firefox ESR via gui yet?

marbles

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i doubt it, but i thought i would ask - have they created a gui way to download and install firefox ESR (i've looked at the terminal instructions and i'm way too stupid to do all of that and from what i've read it rarely goes smoothly)

thx
 


This depends on what Linux distribution you're on.

For Debian or another OS based directly on it such as Linux Mint, Synaptics program should show it rather easily, but you might have to ask it to update its repository information. I almost never used that program so I can't tell you precisely how to do it.

Otherwise it's not that difficult to do it from the terminal.

Code:
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install firefox-esr

(The dollar sign is the terminal prompt. It should be for the regular user, not "#" which is for the adminstrator who has "all the powers" and is more dangerous!)

After it's installed it's only necessary to do the update. Then if Firefox ESR is one of the programs to update then it gets updated with other things that need to be updated. Use this command in the terminal for it:

Code:
$ sudo apt upgrade

Remember you have to tell the system to refresh its repository infromation first.

It's not really recommended to use ESR edition of Firefox on a rolling-release distro like Fedora or Manjaro. Usually those distros come with Firefox "regular" pre-installed and will be updated whenever a request is made (through "dnfdragora" for one or through Pamac for the other) to do a full system upgrade.
 
I saw your other topic, you're using Linux Mint. I'm not sure if it has Synaptics, because it could make the job easier. I think the distro has its own program to install, update and remove applications.

However the instructions I gave in the other post should work.

Please try to keep your questions about an issue to one topic because starting multiple topics for the same issue is considered bad form. You should have posted this topic in the dedicated Linux Mint forum:
linux.org/forums/mint.160/

(Please fill in the front of the link, I write it that way because I'm new and therefore I'm not allowed to post full clickable links.)
 
1. it doesn't work. i told you it doesn't work. why did you recommend it? here's the error;

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Package firefox-esr is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source

E: Package 'firefox-esr' has no installation candidate

2. i don't know what synaptic is and please don't try and explain it to me. you were wrong above so i cannot trust you.
 
Maybe the package was called "firefox". (scratch head)

I just visited Linux Mint main site. Difficult enough to find a screenshot with their program that installs applications. That should have been enough. The documentation site is weird enough, has a page about Snaps but not about their own program that installs applications.

I wouldn't know since I don't use that distro. But since it's based on Debian and Ubuntu, the terminal commands work on anything else in the same distro family. The name of the package is what could be a pain.

The command I gave out worked on Bunsen Labs Beryllium, that's why I suggested it was "firefox-esr" and not just "firefox". The web browser is a complex program that has a lot of dependencies and other things that have weird names.
 
1. it doesn't work. i told you it doesn't work. why did you recommend it? here's the error;

E: Package 'firefox-esr' has no installation candidate
The Ubuntu and Linux-Mint repos don't contain a firefox-esr version so it will not be installable via the gui software manager either.
2. i don't know what synaptic is and please don't try and explain it to me. you were wrong above so i cannot trust you.
Tone it down it notch you make it sound as if someone betrayed you. All they did was take the time to try and help you, it's not like like they scammed you and stole your money and keep it mind people here volunteer their free time to try and help others it's not like you are paying for their time. There is an official Ubuntu Mozilla Team ppa for it which you could probably use, so if you used the ppa it will most likely also be installable through the software manager.
What Linux Mint version are you running?
 
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got it. no gui install. thank you. thats all i was asking.
1. Open a terminal and run the following.
Code:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa
sudo apt update
2. Now open the the "Software Manager" or "Synaptic Package Manager" and search for "firefox-esr"
3. Software Manager: Click on "Install" or Synaptic Package Manger: Select and click on Apply.
4. Open it through the menu under the "Internet" category to open it.
If that doesn't work share what Linux Mint version you are using?
Screenshot from 2023-05-06 09-17-35.png
 
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Installing applications in Mint using the repository software manager
1]click on menu [Lm symbol, usually bottom bar left side]
2] open software manage [left column of icons usualy 2nd one down, white box with green circle and 9 white dots]
3] in search bar type "Firefox" and enter [[or the name of the app your looking for]
4] you will get several entries, find and click on Firefox-esr and then the install box on the new screen

to remove any app loaded from the repository, software manage use the same sequence EXCEPT at stage 4 click uninstall
 
In ubuntu and Mint you have to add the PPA and then you'll be able to install firefox-esr. You can install it via synaptic which is the Mint prefered package manager in Ubuntu you have to install synaptic as it's not in the original install. In Mint you can find syanptic in the Menu under administration. once you have the ppa installed. make sure you refresh the repositories in synaptic the do a search for firefox-esr.
 
We're wasting our time here, lads. Marbles has already made up his mind that if he can't install Firefox ESR on Linux in exactly the same way as you would a Windows .exe, then he doesn't want to know.....

Me, I build the Puppy-portable FirefoxESR from the official tarball at Mozilla's FTP server:-

http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/

.....after which, of course, it auto-updates in situ.

(We all know the various "workarounds" and how to get what we want, and most of us are comfortable with using the various package management systems, but.......I guess it's all a wee bit beyond poor old Marbles!)


Mike. ;)
 
There is also the no install option of an appimage like here,,,,,,
 
I was going to propose AppImage but it might have confused the OP further telling by how he/she answered me later. I'm right now on EndeavourOS MATE using the AppImage for Firefox v112, which still could have issues sometimes with trying to get an open file requester. Such as needing to upload an avatar to this forum. I had to dragon drop from Caja. It doesn't happen to me with Brave browser because that was installed from the AUR. (Ouch)
 
Well it is a non-risky method - just make it executable and away you go without mucking up your system.
 
Linux Mint comes with Firefox by default and is updated by the Update Manager...if you don't want problems...leave it be.
m1239.gif
 
I was going to propose AppImage but it might have confused the OP further telling by how he/she answered me later. I'm right now on EndeavourOS MATE using the AppImage for Firefox v112, which still could have issues sometimes with trying to get an open file requester. Such as needing to upload an avatar to this forum. I had to dragon drop from Caja. It doesn't happen to me with Brave browser because that was installed from the AUR. (Ouch)

Personally, I am in general a big fan of the AppImage format; "one file, runs anywhere". They can be problematic in some respects, though.

Generally speaking, AppImages are by nature "read-only".....very similar, in fact, to Puppy's own native SFS package format (Squash File System). Hence, why we've been able to develop our own scripts - without too much trouble - in order to build our own. AppImages unpack their contents into /tmp, and run from there for the duration of the session. These are deleted again at close.

This "read-only" attribute, while being great from a security standpoint, does have drawbacks. Like, you cannot update the contents of any AppImage packed in this way.....essential for anything internet-facing. So, to get round this, the .yml format was developed; this works like the "diff" command, updating/over-writing only those parts that need to change.

The trouble is that not all developers use this new format. Mostly, you need to download the new version every time....


Mike. ;)
 
Well it is a non-risky method - just make it executable and away you go without mucking up your system.
It is also not beginner friendly. Myself, I use the appimage version of Librewolf, but I had to manually add it to the application menu, download and set an icon for it etc. I also update it manually by downloading a new version and moving it to /usr/local/bin. So, no - I wouldn't recommend this method to someone new to Linux.
 
It is also not beginner friendly. Myself, I use the appimage version of Librewolf, but I had to manually add it to the application menu, download and set an icon for it etc. I also update it manually by downloading a new version and moving it to /usr/local/bin. So, no - I wouldn't recommend this method to someone new to Linux.
To be fair, a correctly-built AppImage, utilising the current AppImage framework, WILL ask if you want a Menu entry added even before it fires up for the first time. I get the definite impression that many AppImage packagers are using an older version of the framework to build them.


Mike. ;)
 
To be fair, a correctly-built AppImage, utilising the current AppImage framework, WILL ask if you want a Menu entry added even before it fires up for the first time. I get the definite impression that many AppImage packagers are using an older version of the framework to build them.


Mike. ;)
Yep. The whole situation is a bit disappointing, IMO.

You've already pointed to Mozilla's FTP server, but there is another (more GUI-like) way to get these tarballs. You can simply choose and download the one you need from Mozilla's website - https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/all/
 

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