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I have just installed fresh Ubuntu MATE 21.10 system.

Then I ran update-manager manually to check and get some new updates.

It showed a surprise for me - it will remove Firefox deb-package as shown on below screenshot to replace it with Snap:

Details of updates

  • Install or remove
    • Duplicate packages to be removed
      • Firefox Web Browser

update-manager is going to remove deb-package of Firefox

This is not acceptable for me, I want to use normal deb-package of Firefox.

Note: actually the result does not depend on online or offline installation, the first launch of update-manager will try to remove the Firefox deb-package.

N0rbert
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  • Bill/franksmcb asked a question (irc) about this earlier on (friday probably) given 'reports' of this behavior and we (lubuntu) couldn't re-create this.... Your answer implies to me it'd impact us (lubuntu) too, but I've seen no reports of it, and haven't replicated it either (I can't recall if my install(s) was made off-line or online with some of each, but haven't replicated the issue & I know at least one was off-line install) – guiverc Oct 17 '21 at 12:14
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    @guiverc I know, just repeated the same scenario on offline installation Xubuntu, got the same result. Lubuntu does not ship update-manager, so is not affected. – N0rbert Oct 17 '21 at 12:45
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    Thanks - I suspected as such (I just apt install update-manager to test that theory); you beat me running it - Thanks ! – guiverc Oct 17 '21 at 12:46
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    update-manager does the same thing on Lubuntu too (as you'd no doubt already know).. I watched it report it's removing the firefox deb package & I'm bored waiting for it to install the snap... I'm going to bed.. – guiverc Oct 17 '21 at 12:57
  • Does an offline fresh installation of Mate 21.10 not install a snap version of Firefox by default? – vanadium Oct 17 '21 at 14:49
  • No, it does not, @vanadium. – N0rbert Oct 17 '21 at 14:56
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    This will be fixed when update-manager is updated to 1.21.10.5; it's currently sitting in proposed & on another QA-test install I repeated the testing in my prior comment(s) & running update-manager no longer causes firefox to switch from deb package to snap. – guiverc Oct 20 '21 at 00:36

4 Answers4

12

Update 20220203 - the bug 1947501 is fixed since 20211103.

So all you need is to run the below commands:

sudo snap remove firefox
sudo apt-get install --reinstall firefox

If you need historic information - check previous revisions of this answer. But keep in mind that running sudo apt-mark manual firefox may be still needed if you install Ubuntu 21.10 flavor using offline installation.

N0rbert
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    Thanks for this info. I just did my first 21.04 to 21.10 upgrade and it still uninstalled my .deb version and installed a snap version. I didn't expect that on an upgrade. Firefox as a snap launches very slowly, and doesn't use the proper theme. I already switched back to the .deb version, and I wasn't aware that it would switch it back. Sigh. I'll use your fix. +1. Thanks! – heynnema Oct 17 '21 at 13:32
  • I just checked, and on my primary computer, which is running 21.04, it looks like they've removed the .deb version of Firefox from the Ubuntu Software store. It also looks like mozilla.org doesn't have a .deb file to download either. – heynnema Oct 17 '21 at 14:39
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    Currently Firefox deb still sits in main - see https://packages.ubuntu.com/impish/firefox . – N0rbert Oct 17 '21 at 14:44
  • wonderful - it worked great for me (ubuntu 21.10). e.g. https://extensions.gnome.org/ doesnt work(if you want install an extension from the page, to see what extensions you have installedm ...) under snap – xhudik Jan 30 '22 at 20:30
  • in Kubuntu 22.04 apt re-installs the snap version, install from PPA is not accepted, I had to install deb manually. – cipricus Apr 07 '22 at 07:02
1

Firefox in the main (22.04) IS a snap. it's misleading, but there it is. It's what I think they call a transitional package.. doesn't actually contain the FF install, but links to the snap store... " when you try installing the deb package via apt, it just install the Snap version back!! Like Chromium, the Firefox deb in Ubuntu 22.04 is an empty package that links to the Mozilla’s official Snap." --ubuntuhandbook

fixitmanarizona
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0

In Ubuntu 21.10 (Impish) Firefox is still available as a .deb package.

For Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy) you can download the latest official .deb build here: https://launchpad.net/~phd/+archive/ubuntu/firefox/

This is a PPA repository with official Ubuntu packages released originally for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal) and updated automatically as soon as a new version is released.

Remember about making a backup of your ~/.mozilla directory before upgrading to Ubuntu 22.04.

Piotr Henryk Dabrowski
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-2

or just use this ppa: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-mozilla-security/+archive/ubuntu/ppa regards

user669525
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    This is not needed, Firefox is in the main. Moreover the mentioned PPA does not have packages for impish. You may consider to remove the answer. – N0rbert Oct 17 '21 at 14:41
  • @N0rbert The PPA now has Impish packages. https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-mozilla-security/+archive/ubuntu/ppa?field.series_filter=impish – Cliff Nov 26 '21 at 00:10
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    The PPA's description says "Unless you are testing updates, you should NOT install packages from this PPA", though ;) – Henning Kockerbeck Jan 30 '22 at 20:46
  • In 22.04 (Kubuntu) adding this PPa is not possible automatically (the system refuses to update from it) – cipricus Apr 07 '22 at 06:58
  • N0rbert, Firefox in main for 22.04 installs the snap version if you don't have snaps blocked. If you do have snaps blocked it won't install. So an alternative is needed, such as installing from .deb (from mozilla team) or building from mozilla.org (tar file) or Flatpak (has its own problems.) – fixitmanarizona Oct 14 '22 at 23:56