em|thunder}} upon them. For the beast had been {{em|reborn}} with its strength {{em|renewed}}, and the followers of {{em|Mammon}} cowered in horror. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 7:15}}

[[File:Book of Mozilla in Firefox 2.png|thumb|300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 7:15 in Mozilla Firefox 2.x]]
The 7:15 chapter and verse notation refers to July 15, 2003, the day when [[America Online]] shut down its Netscape browser division and the Mozilla Foundation was launched.

In the HTML source of Book of Mozilla page, this verse is accompanied by the following annotation:<ref name="bookofmozilla" />

<syntaxhighlight lang=HTML>
<!-- 15th July 2003: AOL closed its Netscape division and the Mozilla foundation was created -->
<!-- The beast died (AOL closed its Netscape division) but immediately rose from its ashes (the creation of the Mozilla foundation and the Firebird browser, although the name was later changed to Firefox). -->
</syntaxhighlight>

The "beast" falling refers to Netscape being closed down by its now parent company AOL. The "great bird" that rises from the ash is the Mozilla Foundation, which was established to continue Mozilla development. The bird rises from the ash like a [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] – a reference to the original name of the [[Mozilla Firefox]] browser (known as Firebird at the time this verse was written). The bird casts down "fire" and "thunder" on the "unbelievers", which is a direct reference to the Mozilla Firebird (now Firefox) and [[Mozilla Thunderbird]] products, which became the main focus of Mozilla development a few months before the events of July 15. The fact that the beast has been "reborn" indicates that the spirit of Netscape will live on through the Foundation (which is made up mostly of ex-Netscape employees) and its strength has been "renewed" as the foundation is less reliant on AOL (who many feel neglected Netscape). Again, "Mammon" is Microsoft, Mozilla's main commercial competitor.
{{clear}}

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 8:20 ==
Netscape's lead browser engineer [[Christopher Finke]] contributed the next verse of ''The Book of Mozilla''. It was first made public in the June 5, 2007 release of [[Netscape Navigator 9]].0b1.
The verse was included in all subsequent versions of Netscape, until the final discontinuation of the browser (Netscape Navigator 9.0b1 - 9.0.0.6).

{{quote frame |text= And thus the Creator looked upon the beast reborn and saw that it was good. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 8:20}}

[[File:Netscape9 bookofmozilla.png|thumb|300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 8:20 in Netscape 9]]

The 8:20 chapter and verse notation refers to August 20, 2006, when the first internal email was sent mentioning the possibility of developing the next Netscape Navigator in house.

Unlike previous verses, the HTML source for the Book of Mozilla page does not feature any verse-related annotations.<ref name="bookofmozilla" />

The "Creator" refers to Netscape the company. There are two interpretations of the verse: the phrase "beast reborn" appears in the previous verse referring to the Mozilla Foundation and "it was good" could be a tribute to everyone who contributed to the Mozilla project. "Beast reborn" could also be a reference to Netscape reopening their browser division instead of outsourcing development; [[Netscape Browser|Netscape Browser 8]] was produced by [[Mercurial Communications]].

This verse {{According to whom|date=January 2025|is a parody}} of God's creation of Earth as described in Genesis 1 of the Bible.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen%201&version=NASB
| title = Genesis 1 (New American Standard Bible)
| work = [[New American Standard Bible]]
| publisher = [[Bible Gateway]]
| access-date = 2018-11-24}}</ref>  It also may be referencing Luke 3:22 of the Bible.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+3:22&version=NASB
| title = Luke 3:22
| work = New American Standard Bible
| publisher = Bible Gateway
| access-date = 2018-11-24}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:9 ==
{{quote frame |text= Mammon slept. And the {{em|beast reborn}} spread over the earth and its numbers grew legion. And they proclaimed the times and {{em|sacrificed}} crops unto the fire, with the {{em|cunning of foxes}}. And they built a new world in their own image as promised by the {{em|[https://www-archive.mozilla.org/about/mozilla-manifesto.html sacred words]}}, and {{em|[https://wiki.mozilla.org/About:mozilla spoke]}} of the beast with their children. Mammon awoke, and lo! it was {{em|naught}} but a follower. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:9 (10th Edition)}}

[[File:The Book of Mozilla 119 Mozilla Firefox.png|thumb|300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:9 in Firefox 4.0.1]]

This verse landed in the Mozilla trunk codebase on January 9, 2008.<ref name="Bug 411352">{{cite web
| author = Mozilla developers
| url = https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=411352
| title = Bug 411352 – Update Book of Mozilla passage (about:mozilla)
| date = 2013-08-11
| access-date = 2018-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://hg.mozilla.org/cvs-trunk-mirror/rev/8421b81c16ee
| title = Update Book of Mozilla passage
| first = Johnathan
| last = Nightingale
| date = 2008-04-05
| access-date = 2018-11-24}}</ref>
It was included in Firefox 3.0 Beta 3 through 20.0.1, SeaMonkey 2.0 Alpha 1 through 2.17.1, Thunderbird 3.0 Alpha 1 through 20 Beta 1, [[Mobile Firefox]] Alpha 1, [[Flock Browser]] Version 2.0.6, [[Waterfox]], and Songbird.

In the HTML source of the Book of Mozilla page, this verse is accompanied by the following annotation:<ref name="bookofmozilla" />

<syntaxhighlight lang=HTML>
<!-- 9th November 2004: Firefox 1.0 is officially released -->
<!-- The worldwide support of Firefox fans leads to its success, illustrating the power of community-based open source projects. -->
</syntaxhighlight>

"Mammon" is again [[Internet Explorer]], which "slept" for the 5 years between releases (between Internet Explorer 6 and 7). The "beast reborn" refers to Firefox, which gained supporters who self-organized through [[Spread Firefox]] and undertook publicity for the browser, taking out an advertisement in ''[[The New York Times]]'' and making a [[crop circle]] shaped like the Firefox logo. The "cunning of foxes" is a direct reference to Firefox's name. The "new world" refers to modern, standards-based dynamic websites and open source applications. The latter half of the passage links to the Mozilla Manifesto and the about:Mozilla newsletter. The last part, starting with "Mammon awoke," speaks of the release of [[Internet Explorer 7]] and with "it was naught but a follower" describes it as a follower, copying several of the functions in Firefox that Internet Explorer previously lacked.<ref name="Bug 411352"/> Additionally, "10th edition" is an allusion to the Mozilla Foundation's 10th anniversary, which occurred during the Firefox 3 development cycle.<ref>{{cite web
| author = Mozilla Foundation
| url = https://dev.mozilla.jp/localmdc/localmdc_235.html
| title = about:mozilla – Mozilla turns 10, Foxkeh news, Toronto moves, AMO redesign, Firefox announcement, Freerice, and more
| date = 2008-04-01
| access-date = 2018-11-24
| archive-date = 2018-09-29
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180929182527/https://dev.mozilla.jp/localmdc/localmdc_235.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 15:1 ==
{{quote frame |text= The {{em|twins}} of Mammon quarrelled. Their warring plunged the world into a {{em|new darkness}}, and the beast abhorred the darkness. So it began to move {{em|swiftly}}, and grew more powerful, and went forth and multiplied. And the beasts brought {{em|fire}} and light to the darkness. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 15:1}}

[[File:The Book of Mozilla 15,1 in Firefox 21.png|thumb|300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 15:1 in Firefox 21]]

This verse landed in the Mozilla trunk codebase on January 23, 2013.<ref name="Bug 830767">{{cite web
| title=Bug 830767 - we should implement a new about:mozilla text for B2G
| url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=830767
| publisher=Mozilla developers
| date=2015-03-13
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> It first appeared in the nightly builds of Firefox 21 (Specifically, Firefox 21.0 Alpha 1 build 2013-01-23). Instead of a plain background, it now features a subtle radial gradient.

It is included in all Firefox versions from Firefox 21.0 to 58.0, all SeaMonkey versions since 2.18 Beta 1, and all Thunderbird versions since 21 Beta 1.

It can be still seen in SeaMonkey, [[XULRunner]] and the [[Wine (software)|Wine]] [[Internet Explorer]] due to the unusual histories of them.

The "twins of Mammon" refers to [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] and [[Google]], whose mobile operating systems, respectively [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]], have taken a duopoly of the [[Mobile operating system|mobile OS]] market. The "new darkness" refers to the closed nature of traditional [[app store]]s. The beast moving "swiftly" refers to the [[Firefox release history|new rapid release cycle of Firefox]]. The phrase "went forth and multiplied" refers to "Firefox becoming multiple things"<ref name="Bug 830767"/>  through Firefox for Android and [[Firefox OS]]. The verse number 15:1 refers to the code freeze of Firefox OS 1.0 (January 15, 2013).<ref>{{cite web
| title=Release Management/B2G Landing - MozillaWiki
| url=https://wiki.mozilla.org/Release_Management/B2G_Landing#Versions_and_Scheduling
| publisher=Mozilla
| date=2018-04-11
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref>
{{clear}}

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:14 ==

{{quote frame |text= The Beast adopted {{em|new raiment}} and studied the ways of {{em|Time}} and {{em|Space}} and {{em|Light}} and the {{em|Flow}} of energy through the Universe. From its studies, the Beast fashioned new structures from {{em|oxidised metal}} and proclaimed their glories. And the Beast's followers rejoiced, finding renewed purpose in these {{em|teachings}}. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:14}}

[[File:Screenshot of The Book of Mozilla, 11 14 in Firefox 58.png|thumb|300x300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:14 in Firefox 58]]
This verse first appeared in Firefox Nightly 58, landing in the Mozilla trunk codebase on September 22, 2017, and was later uplifted to show up in Firefox 57 Beta.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Bug 1370613 - New about:mozilla text for Fx57
| url=https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1370613#c45
| publisher=Mozilla developers
| date=2017-11-14
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref>

It refers to the major changes that culminated in the Firefox 57 release with the [[Quantum (software)|Quantum]] project. "Time and Space" refer to Quantum itself, while "Flow" refers to the Quantum Flow project,<ref>{{cite web
| title=Quantum Flow
| url=https://wiki.mozilla.org/Quantum/Flow
| publisher=Mozilla developers
| date=2017-08-21
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> "new raiment" and "Light" refer to the UI refresh known as the Photon project.<ref>{{cite news
| title=Firefox Photon: new design mockups show interface, and more
| url=https://www.ghacks.net/2017/03/31/firefox-photon-new-design-mockups-show-interface-and-more/
| date=2017-03-31
| first=Martin
| last=Brinkmann
| newspaper=Ghacks Technology News
| publisher=GHacks
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> The Quantum Project contained the first major piece of code taken from [[Servo (layout engine)|Servo]],<ref>{{cite web
| title=Stylo
| url=https://wiki.mozilla.org/Quantum/Stylo
| publisher=Mozilla developers
| date=2018-03-13
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> the layout engine written in [[Rust (programming language)|Rust]], to which "oxidised metal" is a reference. The 11:14 chapter and verse notation refers to November 14, 2017, the day Firefox 57 was released.
{{clear}}

== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 6:27 ==

{{quote frame |text= The Beast continued its studies with renewed {{em|Focus}}, building great {{em|Reference}}
works and contemplating new {{em|Realities}}. The Beast brought forth its followers and acolytes to create a renewed smaller form of itself and, through {{em|Mischievous}} means, sent it out across the world. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 6:27}}
[[File:The Book of Mozilla, Ch. 6, verse 27 on Firefox 117.png|thumb|300x300px|Screenshot of ''The Book of Mozilla'', 6:27 in Firefox 117]]
This verse first appeared in Firefox Nightly 80, landing in the Mozilla trunk codebase on July 22, 2020. According to its annotation, it was intended to be added on June 27, 2019, with the introduction of Firefox Preview.

In the HTML source of the Book of Mozilla page, this verse is accompanied by the following annotation:<ref name="bookofmozilla" />
<syntaxhighlight lang=HTML>
<!-- 27th June 2019: Firefox Preview is made available for testing by early adopters -->
<!-- Firefox Focus, Reference Browser, and Firefox Reality all use the new GeckoView as does Firefox for Android which was rebuilt lighter and faster under the code name Fenix prior to release. -->
</syntaxhighlight>

Emphasized words refer to Firefox Focus, Reference Browser, and Firefox Reality, all of which had switched to the Quantum-based GeckoView for higher performance.

== Behavior in different browsers ==

=== Flock ===

==== ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:1 ====
Though not an official verse by Mozilla, a new verse of the Book of Mozilla, 11:1, became available in [[Flock Browser]] 1.0+, a "Social Web Browser" based on Firefox. This verse is shown on blue/white vertical gradient when {{code|about:mozilla}} is entered into the location bar. The verse is as follows.

{{quote frame |text= And when the Beast had taken the quarter of the Earth under its rule, a quarter hundred {{em|Birds}} of Sulfur flew from the Depths. The birds crossed hundreds of mountain views and found twenty four wise men who came from the {{em|stars}}. And {{em|then}} it began, the believers dared to {{em|listen}}. Then, they took their pens and dared to {{em|create}}. Finally, they dared to {{em|share}} their deed with the whole of mankind. Spreading words of {{em|freedom}} and breaking the chains, the birds brought deliverance to everyone. |source= from ''The Book of Mozilla'', 11:1}}

[[File:Book of Mozilla in Flock.png|thumb|right|300px|The book of Mozilla in Flock]]
"And when the beast had taken the quarter of the earth under its rule..." is probably a reference to the 25% market share Firefox had gained over the more popular [[Internet Explorer]]. "Birds of Sulfur" references the developmental codename of Flock, which is Sulfur. The "mountain views" references the city of [[Mountain View, California]] where the company that produces Flock (as well as Mozilla) was based at the time of writing.<ref name="FlockRel">{{cite web
| url=http://www.flock.com/node/59757
| title=Flock Releases the Social Web Browser
| date=2007-11-05
| publisher=Flock, Inc
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123102437/http://flock.com/node/59757
| archive-date=2010-11-23
| url-status=dead
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> The "24 wise men" refer to the 24 staff employees of Flock at that time. The "stars" refer to the star used in the branding ("Flockstar"). Though this verse was released 5 November 2007,<ref name=FlockRel /> much of the meaning is still unclear. "They took their pens and dared to create" is most likely a reference to the blogging and social networking integration in Flock. The section "Finally, they dared to share their deed with the whole of mankind." could possibly be making a reference to the fact that it is open source, and that they shared their good deed (their creation of the browser) with the world.

=== Internet Explorer ===
In some versions of [[Internet Explorer]] prior [[Windows XP]] [[Service pack|Service Pack]] 2, {{code|about:mozilla}} produces a blank blue page referencing the [[Blue Screen of Death]].<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.eeggs.com/items/731.html
| title=Internet Explorer Easter Egg - Blue Screen (v4.0)
| date=1999-07-19
| author=CoFfEeMaN
| publisher=The Easter Egg Archive
| access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url=https://superuser.com/a/232354
| title=What are all the "about:" pages, in Internet Explorer?
| date=2011-01-12
| author=DMA57361
| publisher=[[Stack Exchange]]
| access-date=2019-04-08}}</ref>

The source markup of the page defines the text color as white. The page still can be seen (even in Edge for Windows 10) when using the URL: {{code|res://mshtml.dll/about.moz}} (however, without using this URL in IE10, it will cancel the webpage navigation). The about page was defined in a [[Windows Registry|registry]] entry {{code|HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\AboutURLs}}.

The [[Wine (software)|Wine]] Internet Explorer displays the 15:1 verse.

=== Iceweasel ===
Due to a dispute with the [[Mozilla Corporation]], the [[Debian]] project was [[Mozilla software rebranded by Debian|forced to change]] the name and branding of [[Mozilla Firefox]] in its distribution. In response, it changed the name to [[Iceweasel]] and the icon to a white weasel-like variant of the Firefox logo. Iceweasel includes the {{code|about:mozilla}} easter egg which shows the 15:1 verse. However, when users navigate to {{code|about:iceweasel}} they see a thematically similar message from the Book of Ice that describes the dispute with Mozilla and the creation of Iceweasel.

{{quote frame |text= And thus the beast grew powerful, and {{em|fire}} and {{em|thunder}} swept the land. But {{em|Mammon}} stirred in their hearts, and the beast {{em|Foundered}}, and its {{em|Corpse}} arose, and commanded "thou shalt not fly in my name." And the blazes shall {{em|freeze cold}}, and the souls of the followers of {{em|Mammon}} shall learn to {{em|tremble}} in the face of {{em|ice}} as they did before the {{em|fire}}. |source= from ''The Book of Ice'', 10:13}}

The "Corpse" in this edition represents the Mozilla Corporation and the references to the prohibition on "flying in my name" is a reference to the trademark prohibition.{{Original research?|date=October 2024}}

=== Netscape ===
Starting with Netscape 0.93beta (and up to version 1.0), {{code|about:mozilla}} produced the text "Mozilla Rules!".

Viewing the {{code|about:mozilla}} page with a [[Unix]] version of Netscape would change the [[throbber]] to an animation of [[Mozilla (mascot)|Mozilla]] rising up from behind the "planet" logo and breathing fire.

=== Pale Moon ===
Prior to [[Pale Moon (web browser)|Pale Moon]] version 26, typing {{code|about:mozilla}} would show the 15:1 verse. However, in Pale Moon 26 and above it displays the following:

{{Poem quote |text=
'''Mozilla: In Memoriam'''
Dedicated to the tireless developers who have come and gone.
To those who have put their heart and soul into Mozilla products.
To those who have seen their good intentions and hard work squandered.
To those who really cared about the user, and cared about usability.
To those who truly understood us and desired freedom, but were unheard.
To those who knew that change is inevitable, but loss of vision is not.
To those who were forced to give up the good fight.
{{em|Thank you.}} Pale Moon would not have been possible without you.
}}

This verse is also included (with branding modified) in the [[Basilisk (web browser)|Basilisk web browser]].

Similarly to Iceweasel, Pale Moon has its own take on The Book of Mozilla, this time dubbed "The Chronicles of the Pale Moon", which can be viewed by navigating to {{code|about:palemoon}}; however, instead of the chapter and verse number referring to a date of significance in the browser's history, it refers to the version number the verse first appeared in, and instead of being in the middle of the page, the subtle radial gradient is near the top right. In Pale Moon 24.2 to 27.0, the page title read "The Child of the Moon",<ref>{{Cite web
| url=https://github.com/MoonchildProductions/Pale-Moon/blob/edd5ed3f0e57eded66710af762f52acd0adc457e/toolkit/content/palemoon.xhtml#L16
| title=MoonchildProductions/Pale-Moon/26.5_RelBranch
| date=2014-05-21
| website=GitHub
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> and it showed the following text:

{{Poem quote |text= 
The {{em|Beast}} stumbled in the dark for it could no longer see the {{em|path}}. It started to {{em|fracture}} and weaken, trying to reshape itself into the form of {{em|metal}}.
Even the witches would no longer lay eyes upon it, for it had become {{em|hideous}} and {{em|twisted}}.

The {{em|soul}} of the Beast seemed {{em|lost}} forever.

Then, by the {{em|full moon}}{{'}}s light, a {{em|child}} was born; a child with the {{em|unbridled}} soul of the {{em|Beast}} that would make all others {{em|pale}} in comparison.
|source= from the ''Chronicles of the Pale Moon'', 24:2}}

The phrase "the form of metal" is a reference to Google's Chrome browser.

Since version 27.1 (when Pale Moon became a true fork), the page title reads "The Dragon's Roots". The text reads:

{{Poem quote |text= 
The child {{em|waxed}}, its soul burning with curiosity and {{em|independence}}. Growing and {{em|evolving}} into a completely different {{em|Beast}} than its ancestor.
Slowly and steadily shedding its ancestor's form, alike a {{em|Dragon}} growing up. Expelling parts of the {{em|old Beast}} but embracing others.

The Dragon {{em|changed}}, but never stopped {{em|listening}}. It kept {{em|in touch}} with its nature and those who would gaze upon its growing form.

Not everyone could {{em|follow}} on the path taken, as the old bed of {{em|withered roots}} was left behind for a new world.
|source= from the ''Chronicles of the Pale Moon'', 27:1}}

The "ancestor" is believed to refer to Firefox, while the "bed of withered roots" is believed to refer to the Firefox ESR 24 codebase.

With the release of Pale Moon 28, the version number references were abandoned. The page title does not contain a title for the verse, and the text reads:

{{Poem quote |text=
And so, our focus was drawn through time and space to the {{em|emerging dragon}} who would not abandon hope.
Its resilience, stubbornness and spirit unbroken, and searching for long hours to find those willing to {{em|join}} its cause.
The old nest abandoned, the death throes of the Beast ignored, and more determined than ever to find glory in the future.
|source= from ''The Chronicles of the Pale Moon'', 55:2}}

In this verse, the "old nest" is believed to refer to the old Mozilla XUL Platform used by prior versions, which had been abandoned in favour of a fork named UXP<ref>{{Cite web
| url=https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19905
| title=Pale Moon 28.0.0 released!
| publisher=Pale Moon forum
| date=2018-08-16
| access-date=2018-11-24}}</ref> under the hood, while retaining the older but customisable interface from Firefox versions 4 through 28.

With version 28.5.0, the page's text was once updated:

{{Poem quote |text=
The {{em|landscape changed}} as time went on: flowing, twisting, corrupting. The dull sheen of {{em|tainted metal}} shining through everywhere.
In the trees, roots, animals, and even the {{em|mountainous valleys}} that had always been an {{em|oasis of difference}}.
Still, our dragon continued, untainted and resolute, soaring above.
There would be a home yet, {{em|a sanctuary}}, a place for all those not given in to this {{em|singular}} invading force that was {{em|misshaping}} the world.
|source= from ''The Chronicles of the Pale Moon'', 66:1}}

In this verse, "landscape" seems to refer to the current browser scene, "tainted metal" may be a reference to Chromium (referencing the migration of browsers like Opera and Vivaldi to Chromium), and "sanctuary" may refer to Unified XUL Platform (UXP), which provides a common platform for XUL-based applications to build on.

=== SeaMonkey ===
In versions of [[SeaMonkey]] browser later than 2.0, {{code|about:mozilla}} displays the 15:1 verse. In some newer versions of SeaMonkey, <code>about:seamonkey</code> will display a verse similar to "The Book of Mozilla, 3:31 (Red Letter Edition)", only with few wording changes, and the book's name is switched to "The Book of SeaMonkey, 1:30". It's also notable that the background color is changed from maroon to teal (<code>#33CC99</code>).
{{Poem quote|text=And the meek shall be made {{em|legion}}, their numbers shall be increased.
The din of many keyboards like unto a great {{em|storm}} shall cover the earth and the followers of the beast and Mammon shall {{em|tremble}}.|source=from ''The Book of SeaMonkey'', 1:30}}

== See also ==
* [[about: URI scheme]]
* [[Mozilla (mascot)]]

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.mozilla.org/book/ The Book of Mozilla]
* [http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=3607 New Chapter in 'The Book of Mozilla'] (MozillaZine)
* [https://blog.gerv.net/2005/01/some_clarificat_1/ Some Clarifications Regarding about:mozilla] (Gervase Markham)

{{Mozilla projects}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Book of Mozilla}}
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