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Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

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MarkDees
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Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#1 Post by MarkDees »

Hi,

So I manually install updates periodically with

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

I didn't do that yesterday but I got the undesired Firefox update today somehow. I got everything put back to 52.9 ESR and working, but I'd like to know what setting I have missed to block this auto update from happening again. I do plan to switch to Palemoon, but I'd like to do that on my own schedule not right now tonight.

Thanks much!

Mark

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debiman
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#2 Post by debiman »

debian packages should not upgrade themselves without any apt activity.
do you have some sort of auto-updater running in the background?
how did you install firefox in the first place?
(and, out of curiosity, how did you bring it back down to 52 esr?)

technically, i think what you want is called "apt pinning".

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#3 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

MarkDees wrote:I got everything put back to 52.9 ESR
Don't do that :shock:

v52 is full of holes and should not be used.
deadbang

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FreewheelinFrank
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#4 Post by FreewheelinFrank »

I noticed the same thing- it must be because I have security updates set to install automatically. I presume the update to the latest version must be a security update.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#5 Post by Wheelerof4te »

I see a lot of people hating on Firefox Quantum because it breaks their extensions. While I can understand that argument, the speed and security of new ESR outweights the usability of those extensions by far. At least for me, as I used only AdBlock.

Instead of using the old version, why don't you install Waterfox, Palemoon or any other Firefox fork that is up to date?

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golinux
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#6 Post by golinux »

Wheelerof4te wrote:I see a lot of people hating on Firefox Quantum because it breaks their extensions.
Exactly. Plus more of the phone home nonsense.

And from Mozillazine (which used to be a bustling hub but is now an nearly empty shell).
May the FORK be with you!

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bw123
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#7 Post by bw123 »

golinux wrote:
Wheelerof4te wrote:I see a lot of people hating on Firefox Quantum because it breaks their extensions.
Exactly. Plus more of the phone home nonsense.

And from Mozillazine (which used to be a bustling hub but is now an nearly empty shell).
I'd like to know more about the phone home nonsense you mention? I got it installed and just disabled javascript entirely until I can figure out what to do about extensions. Hard to make a comparison that way... It looks like the new extensions will be named webext- there are only a couple listed so far, and only for buster. https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=webext-

The biggest inconvenience so far is that I like to enable images for only some websites, and without an adblocker it wastes bandwidth on limited account connections. Browsing with javascript disabled is much faster and saves a lot of bandwidth though... might just stick with it and use chromium when I need scripts to run..

Minor annoyances, rearranged toolbars like usual. Now the bookmark star is in the url box for some reason... can't get rid of the add to pocket icon. At least now the refresh button can be putwhere I want it. Overall a ho-hum upgrade for me. Just more work to do..
Last edited by bw123 on 2018-09-10 14:40, edited 1 time in total.
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MarkDees
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#8 Post by MarkDees »

Thanks to all!

To answer some questions...

I don't want Quantum because of privacy, breaking extensions and seemingly more RAM usage.

Yes, I plan on switching to another browser pronto. I have a question on that see below.

To get back to 52.9 (temporarily), I did:

1. apt-get remove firefox-esr
2. Then downloaded the .deb from Snapshots http://snapshot.debian.org/package/fire ... %7Edeb9u1/ and manually installed it with dpkg -i ./firefox-esr_52.9.0esr-1~deb9u1_amd64.deb
3. I also replaced my Profile folder with one from a backup.

To pose another question...

Now to pick a fork. Any pros and cons of Waterfox vs. Palemoon. Why did you pick one over the other?

Thanks!
Mark

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bw123
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#9 Post by bw123 »

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
MarkDees wrote:I got everything put back to 52.9 ESR
Don't do that :shock:

v52 is full of holes and should not be used.
Yeah how long before we find out the new one we just got is full of holes too?
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GarryRicketson
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#10 Post by GarryRicketson »

Edited=== changed my mind and decided better to not say anything,
Last edited by GarryRicketson on 2018-09-10 15:51, edited 1 time in total.

Bulkley
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#11 Post by Bulkley »

Pale Moon may be the most configurable browser of the lot. I prefer Waterfox for no other reason than that I am comfortable with it. I think Waterfox is more up to date at 56.2.2.

As many readers here have noticed, I prefer running browsers in user space. Doing so allows me to experiment without messing up my system.

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rudar
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#12 Post by rudar »

I don't want to open the new topic, but I need an advice what to do with my Firefox browser.

In brief, I'm running Debian Stable (9.5), and I noticed it is impossible to update Firefox esr. After the routine

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
I got the reply:
The following packages have been kept back
and there is everything included with Firefox esr.

I checked through the Synaptic Package Manager which is the version I use, and it is the Firefox-esr 52.9.0. I don't know how to update it. I want to keep it as my browser, because I am used to it and it is the default browser. So, shall I:

1) wait for another version of Debian (Buster, 10), or

2) shall I download the available version of Firefox from Debian Sid repos, available at https://packages.debian.org/sid/firefox and install it with GDebi? This is what I did with Stockfish, when I replaced the available version 8.3 in Debian Stable repos with the newer version, Stockfish 9.1. However, there are not too many dependencies with Stockfish and everything went smoothly, while there are MANY dependencies with Firefox and I don't want to break my system...

Can you advise me what to do?

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#13 Post by Wheelerof4te »

^

Code: Select all

apt-mark showhold
apt-mark unhold <package>
apt full-upgrade

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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#14 Post by stevepusser »

A manually downloaded version from Sid has too many other updated runtime libs necessary, such as libnspr4, libnns3, libsqlite3, and so on. I built a backport of the Sid version on Stretch as an experiment by having Firefox build and use its internal versions of those...but I have to ask why you didn't say anything about just manually downloading the Stretch Quantum deb and installing it? i.e., why go straight to a Sid version that's not compatible?
MX Linux packager and developer

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Head_on_a_Stick
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#15 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

bw123 wrote:
Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
MarkDees wrote:I got everything put back to 52.9 ESR
Don't do that :shock:

v52 is full of holes and should not be used.
Yeah how long before we find out the new one we just got is full of holes too?
Yes, I agree, new features will always carry the risk of new bugs and vulnerabilities but the important thing about v52 is that the bugs & vulnerabilities are known and published and so exploiting them is a simple copy&paste exercise rather than a demonstration of hacking prowess.
deadbang

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rudar
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#16 Post by rudar »

stevepusser wrote:A manually downloaded version from Sid has too many other updated runtime libs necessary, such as libnspr4, libnns3, libsqlite3, and so on. I built a backport of the Sid version on Stretch as an experiment by having Firefox build and use its internal versions of those...but I have to ask why you didn't say anything about just manually downloading the Stretch Quantum deb and installing it? i.e., why go straight to a Sid version that's not compatible?
Thanks, Steve... you basically mean this: https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install- ... etch-linux and/or this https://www.linuxbabe.com/debian/instal ... -9-stretch ?

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rudar
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#17 Post by rudar »

Wheelerof4te wrote:^

Code: Select all

apt-mark showhold
apt-mark unhold <package>
apt full-upgrade
Sorry, I missed this before. So, you suggest to enter these lines in Terminal when I get the reply that the Firefox esr has been taken back when trying to update&upgrade?

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#18 Post by Wheelerof4te »

^Yes, that is what those commands do. You should read more on APT and your options when problems arise:
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianPackageManagement

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rudar
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#19 Post by rudar »

So, you think this is a better solution than to install FF Quantum from Sid repos, according to instructions I mentioned in my previous post?

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Block Firefox Quantum Auto Update Stretch

#20 Post by Wheelerof4te »

^I don't know, miner. Have you tried it? :D

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