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Old 03-29-2017, 09:31 PM   #1
LenHoff
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"Automated" method to install firefox*.partial.mar files?


Automated in quotes, as in more automated than D/L the Mar file & manually doing the steps to execute it.

For apps not installed via software manager, I can't find that Fx, Tb will automatically install updates in Linux. If there's a way, it's well hidden from search engines.

Mozilla's procedure for it is https://wiki.mozilla.org/Software_Up...teps_for_Linux

I installed the Mar file, but it's not "quick." It's 9MB vs 55MB for full installer.

In Fx for Linux, there's no "update now" button in About-Firefox.
It only began showing "updates exist" on the About-Firefox GUI - w/ link to Mozilla's main D/L site, after setting "app.update.service.enabled" = true (I think).

That's little help, since I don't want to D/L the full package each release.

Maybe someone's already written a script to fetch the (correct, latest) mar file & automate most the process. Maybe requiring entering PW.

Thanks.
 
Old 03-30-2017, 11:50 AM   #2
ondoho
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which linux distro?

what's a "firefox*.partial.mar"?

generally speaking, on linux you use package management to keep your system clean & up-to-date. somewhat different from the windows world, because it includes ALL (well, most) software, certainly something as crucial as a web browser or mail client.
 
Old 03-30-2017, 03:17 PM   #3
LenHoff
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Mint Sarah.

But software in the repositories (any distro) isn't always completely up to date. Sometimes, quite outdated - depending.

A "mar" file is the update file that Firefox downloads, when "automatic updating" is used. Or can be installed manually (or suppose by script). A fraction the size of full installer.
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/

Thanks, but I asked about updating manually installed Firefox - which lots of users choose.
Did you see this in the Mozilla link:
3. Download the appropriate .mar file and put it into the outside directory you created (* see Where to get a mar file *).
 
Old 03-31-2017, 01:03 AM   #4
ondoho
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LenHoff View Post
But software in the repositories (any distro) isn't always completely up to date. Sometimes, quite outdated - depending.
yes, and there's a good reason for that.
they often require newer versions of libraries that aren't easily available on your system and you soon slip into dependency hell.
nevertheless, security related issues are addressed quickly, and updates will be available very soon if something is discovered.

Quote:
Originally Posted by LenHoff View Post
Thanks, but I asked about updating manually installed Firefox - which lots of users choose.
then lots of users choose wrong.
it's called "The Shiny New Stuff Syndrome".
 
Old 03-31-2017, 10:48 PM   #5
LenHoff
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OK, point taken about newer libraries. Although you can check dependencies fairly easily before installing.

Maybe you can answer this - or shed some light. I really am interested in how it's done. So far, myriad of searches found nothing helpfu. Questions to experienced users were met w/ silence or change of topic.

What * exactly * does a typical distro update / back port in their repo version - where the repo version may be 2 or 3 major versions behind the latest stable dev release? (yes, I've seen popular apps that far behind).
Just an example (don't fret over actual versions). Say xyz browser's latest stable release is 12.2, but the distro's latest repo version (or the distro that distro often depend on) is v10.9.

There were security fixes of course, but also * major * UI and existing, important feature fixes in the versions between 10.9 & 12.2. That only affected some users, but for those, they were a big deal. ** What do the distro's "software management teams" do w/ those important UI or feature bug fixes? ** Or do they only back port security fixes right away, then test NON-security changes when they have time, before updating the repo version number?

I'm guessing they don't put all of the major UI / feature fixes in the repo version right away or they'd pretty much be the same version as the dev release.

What do the distro repos do about important NEW features, say in browsers - to conform to W3C changes, stop breaking other software or work with newer hardware, etc?
They're "new" features; not security fixes, but none the less quite important to some users. Even have a financial impact on some users, if they don't have those fixes or newest features. Not always new shiny-itis.

Do most distros put those important, non-security changes in the repo version as soon as the stable release comes out? (Those features / changes were tested a good while before a "major" software dev released them in stable version). Or do distros expect users to use partly broken browsers until they finish testing them w/ their distro?

I wonder is there're ever any other reasons some distros take so long after stable dev releases before updating the repo versions, besides testing them in their distro?
And how do even the largest distros have man power or money to "test" even 10% (or 5%) of repo apps that may concurrently have feature changes? (they don't). Just wait until bugs on stable releases are reported & devs release another version? If so, distros will always be 1 - 3 versions behind the latest stable releases.

Thanks to anyone that can point me to unbiased explanations on these questions.
 
Old 04-01-2017, 02:01 AM   #6
ondoho
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https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDeb...Stuff_Syndrome

and, ultimately, answer your own questions with duckduckgo:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=linux+stab...dated+software
 
Old 04-01-2017, 07:46 AM   #7
Habitual
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It's been my experience that a partial labeled download is incomplete.

See also How to install software on Linux Mint
Your request is vague. Some software is "out of date" and "For apps not installed via software manager,"

Repo software is known to work and be stable on that system.
If something is not "up-to-date" perhaps you'd like to carve out some of your Free Time and contribute?
Then you'd understand.

FrankenMint is what I'm reading.
Try a rolling distro or contribute or accept stable.

Mozilla's version today is better than Mint's tomorrow?
Laughable.

Last edited by Habitual; 04-01-2017 at 07:47 AM.
 
Old 04-06-2017, 12:49 AM   #8
LenHoff
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habitual - I can't say for all software, but for Mozilla, the <name-version>.partial.mar update files are the update files, not an incomplete update.
They're only "partial" compared to the full installer - most of which isn't needed just for an update. Often only a few MB for the changes in new releases vs. 50 - 55 MB for full package. That's seen if using Mozilla's auto updater (Win, OS X) -if you initiate the update. It gives update file size being downloaded. Sometimes 2 - 5MB - sometimes more.

Re: distro backporting new features.
I'm sure distros do backport new features - fairly quickly on some software. Especially more popular packages.
Backporting new features (assuming they wouldn't break a given distro) on every package in the repository with new releases? Then thoroughly test them all in the distro, after the backporting?

Distros would have to be testing well their backported versions before adding to repositories; or else they couldn't claim that overall, they're more stable in the distro than the devs' releases. I'd be surprised if a co. Google's size could do that quickly on an ongoing basis.
 
Old 04-06-2017, 12:27 PM   #9
Habitual
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Software Updates are delivered via Software Manager, and the reason to use that facility is quite apparent.
I will not help. Sorry.
 
Old 04-06-2017, 12:55 PM   #10
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I run Nightly on my desktop. I unzip it into /opt, chown it to root, then run it as root to allow the update process to take place. I can't recomend it as I can't confirm it's the best way but it works.
 
Old 06-24-2017, 12:56 PM   #11
LenHoff
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@ LQ Addict - you're correct.
At least for Firefox, if you start it with sudo in terminal, then go to Help > About Firefox, it shows the update button & updates work that way.
Since it's a major open source browser, and the update downloads are using HTTPS, it shouldn't be much risk. After the update finishes, I close it vs. clicking restart.

I assume if you click restart it restarts it in elevated mode and sudo retains the last PW entered for a few minutes.

Recently, whether I update Firefox via Synaptic or the method just described, recent updates have been "deleting" my couple of saved, customized search engine plugins.
Only the ones that I customize settings on the engine's settings page, then save as custom plugin (like Ixquick or DDG with special settings).

Updates aren't deleting user added engines with default settings.
Not sure if this is a Linux only issue, or changes in recent Fx code. Used to, custom search plugins were stored in a separate profile folder, along w/ any other engines added by the user. That folder doesn't seem to exist anymore.

Don't know where it's storing custom search engines now - maybe search.json.mozlz4.
 
  


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