Mozilla has informed developers it will end development on Firefox OS for smartphones after its version 2.6 release.
"As of March 29, 2016, Marketplace will no longer accept submissions for Android, Desktop and Tablet, we will remove all apps that don't support Firefox OS," Mozilla wrote in an email to developers.
Instead, Mozilla said it will shift its focus toward "exploring new product innovations in the Internet of Things (IoT) space" but will continue to accept Firefox OS apps into next year.
So how did developers respond to Mozilla's Firefox OS announcement?
Many developers questioned Mozilla's vision.
Back in 2012, the sole reason I joined the Mozilla community was Firefox OS. Because I believed in its vision.
— Ahmed Nefzaoui (@AhmedNefzaoui) February 4, 2016
Others, meanwhile, reminisced about the good old days of Firefox OS development.
Not many organizations would have let me design an OS and start a VR team. Excitement is mixed w melancholy this weekend. Will miss #mozilla
— Josh Carpenter (@joshcarpenter) February 1, 2016
Some developers considered Firefox OS alternatives, too.
#FirefoxOS is not dead ;) Is running on #RPI2 with Hardware Rendering indeed! Need some more work though... pic.twitter.com/ew21OO538Z
— Juan Gómez (@Longor) February 9, 2016
And even though Mozilla will end development for Firefox OS, the Firefox OS developer community will remain intact.
Firefox OS is not dead, community will try to keep it alive. If you want to help us : https://t.co/Ru4HjyQUCe #FirefoxOS #FirefoxOSCommunity
— Vincent Cassé (@vcasse) February 8, 2016