Notice from Firefox 116.0.2 browser 'will stop working soon' [REVISED][SOLVED]

[Sky Aisling]

Revised: see post https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 22#p142822
Solved: see post posting.php?mode=reply&t=13779#review
Sky

RE: my distro according to Pup-Sysinfo is: fossapup64 9.6 (x86_64)
ISSUE: Notice from Firefox 116.0.2 browser 'will stop working soon'

I received this notice from Firefox today 2-5-25 (see screenshots).
Firefox is saying that after March 14, my version of Firefox will no longer work.
They give me a choice of downloads for Linux.
I am in the dark as what to choose and how to initiate the choice for Puppy Fossapup64.

Suggestion or guidance is appreciated.

Thank you,

Sky

Firefox Notice1.png (104 KiB) Viewed 4846 times

Firefox Notice2.png (155.58 KiB) Viewed 4846 times

[bigpup]

Does this version of Firefox have internal update ability?

Menu bar ->Help ->About Firefox ->

If firefox update settings are set to check for updates but not install.
Should see click here to update if there is a newer version available.

[mikewalsh]

@Sky Aisling :-

Mm. Well, it WAS released just over a year ago. Anything released between the long-term ESR builds tends to be like the "6-month wonders" in Ubuntu's line-up; they get all the cutting-edge 'goodies', but all they really are is 'testing' builds to gauge user reaction in preparation for the next LTS (Long Term Support) release.

- 6-month wonders get just 9 months support
- LTS builds get a standard 5 years of support, with the option of adding a further 5 years for a small fee

That's only by way of illustration, of course.

========================

I don't know what, exactly, Mozilla's support timeline looks like on their browsers. I know the ESR builds get around 18-20 months of support; I do NOT know what the schedule is for these 'in-between' releases, but I always understood it to be no more than 7-8 months as a rule, although you often get a 'grace period' before they pull the plug. 116.0.2 is definitely on 'borrowed time' as far as Mozilla are concerned; as they say, much of the media stuff will soon begin to misbehave (due, mainly, to out-of-date certificates), but for a simple site like this Forum it'll continue to function happily for years.

As m'colleague @bigpup says, you should be able to update it internally. Go to the 'hamburger' menu button (top right corner.....like three little horizontal lines, one above the other) -> Help -> About. It'll start downloading straight away, then you'll shortly see a button appear, "Restart to Update Firefox". Just click on that, and it SHOULD restart into the newest version, which is currently @ v135.0.

(This IS dependent on your 'Firefox Update' settings. My guess is you have it set to "Check for updates but let you choose to install them". Me, I prefer "Automatically install updates (recommended)"...)

Let us know what happens, please.

Mike.

[N97]

This makes me think that FF115.20 esr is the last supported version of that issue. Currently 128.7esr.
The NASTY part of this is that glibc may NOT be compatible... a recipe for new OS. Right now my voidpuppy is running 2.39 that should be safe.
But older puppies use older kernels with older glibc.

I notice a penchant here to use bleeding edge as opposed to Long-Term Stable (LTS) kernels.
And a note here to any/all dev's to use newest glibc posible in such LTS kernel, and get kernels to 6.1 or 6.6 for logevity along the discussion here.
Moving to 6.12 LTS REQUIRES same kernel programs, keep that in mind also.

[mikewalsh]

This makes me think that FF115.20 esr is the last supported version of that issue. Currently 128.7esr.
The NASTY part of this is that glibc is NOT compatible... a recepe for new OS. Right now my voidpuppy is running 2,40 that should be safe. But older puppies use older kernels with older glibc.
I notice a penchant here to use bleeding edge as opposed to Long-Term Stable (LTS) kernels.
And a note here to any/all dev's to use newest glibc posible in such kernel, and get kernels to 6.1 or 6.6 for logevity along the discussion here.

@N97 :-

Oh, I don't know so much. The newest version of Firefox is quite happy in PhilB's original Fossapup64 9.5.....glibc 2.31 and k5.4.53. This shares double-duty with my customized Xenialpup64, which is also running Fossa's glibc 2.31, and one of ozsouth's 6.1 LTS-series kernels (I swap between the two as "daily drivers", and have semi-regular outings with my custom Tahrpup64.....glibc 2.28 from Busterpup64, and Xenialpup64's original k4.9.58 kernel).

FF is perfectly content with the first two; the only reason it won't run now under Tahrpup64 is due to GTK-3.0 being too old.....but I get round that by running it from a Fossa64 chroot, if I need it.

Mike.

[N97]

sorry mike... had to edit my post b/4 your reply... nonetheless, glibc not readily fixable by newlings, and gtk easier.
I do still maintain migration towards LTS kernels of the 6.x series as DEFAULT kernel.

My recomendation is FFesr 128.7 for longevity. If you wish, I'll provide a full, turn-key version that installs in root with security/privacy enhancements.
NOTE its not social-media friendly as its a major source of such problems.

[Sky Aisling]

@mikewalsh @bigpup @N97
Mike writes:

As m'colleague @bigpup says, you should be able to update it internally. Go to the 'hamburger' menu button (top right corner.....like three little horizontal lines, one above the other) -> Help -> About. It'll start downloading straight away, then you'll shortly see a button appear, "Restart to Update Firefox". Just click on that, and it SHOULD restart into the newest version, which is currently @ v135.0.

No-Can-Do The Magician

The 'hamburger menu' / 'about' takes me directly to the big orange splash image of Firefox 116.0.2. (screenshot to big to send) No update procedure or restart procedure.

Browser 'help' and browser 'tools' offer no update. (see screenshot6 and screenshot5).

General / Settings / 'Firefox Updates' as shown in 'hamburger menu' give no update procedures. (see screenshot7).

Sky

[Sky Aisling]

Here's the 'hamburger menu' / 'about' presentation.

Sky

[mikeslr]

Another good reason to run portables. You can duplicate a portable before updating, preserving the old until satisfied with the new. FWIW, running from its own folder you can have both an installed-or-SFS version and a portable; just requires some renaming of the executables and things which call them, e.g. Exec= in the desktop file. The first time does require importing bookmarks and installing Addons.

@mikewalsh Wish you'd post your complete recipe for being able to use Fossa's glibc 2.31 in another Puppy.

FWIW, for any whose system can't meet the requirements of a newer firefox, basilisk only requires glibc 2.28 and works very well. See viewtopic.php?p=140250#p140250.
`

[mikewalsh]

@mikeslr :-

TBH, Mike, since it's only older Pups that will benefit from the glibc 'upgrade' (newer Pups already have a newer glibc anyway) - and I've already re-built Bionicpup64 and Xenialpup64 to make use of it - it would be just as simple to make the modified base SFS for those two Pups available to those who want them.

Tahrpup64 won't accept anything above 2.28. I've proved that, more than once.

A 'recipe' ain't quite as simple as you might think, given that certain of the glibc 'components' in /lib are not the same from one generation to the next. Older builds have certain components missing from newer ones.....and newer ones have certain components that were never in older builds to start with. A certain amount of 'calculated risk' exists when doing this, and it's easier for someone like myself to take that risk, running multiple test builds alongside each other until I get it right.....given that I have a ton of RAM and buckets of storage to play with whilst I do so.

T'other Mike.

[N97]

Not good Sky... you're in jail.
1.) But you can make backups of bookmarks
pFind the old version first, and dbl chk against built-in file directory in .packages.
2.) Download the newer Firefox to root
3.) Navigate to root/.cache and delete the the mozilla folder (or firefox, or both).
4.) in root/firefox, click on 'firefox'.
Maybe success.

For anyone that wants to try...
Click on Show All for txz version

[Sky Aisling]

Rolley Eyes.gif (742 Bytes) Viewed 4402 times

I just want a browser that works on my Puppy.

Sky

PS - I miss nooby too.

[mikewalsh]

@Sky Aisling :-

A-ha. You installed this from the PPM, didn't you? This is a Canonical repository build...update components have been removed, because Canonical prefer to provide the user with a newer browser at the same time as you receive general system updates. The idea being that if they compile the newer version themselves, they can at the same time guarantee 100% compatibility with the OS itself.

This is just one reason WHY we never install browsers via the PPM. It's one of the biggest no-nos in Puppyland......because Puppy doesn't get regular updates from the 'parent' distro, and even if we DID half of 'em wouldn't function properly anyway.

(I've lost track of the number of people who CANNOT seem to understand that Puppy's package manager just DOES NOT work the same way as any other distro. In other words, if you install something from Puppy's PPM, there's a bloody good chance it WON'T work!)

The concept of Puppy using it's 'parent's' repositories was a good one in theory, but in practice it's always been something of a double-edged sword......because, more often than not, anything installed this way will need a fair bit of modification before it'll run.

Time to get a handle on the way Puppy 'does' browsers, methinks.....

Mike.

[Sky Aisling]

Yes, I did downloaded it from Puppy Package Manager.
Being just a regular Puppy User I believed that is where I could get programs for Puppy.
I did update the Repositories in PPM before I downloaded.
Sky

[Wiz57]

Might try one of peebee's SFSs, https://sourceforge.net/projects/lxpup/ ... /browsers/
If you do try the Firefox there, then after downloading first use PPM to uninstall the Firefox you obtained from Ubuntu, then load the SFS. IIRC, PPM doesn't remove the various settings, addons, bookmarks, etc. so when you load the SFS it will find your personalizations.

[mikeslr]

As you know 'Remove-Builtin' doesn't actually remove anything. It just creates 'white-outs' so that files aren't used. A remaster (which honors the 'white-outs') is necessary to 'remove' such files by not including them in the remaster.

Far simpler to download your choice of Mikewalsh's portable-firefox, viewtopic.php?t=4083, deploy it to /mnt/home or /opt, then just edit /usr/share/applications/firefox>Categories=X-Internet-browser to Exec= [Nothing]. That change removes the old firefox's menu entry. [The portables, whether or not esr, have "_portable" as part of their application's name].

Before running the portable's MenuAdd script, examine /usr/bin. MenuAdd will attempt to create a symbolic link named firefox_esr there from the LAUNCH script in the portable folder. It won't be able to do so if a file with that name already exists. Either delete that pre-existing file, or change its name.

[Jasper]

to be sure, to be sure............... update your mozilla root certificates, browser continues to work

/usr/share/ca-certificates/mozilla

As an example Curl uses a combined CRT as a single PEM:

https://curl.se/docs/caextract.html

Code: Select all

wget https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-release/raw-file/default/security/nss/lib/ckfw/builtins/certdata.txt

[Sky Aisling]

@mikeslr @mikewalsh
mikeslr you write:

Far simpler to download your choice of Mikewalsh's portable-firefox, viewtopic.php?t=4083, deploy it to /mnt/home or /opt, then just edit /usr/share/applications/firefox>Categories=X-Internet-browser to Exec= [Nothing]. That change removes the old firefox's menu entry. [The portables, whether or not esr, have "_portable" as part of their application's name].

mikeslr, when you say 'deploy' it, what do you mean by 'deploy'? I can get the Mikewalsh's portable-firefox to download to my system to the 'download' file ~/Downloads. But how do I get it into either /mnt/home or /opt? I chose what I think is the 'mainline' firefox, not the ESR because you all seem to think ESR isn't so good? I don't care what I choose as long as it works.

Also, should I 'uninstall' the Firefox ESR 116.0.2 using PPM before I do any of the above? I took Firefox ESR 116.0.2 from PPM originally.

Sky

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Firefox mainline choice2.png (17.26 KiB) Viewed 3827 times

is this right?

[bigpup]

Do not uninstall Firefox 116 right now.
So you still have a browser that works somewhat, but mainly so it is keeping bookmatks you can carry over to the newer Firefox.
Sorry do not know the exact portable Firefox you downloaded.

In general for the portables.

When you get the portable version downloaded it is in a compressed file.

Un-compress it using some decompress program. I use PExtract and tell it to put inside a directory.

The directory will be made with the name of the portable you downloaded.

Inside it will be the portable directory.

Look inside the portable directory and you will see all the files that make up the program.

In Rox file manager copy this portable directory into /mnt/home or /opt/

To make a menu entry.
Inside the portable directory is a file addmenu.
Click on that and run it to make a menu entry.

Now you will have both Firefox programs in menu ->Internet

Run Firefox 116
Use Bookmark Manager to make a backup of the bookmarks. (make sure to know where it is stored)

Run the newer version.
In it's Bookmarks Manager ->Import and backup.... ->Restore
Navigate to the bookmarks backup you made and select to use it.
That will put the bookmarks in the newer Firefox.

The portable Firefox version should be able to update by Firefox's internal update.

Then if you want to uninstall Firefox esr 116

[Sky Aisling]

@bigpup
Thank you bigpup. Your writing makes sense to me. My ancient brain is doing it's best to keep up with this issue.
You write:

Sorry do not know the exact portable Firefox you downloaded.

I took the download for Firefox (think it is 'mainline' not 'ESR') from MikeWalsh's suggestion at viewtopic.php?t=4083.
Mike suggested finding the Firefox download at

[Link removed - Not valid]

I took the 64 bit download.

I'll be working on your suggestion for the rest of the day. News at 11.

Sky

Firefox choice3.png (43.71 KiB) Viewed 3430 times

[Sky Aisling]

@bigpup
I am using pExtract.
You write:

In general for the portables.
When you get the portable version downloaded it is in a compressed file.

Unzip 64-bit1.png (22.05 KiB) Viewed 3216 times

Un-compress it using some decompress program. I used PExtract and tell it to put inside a directory.

Unzip 64-bit2.png (78.59 KiB) Viewed 3216 times

The directory will be made with the name of the portable you downloaded.
Inside it will be the portable directory.
Look inside the portable directory and you will see all the files that make up the program.

In Rox file manager copy this portable directory into /mnt/home or /opt/

Unzip 64-bit.png (27.26 KiB) Viewed 3216 times

To make a menu entry.
Inside the portable directory is a file addmenu.
Click on that and run it to make a menu entry.

Sorry forum 'add files' will only allow me 3 screenshot files to add inline...I'll put screenshots in following post.

now you will have both Firefox programs in menu ->Internet

Nothing yet. No both firefox programs in menu/internet.
I'll keep trying...
Sky

[Sky Aisling]

@bigpup
Here are the screenshots that I couldn't 'add inline' from the above post.

Unzip 64-bit4.png (21.81 KiB) Viewed 3216 times

Unzip 64-bit5.png (27.51 KiB) Viewed 3216 times

Sky

[bigpup]

You really got confused on what to do.

When you get to this page of the download location.

Screenshot(2).jpg (23.9 KiB) Viewed 2832 times

.
Double click on 64-bit folder to open it showing this:

Screenshot(3).jpg (24.61 KiB) Viewed 2832 times

.
I will pick the esr folder, double click to open it..

I downloaded:

FirefoxESR-portable64.tar.xz

This is the portable compressed file package.

In rox file manager navigate to where FirefoxESR-portable64.tar.xz is located.

Right click on FirefoxESR-portable64.tar.xz and select to use PExtract

In PExtract select Extract button.

you will now have the uncompressed Firefox portable. (FirefoxESR-portable64)
.

Screenshot(4).jpg (35.84 KiB) Viewed 2832 times

Copy FirefoxESR-portable64 to /mnt/home if you do not want it in the save or /opt/ if you want it in the save.

Navigate to location you copied it.

Now left click on FirefoxESR-portable64 (it is a directory that will open showing what is in it).
.

Screenshot(5).jpg (28.42 KiB) Viewed 2832 times

.
Left click on the file Menu-Add

This will make a menu entry to run it from in menu ->Internet

Close Rox and you are done installing the portable.

[Sky Aisling]

@bigpup @mikewalsh

"FirefoxESR-portable" now shows in menu/internet along with the old listing of "Firefox Web Browser".

Is this correct place to put FirefoxESR-portable64 in /mnt/home?
I have not yet attempted to open ESR-portable64 until I understand what to do with old Firefox (116.0.2).

Sky

Double Left Click ESR-portable64 .png (166.64 KiB) Viewed 2451 times

[mikewalsh]

@Sky Aisling :-

TBH, there IS no "correct" place to put the 'portables', because they will literally run from anywhere.....even from a flash drive. However, I tend to recommend /mnt/home for 2 simple reasons:-

- It's one place most everybody knows, and is for instance where all your SFS packages get located.....for the simple reason that
- It's OUTSIDE the 'save'.....and therefore occupies no space within it. Which is important, say. with browsers, due to the insane size their cache can quickly balloon to...

Yeah, it's fine there. And most especially if you're running from a flash drive already, 'cos it stays with you, wherever you go,

Mike.

[Sky Aisling]

@mikewalsh
Good to know about placing the portable in mount/home.
Now, what to do about the existing Firefox ESR 116.0.2?
I know I can export the bookmarks.
Then do I un-install the old Firefox using Puppy Package Manager as that is where I got it in the first place?
If so, then will PPM know which Firefox resources to delete? PPM will un-install only the files for Firefox ESR 116.0.2?

Sky

[mikeslr]

As Mikewalsh wrote, his portables can be run from anywhere. Like Mikewalsh I also usually* deploy (drag & drop>move) the portable-folder (not the portable-folder.tar.?z) "to" /mnt/home: actually to /mnt/home/Pup_Apps where I keep all portables and AppImages. I have a rox-bookmark to /mnt/home/Pup_Apps enabling quick access to all I don't use frequently enough to warrant a place on the Menu & panels. I used the word "deploy" because portables are really not 'installed' as one would install a pet.

"Then do I un-install the old Firefox using Puppy Package Manager as that is where I got it in the first place?
If so, then will PPM know which Firefox resources to delete? PPM will un-install only the files for Firefox ESR 116.0.2?"

I don't think so. Examining the contents of F96-CE_4.ISO [mount the ISO, then mount the puppy_fossapup64_96.sfs] revealed that in the latter's /opt folder is a firefox_portable. So, I think the firefox you installed was written to your SaveFile/Folder. Contents of the SaveFile/Folder have priority over 'builtins'. [It's like a layering system, with only the highest layer being used]. Uninstalling it will result in the 'builtin' firefox once again being revealed. The easiest way to get rid of THAT is to use Menu>Setup>Remove Builtins --which only conceals it with 'white-outs'="Don't use"-- then remaster as rematering honors the white-outs. That is, uninstall the latest, then remove the built-in, then remaster. Too much work.

Before clicking MenuAdd of your new firefox_esr portable, uninstall the firefox_esr you installed via PPM. Then tell us the EXACT name of /usr/bin/firefox. I suspect it will be firefox_esr. Mike's MenuAdd script will try to create a symbolic link with that name at that location and won't be able to overwrite the already existing file. Bit fuzzy about that; correct me if I'm wrong.

What you may be able to do is (a) delete the currently existing /usr/bin/firefox_esr symbolic link; then (b) run MenuAdd. That should over-write your current /usr/share/applications/firefox_esr-portable.desktop file and create a new symbolic link at /usr/bin. But showing hidden files check /usr/bin and delete any .wh adjacent to firefox_esr.

Being uncertain and lazy, what I did was opt for the 'non-esr' version of firefox-portable and used the attached pet to install menus.

firefox_from_MntHome-menu.pet

(312.06 KiB) Downloaded 2 times

While the non-esr version updates more often --no problem as it only takes a couple of minutes--- they display Pocket, currated posts I frequently think worth reading. firefox_esr is still on the Menu. I just don't use it. Using Menu>Set default Apps I chose root/my-applications/bin/firefox_portable as my default web-browser. There's a 2nd Menu listing "firefox64 Secure" with a different icon. It can be fleshed out with a more secure profile for those occasions when I want to be extra cautious.
If you use the pet, you'll have to edit the scripts at /root/my-applications/bin. Each specifies the aforementioned 'Pup-Apps' folder. Change them to remove /Pup-Apps from the location argument.

[Sky Aisling]

@mikeslr @bigpup
Good to hear from you, mikeslr.
Thanks for the explanation of 'deploy'. That helped.
You write:

Before clicking MenuAdd of your new firefox_esr portable, uninstall the firefox_esr you installed via PPM. Then tell us the EXACT name of /usr/bin/firefox. I suspect it will be firefox_esr. Mike's MenuAdd script will try to create a symbolic link with that name at that location and won't be able to overwrite the already existing file. Bit fuzzy about that; correct me if I'm wrong.

I used bigpup's method of extracting the new ESR download. bigpup's method successfully got a menu/internet listing that shows Firefox Web Browser (116.0.2) and FirefoxESR-Portable. by following bigpup's method I did activate MenuAdd which worked to show the menu/internet listing of both Firefoxes. See bigpup's post four posts above this post.

You ask for the EXACT name of /usr/bin/firefox. See screenshot.
There is no FirefoxESR in /OPT See screenshot.
I have already exported bookmarks from Firefox 116.0.2. I have them waiting in a work folder dedicated to this issue.

Does any of this help?

Sky

Note: I didn't care whether I had the 'mainline' FF or 'ESR' FF, as long as I had a working browser. So, I reasoned it would be less confusing for anybody reading this thread to keep the names consistent, so I stuck with 'ESR' download.

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Firefox not in OPT1.png (25.13 KiB) Viewed 2232 times

[bigpup]

Just keep both Firefox versions installed and listed in menu ->Internet

It is not going to hurt anything and you never know when a backup working Firefox may be needed.

Just make sure to select the Firefox portable to normally use.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you did use PPM to install Firefox 116.

Should be able to uninstall it using PPM ->Uninstall

Not knowing how your save is setup to update.
Update the save, when finished, to get the change in the save to stick.

[Sky Aisling]

@bigpup
First try at executing FirefoxESR-Portable from desktop shortcut:

Failed to execute child process "/usr/bin/-firefox_esr" (no such file or directory)

Isn't user/bin/Firefox_ESR showing a broken link? See screenshot in previous post to mikeslr.

Sky