This morning I noticed a link to this article that caught me off guard: Ubuntu is changing it’s default search selection in Firefox for the next release to Yahoo because they are going to pay more (than Google does). Now, I don’t much care for Yahoo (especially now that they use Microsoft for search since I REALLY don’t like Microsoft ;) but this is a wakeup call and this needs to be said:
Mozilla needs to make an official repository for Ubuntu.
It can support Debian and all the other DEB-based systems too (that would be awesome), but it NEEDS to be primarily aimed at Ubuntu because that’s the most common distro (I love this graphic from Google)
fedora 
debian 
ubuntu 
suse | opensuseUbuntu does a poor job of keeping Firefox current as releases age; Karmic is using the 3.5 series and Jaunty the 3.0 series. I understand *why* Ubuntu does it that way (ala Debian’s update everything) but internet-facing apps ESPECIALLY the browser should be kept up to the most current stable version and I think that Mozilla would agree. A stable Thunderbird 3 for Karmic would be nice too! All of this can be neatly housed in a repository.
Opera and Chrome maintain repositories AND make 64-bit Linux versions for them; its time for Mozilla to do so as well.
As Ubuntu continues to gain popularity, I want to see Mozilla apps getting updated just as fast as on other supported platforms. Make a repository and people WILL add it to Synaptic.
Update Jan. 29: for now you can add the Firefox Stable PPA to get 3.6, though I did have some issues at first (see comments) and suggest a clean start (backup your bookmarks and then import them).
Update May 25: they also have a Thunderbird Stable PPA.
Limulus 
January 28, 2010 at 2:03 AM |
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1392413
January 28, 2010 at 4:08 AM |
One of your fundamental arguments is wrong, unfortunately:
“Ubuntu is changing it’s default search selection in Firefox for the next release to Yahoo because they are going to pay more (than Google does).”
The Google deal is between Mozilla and Google, so Mozilla gets the money – Ubuntu gets no money from that deal.
The Yahoo/Canonical deal does not involve Mozilla.
So the statement of paying more is misleading. You are right – the yahoo deal pays more for Canonical as before it they didn’t get anything.
January 28, 2010 at 10:53 PM |
Currently Canonical gets $ when users use the search from the default page in Ubuntu, e.g. http://www.zoopy.com/photo/pbl/ubuntu-8-10-start-page
source: http://blog.charlvn.com/2009/03/ubuntu-start-page.html
January 28, 2010 at 7:25 AM |
I hated the old “Ubuntu Customised” Google start page and always changed it, so no different if its Yahoo!
I also have my home page set to http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
as I find I get better search results than google uk.
On the Firefox repository thing, well…
The Firefox New Support Model
Note that the way Firefox is being built and maintained in Ubuntu is changing.
As an example, the team are quite far along with reducing dependencies.
Also installing firefox-3.6 does not now install xulrunner-1.9.2.
For full details see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8708092#post8708092
Oh and this:
[UPDATE 2010/01/26 Start]
Code:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/firefox-stable
Packages in “Firefox Stable Channel Packages”
firefox – 3.6+nobinonly-0ubuntu1~mfs~karmic1 (changesfile) asac 2010-01-24 Published Karmic Web
I haven’t had a chance to reset my system back to Official Firefox Defaults then test this yet so use at your own risk.
[UPDATE 2010/01/26 End]
January 28, 2010 at 11:24 PM |
“ppa:mozillateam/firefox-stable”
Ooo… I had heard of the ubuntu-mozilla-daily PPA but not that one; thank you for the heads up on that, I will be testing it shortly!
January 29, 2010 at 12:32 AM
My EYES!
Ugh, what a horrid change to the fonts that caused…
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=849523 helped a bit, but it still looks BAD.
Also the icon broke :/
January 29, 2010 at 12:36 AM
Be sure browser.display.use_document_fonts in about:config is set to the default (1) to enable WOFF: http://people.mozilla.com/~jkew/woff/
January 29, 2010 at 12:44 AM
reset all the fonts.* entries in about:config that had been changed in the past, but that didn’t seem to fix things.
Ah, it put a proper icon in the gnome menu, but hid it ^_^;
January 29, 2010 at 12:49 AM
reset all gfx.* entries…
January 29, 2010 at 6:35 AM |
As I wanted text to be optimized for display quality I set:
browser.display.auto_quality_min_font_size = 0.
Much Much Better!
January 28, 2010 at 7:42 AM |
“Mozilla needs to make an official repository for Ubuntu.”
Oh! Now that would put the cat among the pigeons!
I only use the ubuntu-mozilla-daily PPA as I want an up-to-date 64bit version and find this to be the easiest way.
January 28, 2010 at 10:11 AM |
Working on it …
January 28, 2010 at 10:54 PM |
Ooo… That’s Mozilla’s Firefox Director talking! :D
January 28, 2010 at 11:07 AM |
Once again, the idiocy of the Ubuntu hypnotized speak… There are no official numbers to use, but let us assume that Distrowatch numbers are remotely correct. The top 5 distros are:
1 Ubuntu 2268
2 Fedora 1727
3 Mint 1548
4 openSUSE 1391
5 Mandriva 1151
So, out of that slice of the pie, it appears as there are more RPM based distro users than Debian based. So, should I suggest that they create an RPM based respoitory and aim that squarely at Fedora users? Now, I know the top 5 isn’t a realistic assessment of the Linux market, but it’s just as stupid of a basis that you want Mozilla to invest their time and resources in creating an Ubuntu-only repository. There are, at least, as many non-Debian users as there are Debian users.
I’m so sick to my stomach at all the Ubuntu zealots and their indifference to the other Linux users out there that DON’T use Ubuntu.
January 28, 2010 at 11:05 PM |
Those stats reflect the pages on Distrowatch people are reading.
According to the browser stats on
http://distrowatch.com/awstats/awstats.DistroWatch.com.osdetail.html
The largest single Linux group (14% of any browser) is using Ubuntu. Contrast to:
Fedora 1.6%
Mint 4.4%
openSUSE 1.6%
Mandriva Linux 1.2%
Fedora+openSUSE+Mandriva Linux=4.4%, the same as Mint.
Ubuntu is the single distro with the largest user base; it has at least a plurality.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9926516-16.html
January 28, 2010 at 12:46 PM |
why should mozilla blatantly show favoritism to ubuntu? It is ubuntu and any other distro responsibility to have mozilla packages as soon as possible after mozilla make a new version official
It is this kind of attitude and thinking that annoys a lot of people who use linux but *buntu .. sheehh
January 28, 2010 at 11:11 PM |
“why should mozilla blatantly show favoritism to ubuntu?”
Q: Why should Mozilla blatantly show favoritism to Windows and MacOS?
A: Market Share.
“It is ubuntu and any other distro responsibility to have mozilla packages as soon as possible after mozilla make a new version official”
It is healthiest for the web to have people using the most up-to-date version of browsers. It has been a persistent source of frustration that Ubuntu sticks with the release branch of Firefox for the supported life of its release EVEN AFTER Mozilla has declared it no longer supported (e.g. by backporting security patches) Dapper (which finally lost support only about half a year ago) was STILL using Firefox 1.5! http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=firefox
January 28, 2010 at 10:30 PM |
[…] An Open Letter to Mozilla: RE Ubuntu This morning I noticed a link to this article that caught me off guard: Ubuntu is changing it’s default search selection in Firefox for the next release to Yahoo because they are going to pay more (than Google does). Now, I don’t much care for Yahoo (especially now that they use Microsoft for search since I REALLY don’t like Microsoft but this is a wakeup call and this needs to be said: […]
January 30, 2010 at 11:01 PM |
As in windows, Mozilla should enable the update firefox sub menu under help in linux as well. That way it wud be alot better to easily update to lastest stable than waiting for RPM or deb based packages for each and evey distro. Tis will avoid ny confusions or complains about mis match of update ver.
February 13, 2010 at 7:58 AM |
Note that the update menu works fine, as long as you have installed the browser somewhere that your user has write access to.