Re: [PLUG] Ubuntu 22.04.1, firefox snap, alternatives?
On Tue, 23 Aug 2022, Ben Koenig wrote: And if I'm going to be brutally honest with you, just use Rocky Linux. All this effort to switch to deb distros seems pointless given why you started in the first place. Word on the street is that Rocky 9.0 is set to go EOL in 2032 ... I know that Keith asked specifically for distributions with deb-based packages, so this reply isn't for him per se but anyone interested in Ben's recommendation for Rocky 9.0 (Linux, not a movie). Here are the versions it offers of some packages that might be of general interest: kernel: 4.18 glibc: 2.28 gcc: 8.5.0 Apache: 2.4.37 nginx: 1.14.1 (1.16, 1.18, and 1.20 available) php: 7.2 (7.3, 7.4, and 8.0 available) python: 3.6.8 (3.8 and 3.9 available) perl: 5.26 (5.30 and 5.32 available) mariadb: 10.3 (10.5 available) postgresql: 10 (9.6, 12, and 13 available) The packages with alternate versions available are visible via the "dnf module" family of commands, e.g., dnf module list php dnf module info php -- Paul Heinlein heinl...@madboa.com 45°22'48" N, 122°35'36" W
Re: [PLUG] Ubuntu 22.04.1, firefox snap, alternatives?
On Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:00:05 -0700 Keith Lofstrom wrote: > Note: I use some obscure command-line-only applications > that are only available as DEB and RPM. I'm glad there > are other distro communities out there, but many do not > have the obscure stuff, and building large apps from > source will soon be beyond my skill set. Ehh, building large apps from source doesn't take a lot of skill, persay. The hard part is having a powerful enough system to actually build it. It does take some skill, but Gentoo at least is easier to use than ever. But C++ and Rust devs routinely require 8 or even 16 gigabytes of RAM to compile their software. Most computers today can handle it, but I've had lower end ones struggle to keep up with compiling the most gigantic applications like Firefox, Rust, and Webkit-GTK.
Re: [PLUG] Ubuntu 22.04.1, firefox snap, alternatives?
Another option is outlined here: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2022/04/how-to-install-firefox-deb-apt-ubuntu-22-04 On Mon, Aug 22, 2022 at 5:22 PM Bill Barry wrote: > On Mon, Aug 22, 2022 at 3:05 PM Keith Lofstrom wrote: > > > > I have been slowly transitioning some systems away from > > increasingly-open-source-unfriendly Redhat derivatives > > (and RPM distros) to Ubuntu 20.04.x (and APT/DEB, or so > > I thought). My goal is a maximum-stable malware-free > > environment, not the shiniest-latest dancing-bearware. > > > > Today I migrated a test machine to Ubuntu 22.04.1. > > I expected all the upgrades to be DEB packages. > > > > Surprise! Canonical provides Firefox as a SNAP package, > > their own walled-garden flavor (like RPM). I had hoped > > to escape jails of that kind. > > > > There are many Debian and Ubuntu (and derivatives) adepts > > on this list. Is there a painless way to configure Ubuntu > > to use only DEB files, with alternate repositories for > > Firefox and similar apps? Repositories to use, or avoid? > > Well written tutorials? > > I find that Firefox works best if installed directly with the FIrefox > official installation. It updates itself and in general behaves better > than any of the packages I have tried. It is always as up to date as > possible and that is more important with browsers than most programs. > Just install from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ > > > BIll >
Re: [PLUG] Ubuntu 22.04.1, firefox snap, alternatives?
On Mon, Aug 22, 2022 at 3:05 PM Keith Lofstrom wrote: > > I have been slowly transitioning some systems away from > increasingly-open-source-unfriendly Redhat derivatives > (and RPM distros) to Ubuntu 20.04.x (and APT/DEB, or so > I thought). My goal is a maximum-stable malware-free > environment, not the shiniest-latest dancing-bearware. > > Today I migrated a test machine to Ubuntu 22.04.1. > I expected all the upgrades to be DEB packages. > > Surprise! Canonical provides Firefox as a SNAP package, > their own walled-garden flavor (like RPM). I had hoped > to escape jails of that kind. > > There are many Debian and Ubuntu (and derivatives) adepts > on this list. Is there a painless way to configure Ubuntu > to use only DEB files, with alternate repositories for > Firefox and similar apps? Repositories to use, or avoid? > Well written tutorials? I find that Firefox works best if installed directly with the FIrefox official installation. It updates itself and in general behaves better than any of the packages I have tried. It is always as up to date as possible and that is more important with browsers than most programs. Just install from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/ BIll
Re: [PLUG] Ubuntu 22.04.1, firefox snap, alternatives?
On Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:00:05 -0700 Keith Lofstrom dijo: >Today I migrated a test machine to Ubuntu 22.04.1. >I expected all the upgrades to be DEB packages. > >Surprise! Canonical provides Firefox as a SNAP package, >their own walled-garden flavor (like RPM). I had hoped >to escape jails of that kind. There are fans of snap and many who don't like it. I would like it better if it wouldn't keep popping up messages about programs installed with snap. I hate popups when I am trying to get some work done. Some of Ubuntu's required utilities can now only be installed with snap. But for most optional stuff there still exist .deb packages, that you can most easily find with Synaptic. On the other hand, I read recently somewhere that Synaptic's days were numbered. And if you've got a program installed with snap, I don't know if you can uninstall it and then reinstall it with a .deb. My big problem is Chromium, installed with snap, and I don't know how that happened, because I didn't voluntarily install it with snap. I can uninstall it, and maybe reinstall it with a .deb, but what happens then to the zillions of settings and configurations? Maybe I just need to spend a day migrating everything from Chromium to a different browser, then kiss Chromium goodbye and never look back. All this reminds me of Alien, a command line program that used to come with all Debian based distros. With Alien you could convert an .rpm instantly into a .deb, and I did so numerous times, and never had a problem. Maybe what we need is a similar utility to convert a snap into a .deb. Or maybe even better yet - a non-snap version of Ubuntu.
[PLUG] Ubuntu 22.04.1, firefox snap, alternatives?
I have been slowly transitioning some systems away from increasingly-open-source-unfriendly Redhat derivatives (and RPM distros) to Ubuntu 20.04.x (and APT/DEB, or so I thought). My goal is a maximum-stable malware-free environment, not the shiniest-latest dancing-bearware. Today I migrated a test machine to Ubuntu 22.04.1. I expected all the upgrades to be DEB packages. Surprise! Canonical provides Firefox as a SNAP package, their own walled-garden flavor (like RPM). I had hoped to escape jails of that kind. There are many Debian and Ubuntu (and derivatives) adepts on this list. Is there a painless way to configure Ubuntu to use only DEB files, with alternate repositories for Firefox and similar apps? Repositories to use, or avoid? Well written tutorials? Or perhaps .DEB-flavor long-term-support alternatives to Ubuntu? I would rather become adept with a new environment before I turn 70 next year, because it may be too difficult to learn and make major transitions when/if I am 80. Note: I use some obscure command-line-only applications that are only available as DEB and RPM. I'm glad there are other distro communities out there, but many do not have the obscure stuff, and building large apps from source will soon be beyond my skill set. So, DEB distros with long term support, please. Keith -- Keith Lofstrom kei...@keithl.com
