blue shell firefox-kde frustrations

[eggbert]

I have been using the firefox-kde package from the Blue Shell PPA, but the updates from blue shell lag way behind the official firefox package releases. Case in point, I waited over 2 weeks for the last firefox-kde update, and it finally updated a couple days ago. Now low and behold there's a brand new firefox 19 available. Who knows when the blue shell version will be ready.

If I install the official release all the KDE integration breaks, so I just skip it and wait for blue shell. This is just a total pain in the butt.

I don't understand why they don't create their own package so I can I only install the firefox-kde version without it depending on the official firefox. I suppose there's some technical reason why this is not possible, but come on.. there's got to be a better way. This current situation seems unworkable.

In any case, I really don't care about the KDE integration that much, but I do need at least mime types in firefox to work. Is there a way to import say a file of KDE mime types into plain old firefox?

[dmeyer]

I have been using the firefox-kde package from the Blue Shell PPA, but the updates from blue shell lag way behind the official firefox package releases. Case in point, I waited over 2 weeks for the last firefox-kde update, and it finally updated a couple days ago. Now low and behold there's a brand new firefox 19 available. Who knows when the blue shell version will be ready.

If I install the official release all the KDE integration breaks, so I just skip it and wait for blue shell. This is just a total pain in the butt.

I don't understand why they don't create their own package so I can I only install the firefox-kde version without it depending on the official firefox. I suppose there's some technical reason why this is not possible, but come on.. there's got to be a better way. This current situation seems unworkable.

In any case, I really don't care about the KDE integration that much, but I do need at least mime types in firefox to work. Is there a way to import say a file of KDE mime types into plain old firefox?

Maybe try the Firefox Kpart package? Then combine it with oxygen kde extension and you'll have a pretty good, integrated system...

[claydoh]

I have been using the firefox-kde package from the Blue Shell PPA, but the updates from blue shell lag way behind the official firefox package releases. Case in point, I waited over 2 weeks for the last firefox-kde update, and it finally updated a couple days ago. Now low and behold there's a brand new firefox 19 available. Who knows when the blue shell version will be ready.

If I install the official release all the KDE integration breaks, so I just skip it and wait for blue shell. This is just a total pain in the butt.

I don't understand why they don't create their own package so I can I only install the firefox-kde version without it depending on the official firefox. I suppose there's some technical reason why this is not possible, but come on.. there's got to be a better way. This current situation seems unworkable.

In any case, I really don't care about the KDE integration that much, but I do need at least mime types in firefox to work. Is there a way to import say a file of KDE mime types into plain old firefox?

The problem is that Firefox has to be recompiled for a lot of the integration stuff, so it requires a separate package. Ubuntu dropped the KDE support because they now update FF very regularly to keep it up to date with any security and other fixes and features the Mozilla folks provide. THEN they would have to fix the KDE stuff that invariably breaks. Every number of weeks.

Blame Ubuntu, blame Mozilla for not supporting native file pickers and standard xdg standards. It sucks all around.


Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

[eggbert]

I do understand that it needs to be recompiled, but I wonder why they don't they just create their own package that does not depend on the offical firefox? I guess I don't get why there even needs to be a dependency on "firefox proper," so we don't have to worry about hosing our firefoxes when it updates?

But yeah, I still think it's an all around crappy solution. I honestly could not care less about which open dialog is used, but the mime types are a must have for everyone. Seems like there should be a way to create a simple add-on package that installs the correct mime stuff for KDE.

Anywho, I appreciate the work blue shell does. So no slight against them. Just wish there were a better way to handle firefox!

[claydoh]

That is exactly what it is, a ppa with the special patched version of firefox plus all the extra bits in their separate packages.
This is why Ubuntu FF updates break things from the ppa.

This is why there can be a mess. To avoid that, there would have to be separately named FF binaries , or somehow the PPA version would have to be "pinned" to a version, etc; each of these has its drawbacks and adds problems somewhere else for other people. If it was a simple fix I do know it would be done.

[Teunis]

I don't mind too much the Blue Shell version is a couple of days or a week behind.
Sure there might be security patches involved but how often you hear about someone getting bitten?

In Muon I'm keeping the present version of Firefox locked and once a week or so I check the version tab in Muon, when a new one is available I unlock Firefox and force the update.
Then I immediately lock Firefox again.
These Muon tools really work.

[dmeyer]

I wish apt-get allowed you to lock a package to a repository instead of locking the package entirely.

[dequire]

THAT would be the ideal solution. Or make a kubuntu-firefox package with the blue shell repo and have it be the firefox default for Kubuntu. It's bene discussed on the mailing lists in the past.

I wish apt-get allowed you to lock a package to a repository instead of locking the package entirely.

[vayulove]

In Muon I'm keeping the present version of Firefox locked and once a week or so I check the version tab in Muon, when a new one is available I unlock Firefox and force the update.
Then I immediately lock Firefox again.
These Muon tools really work.

I've been having pretty good luck doing what you describe but a couple times it has failed and everytime I do it I feel confused. Would you mind detailing the step by step process you do to lock, unlock and upgrade?

[Teunis]

I start Muon, check for updates.
Type firefox in the filter bar and Firefox ends up on top of the list, click it and a small sub-window opens.
Select the Version tab of it.

Right now I'm running 13.04 and it only has the Firefox versions 19.0 via the ppa and version 20.0 the regular way available.
Would there be a newer ppa version I'd right-click Firefox at the top of the list, select Unlock Package.
Go to the wanted version, select it and press the Force Version button at the right bottom.
Do the update, retype firefox in the filter and right-click it to select Lock.

[SteveRiley]

I wish apt-get allowed you to lock a package to a repository instead of locking the package entirely.

You can, using a feature called pinning. Open a console window and run the following commands:

echo -e 'Package: *' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/blue-shell-firefox > /dev/null
echo -e 'Pin: release o=LP-PPA-blue-shell-firefox-kde' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/preferences.d/blue-shell-firefox > /dev/null
echo -e 'Pin-Priority: 1000' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/preferences.d/blue-shell-firefox > /dev/null

Setting the priority to 1000 raises it above the default priority of 500. Now, Firefox will get updated only when the Blue Shell repository has a new version.

[Teunis]

Ah that's a nicer solution, especially now Firefox version 20.0 became available.

[Xplorer4x4]

You can, using a feature called pinning. Open a console window and run the following commands:

echo -e 'Package: *' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/blue-shell-firefox > /dev/null
echo -e 'Pin: release o=LP-PPA-blue-shell-firefox-kde' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/preferences.d/blue-shell-firefox > /dev/null
echo -e 'Pin-Priority: 1000' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/preferences.d/blue-shell-firefox > /dev/null

Setting the priority to 1000 raises it above the default priority of 500. Now, Firefox will get updated only when the Blue Shell repository has a new version.

You beat me to it! I have been using this method since blue-shell started the PPA, and initially there was problems with this. The non technical reason is the blue-shell maintainers were doing the updates wrong but since they have been doing it the proper way I have yet to receive a GTK/Canonical based build.