Automatic background updates of firefox are disabled in the Ubuntu
builds (see the `--disable-updater` flag in about:buildconfig). Could it
be that you're running an upstream version instead of the Ubuntu
package?
Note however that apt updates to the Ubuntu package are distributed through the
security pocket, and the default setting is to download and install security
updates automatically.
You can change that setting (`software-properties-gtk --open-tab=2`), but
beware that this will apply to all security updates. Alternatively you could
`apt-mark hold firefox`.
Interrupting users' browsing session is not optimal, but it is a trade-
off for improved security overall.
** Changed in: firefox (Ubuntu)
Status: New => Invalid
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Packages, which is subscribed to firefox in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1961010
Title:
firefox doesn't let its user control how or when it upgrades
Status in firefox package in Ubuntu:
Invalid
Bug description:
The Firefox package does not act like ordinary packages. When it is
running, it forcibly downloads upgraded binary versions of itself and
then forces the user to restart Firefox and run the new version.
There used to be a Firefox setting by which the user could control
this, but it has been deliberately removed.
This is problematic in many ways. The first way is that it undermines
the user's control over their own environment. The essential element
of free software is that users control it, it does not control them.
If there is behavior that is undesirable, they can fix it, not just be
subjected to the arbitrary decisions of a distant corporation. For
example, some users require that they have a copy of the source code
that matches each binary package they are running. Firefox's covert
upgrades undermine this local user policy, installing binaries that
have no local matching source code. Other users may be using plugins
or other applications that do not work with later versions of Firefox.
It is not Firefox's decision when to upgrade -- it is the user's or
system operator's.
The second problem is that restarting one's browser has many side effects.
For example, if one window or tab is in a video conference, forcing a restart
of Firefox ejects the user from their video conference. If a video or audio
file is merely playing in another window or tab, it is
interrupted and not necessarily resumed after restart in the right place.
Cookies and permissions (e.g. for NoScript) are not carried forward after a
restart, when they are set to persist only for one session.
If the Mozilla Corporation has firmly and permanently decided that it
doesn't believe in the freedom of the end-users of its software, then
Ubuntu should ship a patched version that DOES give its end-users
freedom, by restoring the setting to disable automated updates.
Firefox would continue to be able to be updated by the usual update-
manager GUI (which IS under the control of the user), apt-get, or by
the user explicitly installing new versions via dpkg or by building
from source code.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: firefox 97.0+build2-0ubuntu0.20.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.13.0-28.31~20.04.1-generic 5.13.19
Uname: Linux 5.13.0-28-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu27.21
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC2: gnu 2520 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC1: gnu 2520 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC0: gnu 2520 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20220202182137
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
Channel: Unavailable
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Feb 15 22:55:07 2022
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IncompatibleExtensions:
Global Menu Bar integration - [email protected]
English (South Africa) Language Pack - [email protected]
English (GB) Language Pack - [email protected]
Default - {972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd}
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-04 (652 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
IpRoute:
default via 209.16.159.254 dev enp6s0 proto static metric 100
75.101.100.0/24 dev enp6s0 proto kernel scope link src 75.101.100.46 metric
100
169.254.0.0/16 dev enp6s0 scope link metric 1000
172.17.0.0/16 dev docker0 proto kernel scope link src 172.17.0.1 linkdown
209.16.159.0/24 dev enp6s0 proto kernel scope link src 209.16.159.252 metric
100
MostRecentCrashID: bp-f3d4806a-b277-49a1-b452-902072161127
PrefErrors: Unexpected character ',' before close parenthesis @
/usr/lib/firefox/omni.ja:greprefs.js:365
PrefSources: prefs.js
ProcEnviron:
TERM=xterm-256color
PATH=(custom, no user)
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
SHELL=/bin/bash
Profiles: Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=97.0/20220202182137 (In use)
RunningIncompatibleAddons: True
SourcePackage: firefox
SubmittedCrashIDs:
bp-f3d4806a-b277-49a1-b452-902072161127
bp-4da20c64-dde1-4304-9118-238562160914
bp-16b8bc44-ebd0-46e0-a272-95feb2160908
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 01/16/2019
dmi.bios.release: 5.13
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F25
dmi.board.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.board.name: AX370-Gaming 5
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: Default string
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Default string
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Default string
dmi.chassis.version: Default string
dmi.modalias:
dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrF25:bd01/16/2019:br5.13:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnAX370-Gaming5:pvrDefaultstring:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnAX370-Gaming5:rvrDefaultstring:cvnDefaultstring:ct3:cvrDefaultstring:skuDefaultstring:
dmi.product.family: Default string
dmi.product.name: AX370-Gaming 5
dmi.product.sku: Default string
dmi.product.version: Default string
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
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