-1

I do not want any software on my computer to auto-update without my prior consent and thereby forcing me to submit to the control and schedules of some software developer. Firefox installed by the Canonical repository does not let me disable automatic update. I rather download and install Firefox from the Mozilla website instead, but the Aptitude package manager won't let me remove Firefox without removing the Cinnamon desktop environment due to software dependencies. What can I do?

FWIW, there are a couple of reasons why I need to stop the auto-update. I'm on a slow Internet connection and don't need anything to slow things down when I don't need it. But regarding Firefox, I find it a total nuisance to have tabs above bookmarks and URL, meaning I always have to research and update my userChrome.css file since Firefox no longer provides such customization option.

Meanwhile I also tried the mozilla ppa repository, only to learn it's practically the same, still giving me no option to interfere with the auto-update. Anyway, I removed the mozilla repository and uninstalled anything firefox again using the Synaptic package manager. Also removed the cinnamon desktop-environment and haven't seen any ill effects yet.

I than followed the instructions according to https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-firefox-linux#w_install-firefox-from-mozilla-builds-for-advanced-users. But downloaded firefox from the mozilla ftp site.

After logout I also have the "new" Firefox in the menu. Strange however, I can now choose the setting to auto-update or check and confirm. However, auto-update isn't working at all anymore and I see a blue face telling me to update Firefox downloading from their website. It wouldn't mind to know why auto-update is no longer an option, but I can live with it.

One more update: I reinstalled Ubuntu and removed snap. The auto-update ran and I de-selected Firefox in the update details, but it still updated (Firefox canonical).

MaxUbuntu
  • 73

2 Answers2

3

Ubuntu is not Windows; in Windows, update mechanisms are usually built into each application separately, for example Firefox has it's own auto-update mechanism. In Ubuntu it's different; if you are looking for a way to disable Firefox auto-update in Firefox itself, you won't find it there, because it's updated by the system updater (which updates all software packages in the system), and not by itself. There is an answer to a different question asked recently which explains in detail how Ubuntu updates work and how you can stop particular package from being updated.

In short: you don't have to run auto-updates. You can switch the updates to be manually triggered whenever you want (or not), you can select (on each update) which packages you want to update, you can disable some packages from updating "permanently" (ie. until you revert it), or you can even completely turn update check off.

Myself, I always switch Ubuntu to manual updates right after installation, so it never updates without my knowledge.

raj
  • 11,409
2

Removing Firefox will not remove the cinnamon desktop. It only may remove the cinnamon-desktop-environment metapackage if you do not have another browser (firefox-ers, chromium or www-browser) installed.

A metapackage is not more than a "shopping list". It does not install files by its own. It only lists a number of packages as dependencies, that are installed during installation of the metapackage. Removing the metapackage will not remove any other components of the desktop environment.

So there is no harm in seeing the package removed. You can reinstall it any time to pull back in any packages considered default for a cinnamon desktop on Ubuntu.

vanadium
  • 97,564