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Do I need to stop FireFox from trying to upgrade itself?

OK, I'm still on OS X 10.6 in order to maintain compatibility w/ some old sw (uses Rosetta, which Apple dropped w/ OS X 10.7). My main browser is FireFox. The last version of FireFox that works w/ creaky old Snow Leopard is 47.0.1, which I installed a few months ago.


When I launch FireFox, it's trying to download FireFox! (Presumably a newer version of same, which won't work w/ my OS.) So I quit FireFox & am now working in Chrome. Updates for Chrome for OS 10.6 stopped before the updates to FireFox.


Will FireFox try to actually install the upgrade? If so, does it have a way of recognizing that I don't meet System Requirements, so it stops the upgrade without damaging my FF 47.0.1? Is there some setting I need to apply? If it's a preference, I'd have to do it QUICK. I have very modest skill at Terminal.


Of course, I will move to a much later MacOS as soon as practical. My hardware is OK at least to OS 10.10, maybe later. I just need to finish doing things w old docs that require old SW, eg FileMaker 6! I also have a much later FileMaker & am moving my databases to it -- but one of them requires compatibility w/ a truly ancient version of Windows at an organization I work for -- major upgrade is coming but not yet.

Posted on Nov 19, 2016 10:01 PM

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Posted on Nov 20, 2016 10:16 PM

Try Firefox/Preferences/Advanced/Update and set as desired.

9 replies

Nov 20, 2016 10:16 PM in response to Oaklandguy

Mozilla Firefox is ending web browser support for OS X 10.6-10.8.

The last full featured Firefox version for OS X Snow Leopard is ver. 48.0.2, last updated at the end of August 2016.

This version may no longer be secure and the version you are using now, vers. 47, may no longer be secure.


You can choose to take your chances and update your Firefox version to the last compatible vers. 48 and use this for only as long as you wish or chance.


https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/desktop/


OR


There is the Mozilla Firefox ESR ( Extended Security Release) ver. 45.x which, while being an older version, is still being updated for SECURITY CODE ONLY and no more feature updates.

This Firefox ESR web browser will be updated for OS X 10.6-10.8 users until April 2017.

You can download this version now and start using it, OR, if you decide to wait, you only have until end of Dec 2016 to download this version as Mozilla will no longer make the Firefox ESR version available after Jan, 1 2017 and you'll be stuck without a supported web browser for OS X 10.6.8, earlier.


https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/faq/


Good Luck!

Nov 20, 2016 9:45 PM in response to Eric Root

Thanks, Eric Root! I checked my preferences and found that I had set it already to:


• Check for updates, but let me choose whether to install them


That means that even though FF may be downloading something unusable, I should be able to prevent it from trying to install. For the moment, this ought to suffice.

I will also reply to MichelPM who has additional useful advice.

Nov 20, 2016 10:11 PM in response to MichelPM

Thanks, MichelPM!


I'm not positive which FireFox release is the latest for my MacOS, which is currently 10.6.8. I thought it was FF 47.0.1 (which I now have) but you report 48.0.2. Maybe 48.x is allowed for OS 10.7 or 10.8, just not 10.6. Ver 50.0 was released on 11/15/16 and is now current, per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox_version_history#Firefox_50.0 (IIRC, I saw something like that on Mozilla's website also.)


For the moment, I won't try FF 48.0.2. I will try sticking with Chrome, Version 49.0.2623.112 (64-bit, no longer supported)


Your idea of going to the ESR ( Extended Security Release) ver. 45.x is excellent, as it will give me a browser I'm familiar with, & it will have security updates for the longest possible period (maybe Apr 2017). Also it's good to learn that I have to make this change ASAP, b/c Mozilla isn't planning to allow installs after the end of Dec 2016! I doubt that I'd miss any features that were introduced w/ FF 46 or 47.


The only complication is that I'm not an organization -- just me. The Mozilla page you cited discourages home users from using the ESR versions. I'll have to find out how to convert my Mac from 47.0.1 (regular) to 45.x (ESR). If you know how to do that, pls continue the thread! Or maybe there's a forum somewhere about FF that will explain this, & you could point me in the right direction.


Thanks again! Also, see my reply to Eric Root.

Nov 20, 2016 10:49 PM in response to Oaklandguy

Firefox 48.0.2 IS the last full featured version of Firefox for OS X 10.6.8

I have this installed on two Snow Leopard machines that I just kept it on.

Do not worry about ANY of the enterprise or educational notations on the Firefox ESR web page.

Mozilla ESR version 47.5 is the current version, now.

SImply download it, install it and start using it.

I've been on Firefox ESR since the beginning of October.

I am an individual and single small business owner, myself.

It doesn't matter.

Mozilla doesn't care who is using the ESR Firefox version.

They aren't monitoring anyone using it!

There is nothing in the download or installation process that prevents anyone from using this version.


Just get it and start using it and get off of Google Chrome because not only is it a memory hog on OS X, but it has been outdated and insecure, on OS X Snow Leopard, for a much longer period of time.


Good Luck!

Nov 21, 2016 12:20 AM in response to MichelPM

Thanks again!


I became a little braver and went to the Mozilla site & poked around. You're right, with one possible exception. I downloaded the ESR of FireFox from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/ without any problems. I now have 45.5.0 ESR & I have my bookmarks back! And will get security fixes for a little while longer! (Note: 45.5.0 ESR, rather than 47.5 - did you mistype?) Before installing the ESR version, I went to my Applications folder & renamed FireFox.app to FireFox 47.0.1.app so that both the 47.0.1 regular and 45.5.0 ESR are in my Applications folder. Will put the ESR into my Dock & it will be my main browser. I also found a thread on the Mozilla support community which has the same basic issue: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1133613

Also, from the Mozilla site, I learned that my bookmarks aren't stored within the FireFox.app "folder", but rather in: /Users/[my_username]/Library/Application Support/Firefox which is why I still have my bookmarks.

Nov 21, 2016 12:37 AM in response to Oaklandguy

Yeah,

I meant version 45.5.

You put the number 47 in my head.

Duh.

😝😉


You should be fine on Sow Leopard with the version 45 Firefox ESR for another 5-6 months or so.

I hope some one else picks up the web browser gauntlet on this issue for us legacy OS X users soon after April 2017, because all of us running older OS X versions, because we need to, are no longer going to have an up to date, secure web browser to search the web with.

I am PRAYING somebody/ies come to our rescue with a new, secure web browser solution by then.

Good Luck!

Nov 22, 2016 2:26 PM in response to Eric Root

SeaMonkey is an option for some of us Snow Leopard folks:

http://www.seamonkey-project.org/doc/system-requirements

However, I don't think I'll try it unless I absolutely have to. Reason: I sometimes need to use a browser to check bank accts etc. Banks etc. typically are finicky about which browsers they permit, for security reasons. SeaMonkey for Mac isn't a well-known browser.


Opera is not useful to us Snow Leopard folks. Details: I couldn't find the system req'ts from either Opera's website or Wikipedia. But I looked into it about 3 months ago & found that current Opera requires OS X 10.9 minimum.

Do I need to stop FireFox from trying to upgrade itself?

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