Split: Firefox – Getting newer versions

[Member ModdIt]

Hi sybok, you wrote current version of firefox-esr [78.14] is rather old but this should improve once the new one [91-based] becomes available in stable.

If you have no worry on possible sound issues Just download newer versions from mozilla, there is no need to install, just unpack, I run from a directory in home,
at times debian is a week behind a fix for known exploits in current, in esr much longer.

Not sure but running from home might be slightly more secure, it certainly is easy to manage, removal is only deletion of a couple of files and starters.

Please excuse me writing in detail, hope to help less skilled users. You often teach me new things not other way around 🙂

• This topic was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by ModdIt.
• This topic was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Brian Masinick.
• This topic was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Brian Masinick. Reason: Split and changed topic and section

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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See https://wiki.debian.org/Firefox for multiple options for getting Firefox and other Mozilla products in Debian package format.

https://mozilla.debian.net/ in particular allows you to select various repositories and add them, for example:

deb http://http.debian.net/debian experimental main

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by Brian Masinick.

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Brian Masinick

[Member ModdIt]

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Beginners please be careful with changing repos,
if you forget to switch back and update you have draculiX. I laugh about that, occurence about a couple of weeks ago.
I was not thinking straight and turned my main system in to crashingtiX.

By all means experiment and try most anything, no need to care IF you have a snapshot, better two and have prepared a
stick and used it to ensure you can do a quick reinstall.

On more modern computers just use a live stick without persistence, if things work as expected do a remaster, if the
changes go haywire reboot and start afresh.

When a live setup is stable and meets needs just install from it while running.

For experiments antiX Live is king.

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Along the lines of the suggestions Moddit made, here are a few more that work very well with antiX:

1) antiX is designed to work well with what we call “persistence”. When you use a USB device, especially if it’s created using one of our tools, such as the Live USB Maker, you can save the state and reuse it.

2) Once you have a USB device, you can install on media, use the USB, and create additional copies.

3) I’ve long advocated having either back-up copies or multiple ways to access software and also important files. If you use a combination of cloud-based services AND media back-up (USB, CD, DVD, or Cloud storage, perhaps more than one of these), you have options and failure of one does not necessarily cause a permanent problem; copies in multiple places make it fairly easy to recover from even catastrophic failure.

SUMMARY: save using multiple methods and you’ll never get stuck. If you have multiple computers, all the better; if they are turned on at different times and/or located in different places, a storm or other issue is much less likely to destroy your information. REDUNCANCY is good.

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Brian Masinick

[Member sybok]

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Hi ModdIt, I am OK with FireFox (FF) 78.14 so far.
I experienced annoying pop-up windows when the FF in antiX/Debian-testing got too old.
This is definitely way to avoid them.
Thank you for the tip!

I’ve tested the downloaded and unpacked FF 91.4 (same approach as Tor-Browser that I occasionally use) and it works well.
If I have time to transfer my profile, I may decide to switch to it until Debian testing gets a new version.
I do prefer the packages that come with the distribution over snap/flatpack/appimage.
On the other hand, I know that this rigid approach has its limits.

Not quite sure if running home is more secure because the FF still can save files outside of my /home/, i.e. the whole system is still accessible to FF.

[Member DaveW]

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sybok,
Regarding your concern that FF has too much access to your system… you might consider running it in FireJail or some other sandbox program. FireFox-ESR 78.13 works well for me in Firejail (on Antix17). FireJail is available in the Antix repos. I also run Thunderbird email in a separate FireJail sandbox. The only downside is that because the sandboxes cannot communicate directly, you need to manually copy and paste links between email and browser. This is a good thing, because it enhances security.

[Member ModdIt]

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sybok wrote:I do prefer the packages that come with the distribution over snap/flatpack/appimage

Snap and flatpack are like apple store applications, not interested have none.
Flatpack I have ungoogled Chromium and LibreWolf, the only sane way I can use and pass on those packages
without self compiling, big job on a browser and old iron like my computers. The appimages i do not
like or will use are those which have to be mounted in my filesystem to look inside.

I unpacked copys of the two flatpacks, ungoogled Chromium and Librewolf) to take a look at what I am letting
going to run. Both are of the kind where adding .zip at end of name and decompressing/unpacking runs.
Neither browser has anything openly nasty looking included.
Unlike Firefox with its multiple hidden extensions in browser/features. I absolutely distrust the hidden screenshot
tool after reading in mozilla delevoper notes how easy it is to use remotely, it is a feature, that and after crashes
fox quietly respawning headless. Mozilla also messed remotely with users settings a couple of weeks ago plus removing
an extension that conflicted with passing on all search terms to google through moz servers. . Trust them I do not.

Firefox nightly was mentioned earlier in the thread, it is a telemetry charged application, that is openly stated so as
such ok. If you like those things anyway. on LTS and latest telemetry functions are usualy set to on in about config.
No matter what the user inputs in settings.

DaveW wrote about using firejail, I found it hard to set up correct rules on 19.4. but then I am not the expert. Kept
locking myself in it too, no more internet access. Maybe works better now.

My mails or any appended documents stay in claws unless I copy them to another folder, it is set so it can not, better
should not start anything except itself. A couple of years ago I watched a malicious mail take over a windoze computer.
I am not convinced linux is totaly immune, if you give applications enough leverage especialy.

[Member sybok]

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@DaveW: I know about firejail but was too lazy+clumsy to make it work with (the default profile of) firefox a long time ago.
I might give it another try provided I manage to keep it in mind and I have enough time/energy.

[Member DaveW]

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sybok,
It has been a year or two, since I set up FireJail with FireFox. So, I can’t offer much help. But I’m happy to know that you are aware of the possibility.

As I recall, I had to edit a few lines in the FireFox profile file. I have some notes to remind me of what I did back then. But things may be different depending on which version of FireJail, and which operating system (Antix 17,19,21), etc. I suppose I’ll have to work through those things again, if and when I upgrade to Antix 21.

[Member alanwake82]

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I used firefox for more than two years and now looking to switch to another.. It’s not bad or have few features but it has some server base issues some time.
I also work as VPN reseller and need quick access sometimes.

[Member sybok]

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Hi, since the Firefox is getting old in antiX-21 testing (91.5.0 vs. latest 91.7.0), I have downloaded the mozilla binary to browse with newer FF.
I searched the web on transferring the history and bookmarks and it turned out to be (ugly and) pretty straight-forward.
Posting in hope that someone might find it useful.

1) All profile [incl history, bookmarks, extensions and (some, not necessarily all of the) settings]:
Help -> More Troubleshooting Information: contains information about profile directory.
A crude way: copy from profile folder of the system-installed FF to the profile folder of the downloaded and decompressed (D&D) FF.
Worked well for the case described above.
2) Bookmarks only:
Export from system-installed FF and import to the D&D causing slightly annoying duplicity and some reshuffling may be needed.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by sybok. Reason: weakening statement regarding setting in 1)

[Member ModdIt]

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apt update yesterday brought 91.7 on antix 21 full, would think same applies to testing.

Moving a profile for a downloaded version is unfortunately more than just transferring bookmarks,
user changes are lost or unused.
about:config preferences often renamed removed hidden. And as in last update extra hidden extensions
in Browser Features folder. That applies to downloaded from mozilla and anormal update but added
extra value (tracking remote settings features or others) may vary depending on region.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by ModdIt.

[Member sybok]

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apt update yesterday brought 91.7 on antix 21 full, would think same applies to testing.

Sadly, not true yet, see e.g.
https://packages.debian.org/testing/firefox-esr
https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/firefox-esr
Debian testing is known to usually be (a bit) behind the security-updates of stable (and unstable).

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by sybok.

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Debian is behind. Just a few days ago the newest ‘current’ release they had was 96.0.3! ESR has been updated as ModdIt noted.

MX Linux had 97.0.1 but updated yesterday to 98.0. I didn’t check antiX on my older system yet but at worst we can get current stable or current version from either MX or directly from Mozilla download.

If anyone needs help with it I have the packages and can provide step by step instructions; they’re also on the Mozilla download site for those able to locate them.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Brian Masinick.

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Brian Masinick

[Member ModdIt]

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Hi sybok,
sorry unexpected to me that testing is lagging with the browser, is it not possible in
such a situation to install the stable deb, fox is as an application pretty agnostic, I
have even copied and pasted in to user lib then started with /usr/lib/firefox-esr/firefox-esr
in console to test.

Just checked it does still work, at least on this box, error message is interesting, so sad for mozilla, I have
broken FF Telemetry, gleaning is gathering.

[2022-03-11T16:31:00Z ERROR glean] Failed to initialize Glean: An I/O error occurred: Permission denied (os error 13)
###!!! [Parent][RunMessage] Error: Channel closing: too late to send/recv, messages will be lost

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