mozilla packages vs. Debian (firefox and thunderbird)
 

Hello all,

i am running debian sarge, and use the Mozilla Firefox web browser, and the Thunderbird e-mail client. I have downloaded both packages from Mozilla, not realising that i could apt-get them.

my question is: is there any reason to apt-get them vs using the packages from mozilla?

~TimmyP

Versions...
 

...the versions direct from the Mozilla site tend to be newer. The Debian-packaged versions could be conceived to be easier to maintain (use apt-get and its ilk to do so).

I always prefer Debian packages. Non-debian packages are simply bothersome to maintain and update. All menu modifications, icons etc. have to be done by hand, whereas debian packages do it automatically.

let me ask another question real quick...

if i use the debian packages, will the be intigrated with my desktop manager (kde or gnome, changes daily)? Right now i have downloaded the 2 programs, and when i click on a mailto link in Firefox, i get either KDE or Gnome's mailer, and can't seem to make firefox the defalt.

also, when i click on a link in an e-mail or an IM (i use gaim), thunderbird opens epiphany and gaim opens firefox, but goes to my home page.

Integrated?
 

I do believe they would be, yes. They certainly are on my desktop.

so if i just copy my .firefox and .thunderbird folders (in my home directory) to another folder, apt-get the programs, then replace the new folders with the old ones, will all my e-mails and bookmarks survive?

Installing debian packages will not touch any files or folders in your home directory. No need to move those folders. Those files are created/updated only when you actually run the binaries.