Squeeze comes with Iceweasel 3.5something, which is not satisfactory to me.
I usually install the latest Firefox from the .tar.gz on the Mozilla site, but it's 32-bit, and doesn't update automatically (it tries, but fails to connect to the update server). It's no big deal for me as you just have to download and unpack the newest tar.gz into /opt, but the computer I'm working on right now is going to a moderately computer-illiterate person who would greatly benefit from a "automagically update yo'self" feature the way it works in Windows.

I could install Iceweasel after apt-pinning to Sid, but if I do that aptitude wants to install a bunch of stuff and remove some packages (which I never heard of, but still) and I'm a bit worried about system stability.

I of course assume that a package installed by apt-pinning will auto-update itself when Sid gets a new version. Am I right? If not, how do I set it so it does?

Failing all this, is it somehow possible to set externally-installed Firefox so that it updates itself properly?

Are you using a proxy?

I have used Thunderbird and firefox on Debian for years with no problems. right now have 3 machines with FF6 on squeeze 32 bit, all were fresh installs. one laptop and two desktops.
All run the auto updates. Maybe check>edit>pref.

There is a 64bit version of FF now,I'm posting this from it!
Try here:

ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.or.../releases/6.0/

And as pointed out above it can be set to automatically update itself.

1 members found this post helpful.

Ok then, I installed Firefox again. Hopefully this one can update OK (I'm not using a proxy). Thanks all.

Changes,
There is no real need for you to be in stable. If you're not running a mission-critical server with 360 clients then you might well be better off in testing. I have been running testing for more years than I care to think about and I can count any testing-specific problems over the years on one very mangled hand. Your life will be much simpler if you try this solution.
ciao,
jdk

Using Debian Mozilla team APT archive : http://mozilla.debian.net/ will give you Iceweasel 6.0.2-1 which is the same as the current release of Firefox.

I run debian squeeze, which came with 2 web browsers, iceweasel and epiphany.
Iceweasel and epiphany are not bad web browsers.
I have also installed firefox.
What is irritating is that iceweasel pretends to be firefox and interferes with firefox.
Surely iceweasel should stand or fall on its own merits.

Before someone else tells you I will. Iceweasel is Firefox. We have just had this discussion in another thread and really don't need to go through it all again.

Debian User Forums • View topic - Iceweasel IS Firefox : http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=73796

The current version of Iceweasel using the mozilla.debian.net is the same as the current version of Firefox. You can also choose to install the Beta or Aurora.