Unofficial Mozilla Spell-checker FAQ

Version 1.1 - 2002-01-26

Note (2003-03-01): this document is mostly of historical interest. The spellchecker developed over at mozdev.org is now fully working, and has been integrated into all Mozilla builds dated 2003-07-28 and later. To get Mozilla in all its spellchecking glory, just download a copy of our latest release.

Many people often ask about Mozilla's spell-checker support. This document lays out the extremely frequently-asked questions. You will need to read the entire document to get the full picture.

Does Mozilla have a spell-checker?

Yes. It's located between the keyboard and the chair.

I mean a program!

Oh. Then no, not a production-quality one.

But Netscape 6.x has one...

Yes, it does. Well spotted.

So, why can't Mozilla use that?

Because the spell-checking engine inside Netscape's checker is licensed from another company, and is closed source. So, it is not available to Mozilla.

Can I use Netscape's one with my Mozilla-based browser?

Yes, if you have a browser which matches a released Netscape version, you can XPInstall spellchk.xpi, which you will find on Netscape's FTP site in the correct directory for your version of Mozilla. Netscape and Mozilla match up as follows:

Netscape 6.0 ==	Mozilla 0.6	But you don't want to go there. Trust me on this.
Netscape 6.1 ==	Mozilla 0.9.2 or 0.9.2.1
Netscape 6.2(.x) ==	Mozilla 0.9.4 or 0.9.4.1

Note that all versions of Netscape, and all version of Mozilla before 1.0RC2, have a security bug which lets attackers read files from your hard disk.

Are there any other options?

There is a spellchecker add-on at http://spellchecker.mozdev.org/ which currently has builds for Windows and Linux (Macintosh help is wanted). This is in development, so should not be expected to work flawlessly as yet. It is scheduled to land after Mozilla 1.0 - and then Mozilla will have a spell-checker. :-)

I can't code. Can I test it out?

Yes, if you sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement giving us the ability to enter your house, raid your fridge and assault your cat. Or, you promise not to moan when it doesn't work, but give the author concise and constructive problem reports. Check Mozdev for alpha XPIs for various platforms.

I won't use Mozilla unless it has one!

Please don't try and threaten us with "I'll go and use IE 6! I will! And then you'll be sorry..." or "Mozilla will be a laughing stock without a spell-checker!" or "The customer is always right. Cower before my mighty consumer power!" People do this and think it'll have an effect, but we really don't care. And you aren't our customer (but that's another debate.) I suggest you direct your energies in more constructive directions - like, for example, learning to spell :-)

I am the CIO of a 50,000-employee company and this is the one thing blocking us using Mozilla on the desktop.

Now we're talking. Why not employ someone to write one? Or pay the guy who currently is working on it? If it's valuable to your business, you should be willing to spend money to make it happen, right?

Is a spell-checker a requirement for Mozilla 1.0?

No.

But...

No.

This FAQ doesn't cover my spell-checker question.

Please don't ask about the spell-checker in the newsgroups. The contents of this FAQ should be seen as an indication of the fact that everyone is extremely bored of discussing it. Unless you have resources to devote to writing one, we don't want to hear from you on this particular topic. If you do have resources, and say so up front, you are assured of a polite and civil welcome.