# Firefox installation guide (Non snap)

**URL:** <https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [April 16, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829 "2022-04-16T13:14:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Piscatorius](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/piscatorius/32/2648_2.png) [@Piscatorius](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Piscatorius)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 6:17am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/21 "2022-05-27T06:17:11Z")

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> **[How are we improving Firefox snap performance? Part 1 | Snapcraft](https://ubuntu.com/blog/how-are-we-improving-firefox-snap-performance-part-1)**
>
> Improving Firefox snap performance is one of our top priorities. Learn more about our recent changes, ongoing investigations and how to run your own benchmarks. \[…\]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Piscatorius](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/piscatorius/32/2648_2.png) [@Piscatorius](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Piscatorius)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:10am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/22 "2022-07-28T07:10:52Z")

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> **[Ubuntu Devs Finally Fix Frustrating Firefox Snap Flaw - OMG! Ubuntu!](https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/07/ubuntu-devs-fix-another-frustrating-firefox-snap-flaw)**
>
> Ubuntu's beleaguered Firefox Snap package is tackling another of longstanding criticism of it, namely its lack of native messaging support. It's this

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:34am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/23 "2022-07-28T07:34:22Z")

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I was remarking to the team yesterday how improved the snap version was. I am using kinetic 22.10 and the snap. The startup time for me is no material difference between the snap and the ppa firefox.

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**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 10:37am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/24 "2022-07-29T10:37:56Z")

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[Mozilla offers a standalone archive for Firefox on its official site](https://www.mozilla.org/fr/firefox/all/#product-desktop-release) - which keeps itself up to date automatically.

* * *

**In a single human user context** - working only from the relevant user session (so zero need for _sudo_, no system side mods):  
⋅ unzip the standalone archive to a location in your `$HOME` (eg. ~/Software) and simply rename the resulting folder to _firefox_,  
⋅ place in `~/.local/share/bin` ( or `~/bin` ) a symbolic link named _firefox_ that targets the executable (eg `/home/<your_name>/Software/firefox/firefox` )  
⋅ create in `~/.local/share/applications` a launcher named _firefox.desktop_ (a “short” version only french+english → [here](https://textup.fr/642246Am)).

Relaunch your session: you should find Firefox in your usual applications menu but do not launch it yet.  
In your desktop environment settings, find the equivalent of “Default Applications” and choose Firefox as your Internet Browser.

Launch Firefox, answer “Later” to the question “Do you want to make Firefox your default browser?” then in its settings, uncheck “Always check that Firefox is your default browser” - we have already checked this via “Default applications”

Otherwise on the one hand Firefox will ask you the question each time you launch it and on the other hand if you check it as the default browser from Firefox itself, it will create a second .desktop launcher with a random name, and add it as a duplicate in the _mimeinfo.cache_ file.

* * *

**In a multi-user context** , it will be better to install this autonomous archive on the system side (therefore using _sudo_), e.g. in `/opt/firefox` with adequate management of rights and permissions so that the update mechanism can work from any session of a user who is a member of the _users_ group.

⋅ unzip the standalone archive in `/opt` and simply rename the resulting folder to _firefox_  
⋅ appropriate this _firefox_ folder to _root:users_ with _rwxrwx—_ rights,  
⋅ make sure that all the contents of this folder have _root:users_ as owners BUT that only the _folders_ carry the _sgid bit_ with _rwxrwx—_ rights via these 3 commands:

```auto
sudo chown -R root:users /opt/firefox/
sudo chmod 2770 /opt/firefox
find /opt/firefox/ -type d -exec sudo chmod 2770 {} \;

# you may replace 2770 by 2775 for any user to be able to launch Firefox,
# only members of users group will be able to update it.

```

⋅ place in `/usr/bin` a symbolic link named _firefox_ which targets the executable ( here _/opt/firefox/firefox_ )  
⋅ create in `/usr/share/applications` a launcher named _firefox.desktop_ (in long international version → [there](https://pastebin.com/raw/MZknvWRb)).

This way **only users who are members of the _users_ group can see, use and update the Firefox contained in** `/opt/firefox` it is therefore imperative to add the concerned users to the _users_ group via

```auto
sudo adduser user_A users
sudo adduser user_B users

```

or via a graphical utility like “_Users and Groups_” (provided by _gnome-system-tools_).

The same remarks apply concerning the default choice of browser, which can be refined with:

```auto
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser /usr/bin/firefox 100

```

and

```auto
xdg-settings set default-web-browser firefox.desktop

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9de0a6/32.png) [@wild](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/wild)\
**Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/25 "2022-07-29T22:36:49Z")

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Thats what i did worked great

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**Author:** ![Basilcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c2a13f/32.png) [@Basilcat](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Basilcat)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/26 "2022-08-02T10:54:42Z")

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> [@Piscatorius](#):
>
> The first cold start of Firefox after installing the OS took a reasonable 10 seconds for me, and every subsequent start after that was much faster. On newer computers, it should be able to start even faster.

Well, it now takes 4 to 7 seconds to launch in my case.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/27 "2022-08-02T22:47:29Z")

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Somewhere around 2 seconds - but mind it’s not a snap, just the « autonomous archive »… on a ± 10 years old pc and ssd.

And up-to-date.

Can someone shed some light on the benefit(s) of using Firefox as a snap ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Basilcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c2a13f/32.png) [@Basilcat](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Basilcat)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/28 "2022-08-13T17:10:38Z")

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It is self-contained and won’t interact with your system.  
You also won’t have to wait for delays to get the latest software.  
If you want to move to something else, definetly try manjaro or fedora when their budgie edition comes out.

You can also try Ultramarine linux.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coeur-Noir](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/coeur-noir/32/4515_2.png) [@Coeur-Noir](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Coeur-Noir)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/29 "2022-08-14T23:59:13Z")

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> [@Basilcat](#):
>
> It is self-contained and won’t interact with your system.

And ? This sounds like marketing shenanigan. Did Firefox as a .deb ( or as an autonomous archive ) actually put anyone in a verified danger ? Doesn’t Firefox already isolate its processes ?

> [@](#):
>
> You also won’t have to wait for delays to get the latest software.

Speaking of Firefox, the autonomous archive is first class up to date citizen. Before .deb for sure and probably at the same time as snap if not before ( can’t check as I no longer use snap. )

What about Endeavour ? It also offers Budgie as a choice of DE.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Basilcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c2a13f/32.png) [@Basilcat](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Basilcat)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/firefox-installation-guide-non-snap/5829/30 "2023-07-07T19:30:52Z")

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It sort of is if not using Ubuntu as the openSUSE devs raised concerns about it and why flatpak is in their repositories and not snap.

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