Firefox Snap as Default in 21.10

[tea for one]

This looks like an interesting development.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2021/09/...x-snap-default

[Frogs Hair]

There are some Ubuntu users who purge snap from there systems which would cause them to find another default browser. I have been using the Firefox ESR PPA for other reasons and I hope that remains available but I won't count on it.

[guiverc]

@tea for one

If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend reading the official notice for it all - https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/featu...-desktop/24210

(it's a somewhat busy thread, same as the `chromium` one was many cycles ago)

[The Cog]

Hmm. I'm going to have to find an alternative browser. That's a shame - I have used firefox since it first launched.

[tea for one]

@tea for one

If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend reading the official notice for it all - https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/featu...-desktop/24210

(it's a somewhat busy thread, same as the `chromium` one was many cycles ago)

Yes, I had a look at the thread and some info is difficult to find.

For example:-

I was trying to find out if there was going to be a deb packaged version of Firefox in the 21.10 repository?
It was clear that Mozilla would offer a deb but it looked like you would have to go to their website.

I was also interested to read any comments about the Firefox version supplied with Xubuntu 21.10 or Lubuntu 21.10?

[ajgreeny]

An alternative way to continue with Firefox could be to use the .tar.gz direct from Mozilla, unpack it into a folder in /opt and use the executable file in that as I currently do in debian; it works well and automatically updates if you set it to do so.

[zika]

I do use FStable, FDeveloper and FNightly from DL places like this; https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo.../releasenotes/ ... From long ago and in 21.10 ...

:~$ ll fire*
firefox-nightly:
укупно 12
drwxrwxr-x  3 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 11:57 .
drwxr-xr-x  8 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 11:57 firefox
drwxr-xr-x 28 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 11:51 ..

firefox-developer:
укупно 12
drwxr-xr-x 28 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 11:51 ..
drwxrwxr-x  3 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 08:19 .
drwxr-xr-x  8 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 08:19 firefox

firefox-stable:
укупно 12
drwxr-xr-x 28 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 11:51 ..
drwxrwxr-x  3 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 08:18 .
drwxr-xr-x  8 zika zika 4096 сеп 19 08:18 firefox

:~$ cat f?.sh
...firefox-developer/firefox/firefox --private --start-maximized & exit
...firefox-nightly/firefox/firefox --private --start-maximized & exit
...firefox-stable/firefox/firefox --private --start-maximized & exit

[guiverc]

I was also interested to read any comments about the Firefox version supplied with Xubuntu 21.10 or Lubuntu 21.10?

I can only provide my understanding, which is flavors will not be impacted for impish or 21.10.

Note: from here on I've got my Lubuntu hat on, ie. I'm speaking from my understanding as a member of the Lubuntu team

Our seed can be found here where you'll note we use `firefox` from main Ubuntu.

We have received no notification of change for 21.10/impish, only for the next jj release. It is my belief that detail applies to all flavors. However this is my understanding only.

(I was QA-testing Ubuntu impish yesterday; yet it didn't even occur to me to look at how firefox was delivered... the manifest appears to match my own impish system though which uses deb)

-- additional thoughts (Lubuntu hat off) --

my primary box is development thus is currently impish; but has multiple DEs installed including Ubuntu (ie. GNOME), so I'm expecting to see changes occur on this box first. I personally am expecting firefox as a snap (ubuntu-desktop) and the deb to remain (lubuntu-desktop & xubuntu-desktop i have installed) whilst still on 'impish'.

I expect to see firefox as a snap appear on pure Lubuntu jj systems in mid-November to early- Dec, but when it hits will be a decision of the Ubuntu desktop team plan of action. this is my estimate only though.

if I'm QA-testing or looking at pure Lubuntu systems, I use other boxes; & not my main 'bloated' primary system (I may use Lubuntu/LXQt most days; but I'm not exclusive to it; besides this system is somewhat heavily modified). On the other boxes I don't update, just re-install so it's always a fresh image of our latest (which helps to identify issues early I feel).

[tea for one]

@guiverc

Thank you for the info - very informative.

[Dennis N]

An alternative way to continue with Firefox could be to use the .tar.gz direct from Mozilla, unpack it into a folder in /opt and use the executable file in that as I currently do in debian; it works well and automatically updates if you set it to do so.

I agree with this remark by ajgreeny. Also, no one has yet mentioned that Firefox comes as a Flatpak as well. I have been using that version in a number of installations for quite a while.

Other distros, like Fedora, Arch and Manjaro, are unlikely to go with a snap version of Firefox as default. Fedora is pro Flatpak - they even have their own Flatpak repository.