Mozilla Firefox 122 has been officially launched, and it comes with an inaugural Deb package.
Indeed: now there is a bona fide Firefox Deb package for Debian-centric distros, comprising Ubuntu. This offers users a dependable, secure method to obtain the latest iteration of their web browser if they prefer not to utilize a repo build, Snap, Flatpak, PPA, etc.
In the previous year, Mozilla initiated their exclusive apt repo to simplify the process for Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, among other users, to install Firefox Nightly builds and, most recently, Developer Edition and Beta versions. Consequently, inclusion of a stable build appears as a rational completion to the endeavor.
Does this imply that Ubuntu users should abstain from using the Firefox Snap?
Mozilla continues to suggest that Debian-based distro users should select the Firefox build in their distro’s package manager (in the case of Ubuntu, that’s the Snap). However, many will appreciate the option not to use this. Now, I need to update my install Firefox Deb not Snap guide!
Mozilla Firefox 112 New Features & Changes
When submitting a search query from Firefox’s address bar, it can show images and descriptions for search suggestions, provided the search engine does (as Google does). Depending on what you’re looking for, this can expedite your selection of the correct result.
Do you use Firefox’s privacy-respecting translations feature? You’ll be delighted to learn that the quality of translated webpages has significantly improved.
“The results would be vastly more stable,” states Mozilla. In addition, it mentions that the update “…rectifies issues where the content of a page could disappear when translated, or interactive widgets could malfunction.”
Additional modifications:
- Firefox 122 can now generate and utilize passkeys in iCloud Keychain (macOS)
- Available in the address bar are MDN Web Docs article suggestions from Firefox Suggest
- The line breaking rules of web content now align with the Unicode Standard
Finally, web devs should know that keyboard navigation in the Inspector Rules view has been adjusted (some say fixed).
When editing a selector/property name/value the Enter key no longer moves focus to the next input but validates the entry and focuses the matching element.
To validate and move focus hit Tab or ctrl + enter.