Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Hello all and "woof"

I am running uPupBB-64 - but I will shortly move to FossaPup.
also - on a different desktop uPup - 'friendly'.

For 'friendly 32' my browser is 'as supplied' in the distro. - as Firefox.
I think (I'm not sure) the Firefox browser for uPup is mike Walsh's portable. <- @mikewalsh
I got it from 'somewhere' - put it in a folder and copy/use whatever version is in that folder.
Here - I'm using Fossapup - Firefox is 122 and (Firefox 'help' reports) - no updates needed.
Yes - running 3 versions of Puppy can be a little confusing.

The question:
Both firefox and Palemoon suggest I update.
What problems can show up if I do that?
I remember 'weird things' happened every time I updated something in Windows.
I don't like wasting time with 'weird happenings'.
Help (please read subject line).

cobaka

I have Fossa9.6CE and Bionic32 on an old desktop. With Fossa I have the latest Brave and Chrome browsers and with Bionic I run an older Chromium version 90 browser. Although both rigs work well, I find that I actually still prefer the Bionic32 setup. It's blazing fast on this machine and the older Chromium works as well as the newer versions and faster. I also have Firefox on this machine but that is much heavier on resources than the other browsers. So not sure the consistent updating to the newest version of a browser is all that necessary. But if you have relatively new hardware and a fast machine, it's probably best just to use the latest/newest of everything, I suppose. BTW - I never update browsers, if I need a newer version, I download the newer version (normally in the form of a portable). I do use a Chromium sfs with Bionic32 though.

Hi @amethyst
Thank you for your reply.

About my hardware: All my PCs (especially laptops) are old. The oldest: a Dell 8600 from 2005. It runs a Pentium "M" at 1.6GHz with uPupBB-32.
I find it meets my needs - except more and more web-sites want a recent browser. When I use an older FireFox the 'super-security conscious' sites (especially banks) spit the dummy. They ask me to re-set my password. They tell me "We're experiencing 'technical issues' at the moment." However, when I use a 64-bit Puppy and Firefox v122 the 'technical issues' disappear.

My more-modern desktop is a 'very modern' 2011 gigabyte mobo with 'heaps' of RAM. You may interpret 'heaps' as 8GiB.
On that I run Fossa 9.5. I like the Tasmanian tiger desktop. Well - we all have one or two small foibles.

I'll follow your suggestions about browsers and try Brave and Chromium.
Especially for uPupBB-32. '32' is a very functional OS. Will use it until I'm forced to upgrade by 'those outside'.

cobaka

I have been updating the browsers I use every time they give me an update available message.

Using their internal update process.

I have never had an issue with doing this.

I mainly use Firefox and Pale Moon.

Usually the updates are fixing a discovered bug, adding new features, or fixing security issues.
The overall dependency requirements stay the same as long as you started with a not very, very old version of the browser.

The other big reason to update is the constant changes in what web sites require a browser to do.
That seems to stay a constant moving target

Pale Moon seems to keep their browser designed to work well with not so much latest versions of needed dependency stuff.
Still work with older dependency software.

Latest 32bit browsers are getting steadily harder to come by.

Example:
Pale Moons web site does not offer a 32bit version.
https://www.palemoon.org/download.shtml
But you can go to an alternate site where one of their developers is keeping it up in 32bit versions.
https://software.opensuse.org/download. ... e=palemoon (select binary packages directly)
The i386 ones are 32bit.
Even giving you GTK2 or GTK3 based versions, which do provide ability to work in much older versions of Puppy Linux that may only have GTK2 support.
https://www.palemoon.org/contributed-builds.shtml
.
.

[quote=cobaka post_id=111553 time=1707536916 user_id=1112]
Hello all and "woof"

I am running uPupBB-64 - but I will shortly move to FossaPup.
also - on a different desktop uPup - 'friendly'.

For 'friendly 32' my browser is 'as supplied' in the distro. - as Firefox.
I think (I'm not sure) the Firefox browser for uPup is mike Walsh's portable. <- @mikewalsh
I got it from 'somewhere' - put it in a folder and copy/use whatever version is in that folder.
Here - I'm using Fossapup - Firefox is 122 and (Firefox 'help' reports) - no updates needed.
Yes - running 3 versions of Puppy can be a little confusing.

[b]The question:[/b]
Both firefox and Palemoon suggest I update.
What problems can show up if I do that?
I remember 'weird things' happened every time I updated something in Windows.
I don't like wasting time with 'weird happenings'.
[color=#FF0000]Help[/color] (please read subject line).[/quote]

Some people can tell you.... "Yes, of course, update it"
Some people can tell you... "No, it's a waste of time"

I gonna tell you what geeks say: [b][size=150][color=#8000BF]“if it works, don’t touch it”[/color][/size][/b]

As you know, this sentence is an idiom that conveys the idea of leaving something alone if it is already functioning well or producing satisfactory results.
It implies that interfering with or attempting to change something that is already effective may risk disrupting its functionality or causing unnecessary problems. Essentially, it suggests that if a method, system, or approach is successful, there is no need to make alterations or adjustments to it.
This phrase is often used to emphasize the importance of not unnecessarily tinkering with things that are already functioning smoothly.

If you are a linux user, for sure u love modding and play with your computer, change configs and try to addapt your system to your needs.- OF COURSE u should do this, but remember to back up your system first,

PLAY SURE.... jajajja... cheers.

cobaka, "Both firefox and Palemoon suggest I update. What problems can show up if I do that?"

Occasionally Palemoon and once-in-a-while updating firefox will result in a version with problems or 'quirks'. These are usually quickly resolved by their publishers but in the meantime if you've just done an update your Web-browser is less capable or less user-friendly. That's why I'm a big fan of Mikewalsh's portables. Before I update, I Right-Click the portable folder, select "Duplicate" and place a "-O" at the end of the name of the Duplicate. If there's a problem, deleting the updated folder and removing "-O" from Duplicate returns me to a satisfactory version until the publisher straightens things out.

I do the same thing before updating Google-Chrome, Brave or other 'Chromium-Clones'. Their publishers sometime change the download link. When that happens the 'old version' is deleted, a new version not downloaded, and the Web-browser doesn't function at all.

Recent updates to firefox seem to have problems with previously installed Addons. They're in the updated version, but not functional. I have to use firefox's addon manager, search addons.mozilla.org, remove the old and re-install. I keep a screen-shot of the addons in use in storage to 'jog my memory' of which I like.

Edit: 'Update or not' is Not the only choice. Especially if you use portables and (perhaps with some editing) SFSes nothing prevents you from running your 'tried and true' favorite version most of the time and an updated version or different web-browser when you need to. I still recommend a hardened firefox, viewtopic.php?p=19203#p19203, (ESR has a slower update cycle) for use with banks and other on-line financial activity.

@cobaka If you are interested in using the older Chromium browser I'm using with Bionic 32, I can upload it for you.

@amethyst

If you are interested in using the older Chromium browser I'm using with Bionic 32, I can upload it for you.

If @cobaka doesn't feel the need to take up your offer then I would like to if you don't mind -

I am using Firefox V 122.0.1 (32-bit) at the moment -

Thanks -

Chelsea80

I would say - never update your browser.
"Unless" - you have a good, specific reason for doing so.

Many websites have "backdoors" that request you update to a specific version - so that they can control your browser as an entry point ino your system.

Your system belongs to you. If any website is unhappy with your browser functionality - then let this community know what is going wrong and I am certain that the problem belongs to that website - not your browser.

Only update when YOU choose it is necessary.

Hi,
Some of the js settings may change when I update Firefox, that's just my observation, so I try not to update the browser.

Chelsea80 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 7:29 am

@amethyst

If you are interested in using the older Chromium browser I'm using with Bionic 32, I can upload it for you.

If @cobaka doesn't feel the need to take up your offer then I would like to if you don't mind -

I am using Firefox V 122.0.1 (32-bit) at the moment -

Thanks -

Chelsea80

https://sourceforge.net/projects/lxpup/ ... EADME.txt/

https://sourceforge.net/projects/lxpup/ ... s/download

@Chelsea80 Link for Chromium90 - https://mega.nz/file/4TI1BQDB#hM6aHnH6X ... zDz4HsFITE
I run it with:

chromium-browser --no-sandbox --disk-cache-size=50000000 --media-cache-size=50000000

@peebee

Thanks for the latest browser versions link and the ChromiumUBB.sfs link -

@amethyst

Thanks for the Chromium90.sfs link -

Chelsea80

The question was 'update' or 'leave-as-is'?
I got answers from both views - and thanks to all for comments.

@amethyst - I got the 'real' answer to my "Q" when I tried to down-load Chromium from the link you supplied. uPupBB32 'spat the dummy' - wouldn't allow me to get Chromium.

Thanks also to: @bigpup, @pp4mnklinux, @mikeslr, & @Chelsea80.

This thread is useful because it discusses pros and cons about updating.
One point not mentioned is that banks etc don't talk with early browsers.
My experience: With a 32-bit browser Western Union reported: We are having technical difficulties. Call back later.
At the same time: With Firefox 122 - all good.
Western Union did not mean: "We are experiencing technical difficulties". WU meant: Your browser is out of date and we know it.

Again - thanks to all for views expressed. My 'take home' is: I will use the browser I have until I can't, because upgrading often brings pain. I hate pain.

Cobaka.

Website and app developers typically optimize their products to work optimally on the latest browsers. By using an outdated browser, you may experience problems accessing certain websites or using certain online applications. At this point, it's your choice to have a pleasant or unpleasant experience.