0

When I download Mozilla Firefox, I am unable to install it from the extracted files. I downloaded it from this page: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/exp/firefox/new/

The file (which was zipped/compressed) saved to my Downloads folder and I extracted the file to that folder. But I don't know how to use these files to actually install Firefox to my PC.

I already have Firefox 85.0.1 but this version I downloaded is 95.0.2 and I only downloaded it because I get this error message when I try to stream from Netflix using Firefox. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/109144

I'm using Ubuntu version 20.04.2 LTS. No geek language please - English. I'm just a user.

Allan
  • 593
  • Are you asking how to install unpackaged software? Or are you asking how to obtain a packaged version of the latest Firefox? The latter is easier. – user535733 Jan 01 '22 at 14:02
  • If you still have v85 you've been missing a lot of updates. For your own safety you should keep your system updated at all times. – ChanganAuto Jan 01 '22 at 22:14
  • @user535733 I don't know what "packaged" and "unpackaged" mean. I went to the Mozilla Firefox page and clicked "download", thinking I could download and install it. I couldn't see anything in what actually downloaded which would install it. Just icons and text and whatever. May as well be empty. – Allan Jan 02 '22 at 04:52
  • @ChanganAuto The information I found claimed that Firefox updates automatically. When I tried to update it from the menu, it did not search for updates and no Update button was displayed. But then when I downloaded the latest (?) version from the Mozilla website, the version number was 95.0.2 – Allan Jan 02 '22 at 04:55
  • Firefox is updated alongside everything else in Ubuntu from the official repositories. Just make sure you install the latest system updates. – ChanganAuto Jan 02 '22 at 05:13
  • BTW It seems that Firefox did somehow update to 95.0.2 since I posted this question. The next day, after powering my PC, and then browsing for a few minutes, Firefox suddenly "crashed" and said it needs to "restart" and next thing I had a new version of Firefox. No idea how this happened. – Allan Jan 02 '22 at 05:45
  • @NOrbert I looked up a few ways of installing. I tried it from the Ubuntu software centre on my desktop menu but it told me I already have the latest version. Before that I tried downloading it from the Mozilla website and extracting the file, but there was no visible way of actually installing it from those files. I didn't think I'd need to resort to terminal commands to do it. – Allan Jan 02 '22 at 05:49
  • I went to the Mozilla Firefox page and clicked download -- That is the Windows way to install software. In GNU/Linux, you should use the package manager (either CLI or GUI) to install and update software. – Archisman Panigrahi Jan 03 '22 at 02:52

1 Answers1

7

You can use Ubuntu's package manager to update the already installed Firefox. Open a terminal, and enter the following commands one by one.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install firefox -y

You can update the whole system with

sudo apt dist-upgrade

Alternatively, if you prefer GUI, use the Update Manager to update apps.

You cannot "install" the version of Firefox you download from the Mozilla website. You can run the executable file inside it, but it is much simpler to use the default version. If you still want to use this method, head over to the manual installation section in the Ubuntu Community Help Webpage.

Archisman Panigrahi
  • 28,338
  • 18
  • 105
  • 212
  • This is correct, particularly the last paragraph, but overall it misses the point. The commands won't change the OP's situation because Firefox is already installed. The problem is not having installed updates for who know how long... So, it should be sudo apt upgrade or sudo apt full-upgrade and check for eventual errors the likely will shows up. It's not normal someone still has version 85. – ChanganAuto Jan 02 '22 at 01:54
  • 1
    @ChanganAuto apt install firefox should selectively update firefox – Archisman Panigrahi Jan 03 '22 at 02:30