Purpose of this script
This is a little helper script for Kubuntu™ users who want to install the traditional Firefox from Mozilla.org like Debian suggests and use it complementary to / instead of the Firefox Snap OR for users who want to install the traditional Firefox from the Mozilla Team PPA like KDE neon does and use it INSTEAD of the Firefox Snap.
It has been tested many times with Kubuntu™ 22.04, 22.10 and 23.04.
I hope you find the script useful! Yours respectfully, Schwarzer Kater
Installation and usage of this script
Important
It is advised to run this script after a full upgrade of the system (either with Discover or in Konsole with sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade) AND a reboot.
You will be asked to choose between Firefox from either [1] Mozilla.org OR [2] the Mozilla Team PPA before the download and installation is started, but if you choose [3] to cancel the installation no changes at all are made to your system.
Personally I prefer Firefox from Mozilla.org due to its versatility regarding Snap and release-upgrades.
For some more information about what is done in detail see the comments within the script itself.
Known bugs / issues
Roadmap
Other Ubuntu™-based distributions
No other Ubuntu™-based distributions/Flavors but Kubuntu™ are officially supported.
Due to the amount of time it would take to test this script with other distributions/Flavors I will probably also not support them in the future.
That said the script should work with other Ubuntu™-based distributions/Flavors so far.
This is a little helper script for Kubuntu™ users who want to install the traditional Firefox from Mozilla.org like Debian suggests and use it complementary to / instead of the Firefox Snap OR for users who want to install the traditional Firefox from the Mozilla Team PPA like KDE neon does and use it INSTEAD of the Firefox Snap.
It has been tested many times with Kubuntu™ 22.04, 22.10 and 23.04.
I hope you find the script useful! Yours respectfully, Schwarzer Kater
Installation and usage of this script
- You can download the script from here: https://gitlab.com/scripts94/kubuntu...tional-firefox
Click on its name in the file list and on the next page use the download button on the far right side of the script name.
OR
Copy and paste the code of the script into a blank Kate text editor document and save it as "Kubuntu_install_traditional_Firefox.sh" to e.g. your home directory. - Make the file Kubuntu_install_traditional_Firefox.sh executable in the Dolphin file manager:
go to the directory you downloaded/saved the script to, right-click on the file and choose Properties -> Permissions -> enable Is executable -> choose OK.
OR
Make the file Kubuntu_install_traditional_Firefox.sh executable in the Konsole terminal emulator:
go to the directory you downloaded/saved the script to (cd [path to]/[name of directory], e.g. cd ~/Downloads) and enter:
chmod +x Kubuntu_install_traditional_Firefox.sh. - To run the script in the Konsole terminal emulator go to the directory you downloaded/saved the script to and enter:
./Kubuntu_install_traditional_Firefox.sh.
Important
It is advised to run this script after a full upgrade of the system (either with Discover or in Konsole with sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade) AND a reboot.
- Firefox from Mozilla.org can simply be used alternatively with or without the Firefox Snap and no further actions are to be taken.
If you choose Firefox from Mozilla.org you are asked to select your preferred language first.
This version of Firefox behaves roughly like the ones for macOS™ or Windows™ do and updates itself independently from Discover or APT package management (and can ask you before updating - if you would prefer being asked see the Firefox settings).
- Firefox from the Mozilla Team PPA should be used INSTEAD of the Firefox Snap.
This script will offer you to remove the Firefox Snap if it is installed. Alternatively you could also use the get_rid_of_Snap script to disable and block Snaps completely including the Firefox Snap.
If you choose to use the Mozilla Team PPA additionally APT pinning is applied to prefer this Firefox to the Snap version e.g. during updates.
Updates are handled by Discover or APT package management like for the rest of your system and you could ALSO get Thunderbird from this PPA.
Sometimes the Firefox and Thunderbird versions from the Mozilla Team PPA are not yet officially released (kind of "release candidate" versions), but so far nobody has reported any problems with them AFAIK. Mostly these versions are officially released only a few hours or days later.
The Mozilla Team PPA and appropriate APT pinning are both respected by the reinstall_Snap_for_release-upgrade and get_rid_of_Snap scripts.
You will be asked to choose between Firefox from either [1] Mozilla.org OR [2] the Mozilla Team PPA before the download and installation is started, but if you choose [3] to cancel the installation no changes at all are made to your system.
Personally I prefer Firefox from Mozilla.org due to its versatility regarding Snap and release-upgrades.
For some more information about what is done in detail see the comments within the script itself.
Known bugs / issues
- If you choose the Mozilla Team PPA with this install_traditional_Firefox script, the system package management could also want to install Thunderbird from there.
- When I chose Firefox from Mozilla.org in rare cases the compressed binary from Mozilla's server was corrupted and one could see corresponding error messages in Konsole.
This only occurred once or twice and only with more "exotic" language version like "English (South African) lang=en-ZA".
The solution is to immediately press [Ctrl] [z] to abort the script, to close Konsole, to open Konsole again and to run the script again, choosing a more "common" (but nonetheless fitting) language version like "English (US) lang=en-US" instead which then has always worked fine. Afterwards you can choose your preferred language in Firefox itself.
Roadmap
- When I have some time to spare I will possibly add the choice to install the Firefox ESR (extended support release) binary from the Mozilla Team PPA and also support this in the get_rid_of_Snap and reinstall_Snap_for_release-upgrade scripts.
- To do: write a proper FAQ.
Other Ubuntu™-based distributions
No other Ubuntu™-based distributions/Flavors but Kubuntu™ are officially supported.
Due to the amount of time it would take to test this script with other distributions/Flavors I will probably also not support them in the future.
That said the script should work with other Ubuntu™-based distributions/Flavors so far.
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