How To Install Firefox on Debian and Other Distro's

[Alexzee]

As promised, from this thread I started:

Post in thread 'Fresh Install of Debian 13 Mate Is there a script for FF? [Solved]'

Oct 14, 2025

Ta for the update, Alex.

It's ready when it's ready, and not before.

Chris

• wizardfromoz

• 

Here's the Firefox article I just finished.-

How To Install Firefox On Debian, Arch Linux & Slackware 15.

In today’s article I’ll be showing you a few ways that the Firefox Browser on a Debian system and other Linux systems based on Debian can be installed. In addition to Debian based …

linuxfixes55.wordpress.com

 

[wizardfromoz]

Alex, just a heads up. $DESKTOP_SESSION should be echo $DESKTOP_SESSION

Other than that, good read.

Chris

 

[f33dm3bits]

Cool article! But not sure what the idea behind the article is because every distribution has Firefox in the repos, unless it's about how to also install Firefox-based distributions that aren't in the repos?

 

[osprey]

Cool article! But not sure what the idea behind the article is because every distribution has Firefox in the repos, unless it's about how to also install Firefox-based distributions that aren't in the repos?

Some distros only ship firefox-esr rather than the latest firefox, for example, debian stable. The latest firefox was being referred to in the article as well as the esr version. Lots of good info there. Nevertheless, in relation to debian, the article could have benefited by outlining how the command: extrepo, can be used to configure apt to install the latest firefox versions, mentioned by @craigevil here: https://www.linux.org/threads/fresh...here-a-script-for-ff-solved.58009/post-278831. I guess one can't cover it all, all the time .

 

[CaffeineAddict]

@Alexzee
Btw. the script you attributed to me may at some point become obsolete in regard to adding apt sources because of modernized sources.

If you want you can insert modernized version as follows:

# Update APT sources (modernized apt format)
echo 'Types: deb
URIs: https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/
Suites: mozilla
Components: main
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc' |
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.sources > /dev/null

 

[f33dm3bits]

Some distros only ship firefox-esr rather than the latest firefox, for example, debian stable. The latest one was being referred to in the article as well as the esr version. Lots of good info there. Nevertheless, in relation to debian, the article could have benefited by outlining how the command: extrepo, can be used to configure apt to install the latest firefox versions

Agreed still a lot of useful and informative info there. In Ubuntu-based distributions you can install Firefox(also ESR) from the official Mozilla ppa and on Arch Linux you can use one of the ESR AUR PKBUILDS.

 

[kc1di]

Nice and informative. I'll stick to FF-ESR on my debian though.
Not that I use it that much, Have not been a regular FF user for quite some time. prefer Vivaldi and occationally will use Librewolf.

 

[craigevil]

Install Firefox on Linux | Firefox Help

This article describes how to download and install Firefox on Linux.

support.mozilla.org

Even includes modernized sources.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I'll stick to FF-ESR on my debian though.

I already said this somewhere else, sadly no longer have a link from mozilla dev blog where they say they don't recommend ESR over upstream FF.

The blog was very informative and convincing, otherwise I'd still probably stick to ESR as well.

ESR even though it receives only security fixes is not safer than upstream version, no development is made at all for ESR, they just take a snapshot of some stable version and then only patch it if critical.

 

[MikeWalsh]

I'll get castigated for sayin' this, I know I will, but.....

Personally, I never understand the need for all this complex work in the terminal where Firefox is concerned. We always just grab the latest tarball from here:-

Directory Listing: /pub/firefox/releases/

.....unpack it into /opt (as a rule), then simply launch it from inside the self-contained directory. All the config stuff will be automatically created in the correct places.....and you can always drag the binary onto the desktop & dress it up with an icon if you want a launcher.

Manual checking for updates never hurt anyone. Who here is really that bothered about trying to shave off a few seconds everywhere they can?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Still, I've got to be honest here. We're so used to doing stuff like this manually in Puppy, by literally diving into the file-system and physically moving/copying/creating/deleting/changing permissions, etc, to suit ourselves, that we often forget that mainstream distros are NOT so 'forgiving' of such cavalier behaviour....many of which insist on stuff being done in a certain, specific order, and in a particular way, in order to keep the package-management system "happy".

I have a whole bunch of 'example' desktop entries that just need modifying slightly, a directory with several hundred icons, and scripts that automatically create & 'register' Menu entries with the system. It's honestly quicker for me to do stuff the way I do it in Puppy than it is to do it all thru the terminal instead. And it's at times like this that I'm once again reminded of how truly unique our Pup really is.....combining the best aspects of multiple different methods & systems, and everything being aimed at making life easier for the user (who takes priority), while at the same time being very secure DESPITE running as 'root'.

It doesn't sound possible, does it? Especially given that our community are essentially a bunch of 'tinkerers'...

(shrug...)

Anyhoo; nice one, @Alexzee . Very informative, mate.


Mike.

 

[f33dm3bits]

I already said this somewhere else, sadly no longer have a link from mozilla dev blog where they say they don't recommend ESR over upstream FF.

If you don't want AI in Firefox it's probably the only option if you want to use Firefox and not one of the Firefox-based web-browsers.

 

[craigevil]

Easy enough to get rid of the Ai things in Firefox, create a user.js and add;

/ AI Section
// PREF: AI master switch
// [1] https://github.com/yokoffing/Betterfox/issues/416
//user_pref("browser.ml.enable", false);

// PREF: AI chat
//user_pref("browser.ml.chat.enabled", false);

// PREF: link previews
//user_pref("browser.ml.linkPreview.enabled", false);

// PREF: AI-enhanced tab groups
// [1] https://support.mozilla.org/kb/how-use-ai-enhanced-tab-groups
//user_pref("browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled", false);

//user_pref("extensions.ml.enabled", false);

uncomment the lines you want to use.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Easy enough to get rid of the Ai things in Firefox, create a user.js and add;

That's kind of the opposite world. It's like installing Windows and then removing the bloat, they should just create official extensions/add-ons if they want to give people the option to add AI to their web-browser experience. Better to install Librewolf or one of the other Firefox-based web-browsers.

 

[Brickwizard]

its just as easy if not easier to just turn off AI search results in your settings

 

[f33dm3bits]

its just as easy if not easier to just turn off AI search results in your settings

It'd be even better if all that AI stuff was made to be an official add-on so that it's opt and isn't even in the settings if you don't install the add-on.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

If you don't want AI in Firefox it's probably the only option if you want to use Firefox and not one of the Firefox-based web-browsers.

There is no AI if Firefox, it's 100% optional, you have to agree to terms before you're able to use it.
And this optional AI will come to ESR sooner or later anyway.

It's not like in Windows where AI in forced upon you, and it also steals your data.

 

[f33dm3bits]

There is no AI if Firefox, it's 100% optional, you have to agree to terms before you're able to use it.

I haven't opened the Firefox menu in a long time. I was reacting based upon some screenshots shared in this topic, I don't use Firefox as my main web-browser anymore.

 

[Condobloke]

I don't use Firefox as my main web-browser anymore.

Ditto.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I don't use Firefox as my main web-browser anymore.

That's fine, but I just don't see a viable alternative to switch and there likely won't be any, any time soon.
All mainstream browser alternatives are too under developed for my taste, and their teams are too small to make that change.

So out of few known mainstreams that are well developed and maintained, FF is the only option regarding privacy.

So that's why I'll continue to use it, it's unlikely anyone can change my mind regarding that.
I'm also ready to trade a bit of privacy for speed and good program behavior, it's more acceptable than underdeveloped browser.

 

[Condobloke]

Waterfox.

I sync it with firefox, but only the settings and add-ons