Stop Firefox from automatically installing updates

[archaeometrist]

I don't want Firefox to stop having updates, but I CANNOT TOLERATE FIREFOX LOCKING UP MY TABS AND FORCING ME TO RESTART. It's happened several times when I was working - forcing me to loose everything and re-find the pages I needed again. This last time, it happened TWICE in a week or so.

Whoever took away the option to download the updates and install them later (like upon shutdown of Firefox or the computer) needs to be fired. They put MY job in jeopardy. I don't think or do things like everyone else and very strongly resent the forcing of updates without the ability to choose when they install. (I also really dislike all the changing - someone needs to tell the programmer 'If it's not broken, DON'T FIX IT!")

Is there some way around this? I may be forced to abandon Firefox altogether if this keeps up. Like I said - I'm fine with downloading an update, but I MUST be able to install it when I AM READY. (I really don't want to leave Firefox because it's set up to keep ALL ads away and allow me to do what I do.)

Bob

[Impavidus]

Firefox isn't the one automatically installing updates; it's Ubuntu's package manager that does it. Go to your settings for software and updates and make sure it's configured not to install updates automatically, not even the security updates. You can set it to automatically check for updates. You'll get a pop-up when updates are available and choose to install them now or remind you later.

BTW, I think that things should be fixed if fragile, even if not yet broken. And whether you like it or not (I don't), websites change, so browsers have to change too to work with those new websites.

[Holger_Gehrke]

... It's happened several times when I was working - forcing me to loose everything and re-find the pages I needed again.

No need for that. Firefox stores your session. You can just go to 'Restore Previous Session' in the Hamburger Menu or 'History'->'Restore Previous Session' in the Menu Bar and everything comes back just the way it was when you closed Firefox. The only thing you would lose would be entered data in forms you haven't yet send off to the server.

Holger

[ajgreeny]

I have never used the unattended-upgrades package that is installed by default; in fact, I always remove it from the system.

I do not want packages to upgrade without my say-so and manually update/upgrade every day on all my machines at a time of my choice, not when the system decides to do it; that is a bit like the updates in Windows 10 which as I understand things, are impossible to turn off.
PS:
I do not use Windows any more so may be wrong about that last statement, but I have read it many times.

[SeijiSensei]

I find it annoying when Firefox wants to restart, too, and more annoying that it doesn't actually restart. You have to open the application again.

That said, I usually find it reverts to the last session with all my tabs intact.

[jdeca57]

In our world with many security issues the idea of updating asap isn't wrong but as the OP says it shouldn't be forced upon us, And the problem lies with Firefox because after an update the program forces a restart. As mentioned one can restore old sessions so it isn't a real issue. And to compare it with Windows? There is no need because the problem there are upgrades of the OS and not a single program. By the way, there are many ways to control that too.

[QIII]

Using Firefox is not forced on us, so neither are the updates. That's part of choosing to use Firefox.

[DuckHook]

I'm somewhat perplexed by why this issue is even being considered a problem. As Impavidus and ajgreeny have already pointed out, it is simplicity itself to turn off auto‑updating while leaving the notification on. This gives us the best of both worlds: we are alerted to the availability of updates, but can choose when to apply them.

When I am notified of Firefox updates (or T‑bird or LibreOffice or any running app for that matter), I always close off the app before allowing the update to proceed. This is just prudent practice with any desktop GUI app.

So there's no need to "leave Firefox" at all. Just make a simple switch to the way your system processes updates and Bob's yer uncle.

[archaeometrist]

I consider it reasonable to update when websites make changes that 'break' Firefox. In a sense, it does become broken. (Laugh!)

[archaeometrist]

I've never had it re-open the pages I was on, unless Firefox crashes - it would either start with a blank page (unusual) or go back to my 'home pages' - and yeah, it doesn't really restart. Thanks for the tips everyone... now maybe I'll get a handle on the problem. (I usually allow regular updates because if they require restarting, it's not forced on you and you can do it during the next break. Firefox is the only package that requires "drop everything and restart NOW!". I've not encountered others that did that. (Firefox used to give you more control, but that seems to be eroding away.)