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Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#141

Post by EasyMark »

amiga386 wrote: post #95

I was already using the ~mozillateam PPA, because fuck Snap, but it'll be great to have an offical Firefox repository. Ubuntu, if you're listening: fuck Snap. I'm never going to use it. I stripped from all my Ubuntu machines. If you try and force it upon me, I'm moving to Debian, no matter how much hurt that causes me.

PopOS is basically Ubuntu without enforced snap and better driver support, including having real Firefox packages. I personally use flatpak firefox because it adds a few extra safety bits, but I know that firefox "native" is there if I want it.

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#142

Post by EasyMark »

rinze wrote: post #2

As a user of the PPA packages ( https://launchpad.net/~mozillateam/+archive/ubuntu/ppa ), now I'm confused. Are these the same packages? Should I switch? I'd have appreciated at least a mention in the article.

Get rid of your PPA package and use the official repo, it's 99.9% better in almost all cases. More details on google/youtube on how to do that, it's too much to type on HN and should be on the first page of google/duckduckgo. I would guess the people supporting the PPA will stop updating it after a while due to there being an official repo to use.

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#143

Post by EasyMark »

WD-42 wrote: post #32
nairboon wrote: post #23

So, we have come full circle? There used to be a .deb repo, then there wasn't and now we have one again.

.deb packages, just like server side rendering, are the new hotness.

don't forget jquery and anti frameworks becoming cool again.

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#144

Post by EasyMark »

p4bl0 wrote: post #55

Is there really a point these days in having the very last release rather than the ESR version packaged by Debian? If so what are the benefits for end users?

They are always adding new stuff, but I use floorp which is based on ESR and well I'm still surviving and internetting even in January 2024. I think you're in good company. I really just need a browser, and firefox is my choice, but floorp is just a bit more customizable in appearence and I like that (no need to mess around with user.css). Let them test and debug the new fangled stuff and I'll get a super stable version by the time it hits ESR

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#145

Post by EasyMark »

maxloh wrote: post #61
p4bl0 wrote: post #55

Is there really a point these days in having the very last release rather than the ESR version packaged by Debian? If so what are the benefits for end users?

If you are a web developer, you would better develop your app using the latest dev tools and targeting the latest web specifications only. Most companies don't prioritize legacy support, so there is no point in developing for Firefox ESR.

ESR isn't -that- old. jeesh. If you develop on ESR and it works well it's definitely going to work in something newer. However every web dev I know tries in multiple versions and multiple browsers.

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#146

Post by EasyMark »

morsch wrote: post #119

PSA if you want to upgrade to these from snap (and I would encourage you to do so), do your research: Ubuntu likes to replace installed debs with snaps without consulting the user and you need to configure it not to do so. And the profile folder for the snap is in a different place than for the deb, so make a copy of it etc. I'm not going into full detail as these things are easily found via Google as long as you're…

If you uninstall the snap, it's not going to overwrite your firefox installed from this deb. Never had it do anything like that unless you are upgrading to a major new release and then it disables ppas, so I suppose it might happen at that point, but most people don't do major upgrades that often, if you do then it's on you to keep track of them because that's just the way that Ubuntu handles it

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#147

Post by EasyMark »

Osiris wrote: post #41
ur-whale wrote: post #5

The missed the key 5th benefit: Allows you to sudo apt-get purge snapd without annoying unwanted consequences.

I recently had a problem where snapd kept sigfaulting and the fix was to purge it completely. It turns out that everything I had in snap was available in flatpak, which I prefer anyway.

there is also appimage sometimes if you ever need something that isn't flatpak or system packages. It launches fast just like flatpak and unlike snap.

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#148

Post by botanical »

Why do people have such strong opinions against snaps? I've been using it for the better part of a year and don't mind it at all. I don't understand why linux people are so strongly opinionated on things like this, it's a packaging system not a sports team. This aversion is really weird to see.

Snaps allow for the base system to be stable while having the latest version of an application in a sandbox.

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#149

Post by Dalewyn »

Tijdreiziger wrote: post #114
Dalewyn wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see a problem waiting for alpha- and beta-testing to finish first before the new code is distributed to actual normal users . Note, the "normal users" you describe are involuntary testers who got forced into the role because keeping testers on the payroll is so last century.

The voluntary testers are the Firefox Nightly and Firefox Beta users, not the Firefox stable users.

I said involuntary testers. The guys who sign up for the nightlies and beta know full well what they signed up for, but not the involuntary testers aka "normal users".

Re: Mozilla's new Firefox Linux package for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives

#150

Post by qalmakka »

botanical wrote: post #148

Why do people have such strong opinions against snaps? I've been using it for the better part of a year and don't mind it at all. I don't understand why linux people are so strongly opinionated on things like this, it's a packaging system not a sports team. This aversion is really weird to see. Snaps allow for the base system to be stable while having the latest version of an application in a sandbox.

In my case it's because Canonical is once again going against the flow by adopting yet another in-house Ubuntu-specific solution that fragments community efforts and makes Linux less attractive to packagers. It's hard enough to get people to do builds for Linux, and it's clear to me and that nobody has the time and resources to package both for Flatpak and Snap.
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