Get rid of the "Restart Required" in Firefox

[istrasci]

Please do not block my browsing session just to force me to restart!  Let me restart when I want to.  For security reasons, I'm almost always browsing in Private Mode, and as such, logins and passwords are not saved.  So when I'm forced to restart because of an update, I have to save my current tab session, reopen them after FF has restarted, and re-login to every site I was using—many of which require 2FA, so it's extra annoying.

This is bad UX!  Put a notification, or even a whole separate tab telling me I need to restart.  But don't block out everything I was doing.  Even Windows doesn't do this...

[Mattis]

I'm very much a long-term Firefox user - I donated money for that NYTimes ad back in, what, 2004 maybe? - and I'm consider leaving over this issue. That's how annoying this is.

I don't think it's Ubuntu doing it - Ubuntu updates when I run "apt dist-upgrade", not randomly. This is Firefox. And I don't seem to have an option to turn it off in the settings either, the only thing related to updates in there is this statement:

"Firefox Updates
Keep Firefox up to date for the best performance, stability, and security.
Version 116.0.3 (64-bit) What’s new"

[Mattis]

Reading through more of the responses here, on page 4 I think user Alx84 hit the nail on the head - it's Ubuntu's Snap package manager updating the binaries, and Firefox is simply reacting to having had it's code updated.

Even if you installed Firefox using apt, if you installed from Ubuntu's repos, it probably pulled down and installed the Snap version. Not a fan of this behavior at all...

[NoLifeDGenerate]

I can confirm it's a Snap issue. The problem is that's how Distros are providing FF pre-installed and it needs to stop. I'm still using FF 102.0 because I disabled Snap updates. Works fine, but it's exactly what causes security issues. When you do something annoying enough to make people disable updates, you're obviously doing something wrong and need to address it rather than ignoring all the people here complaining about it.

[Mattis]

We need to head over to Canonical's forums and complain there instead - they're not going to see it here.

Next Linux install for me will likely not be Canonical's Ubuntu, but one of the snap-free derivatives.

[iamsentme]

It seems like this is not likely to get fixed, but on my own computers I have found a solution that keeps me from losing work. With help from the following page, I did what I had to do:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1387081/firefox-notify-me-before-update 

Basically, tell apt that firefox is blacklisted from unattended upgrades by altering the file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades.

// Python regular expressions, matching packages to exclude from upgrading
Unattended-Upgrade::Package-Blacklist {
    "firefox";
    // The following matches all packages starting with linux-
//  "linux-";

Then, set up a cron to send me a notification when there's an update, so I can handle it myself:

0 7,11,15,20 * * * apt list --upgradeable | grep firefox && XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/$(id -u) notify-send --expire-time=0 "Please sudo apt upgrade firefox"

[Waffles_ASAP]

@NoLifeDGeneratethe same thing has happened to me multiple times in Windows 10, so this is definitely not an Ubuntu-only issue. 

[Coldnwet]

If this is a Snap issue, it's not exclusively a Snap issue. I use Linux Mint (21.1) and Snaps are disabled by default. I still have this issue.

[Ogaday]

@KLeunghow have I've just gone through the same process as this. How has it worked for you?

I can confirm that I installed Mozilla on Windows with the official installer (so not through the microsoft store etc). and had the same settings ("check for updates but let you choose when to install them") ticked, yet was stilled forced to restart without warning after a background updated. I've now uninstalled the Mozilla maintenance service. If I get another forced restart I'm uninstalling Mozilla.

[nousernobs]

Big thanks to @iamsentme ; I used their method above to at least make things workable (literally -- I use Firefox for work, and being randomly forced to restart is absolutely not ok).

Mozilla, it's absolutely ridiculous that you haven't fixed this glaring issue yet. I'm a huge fan of your work (to the point that I'm willing to go to these lengths to keep using Firefox), but I can't recommend FF to anyone due to it having this breaking bug! Please please get this on top of your roadmap asap; it's criminal to have such a good browser have such a critical flaw.

[nickyp123]

@mozillaJust happened to me again causing me to lose work in a private window. PLEASE FIX THIS!! It's making firefox unusable for me at this point.

[Brycey92]

This "feature" is extremely annoying, often causing me lost work, and it treats Firefox users with no respect. I'm not a child. I understand the risks of delaying browser updates by a few minutes to a few days, and should be allowed to make my own decisions.

[WizKI]

Honestly, I do not like to be forced to do smth. I take my responsibility while using a tool. The web browser is a kind of this tool. Let us to use it as we want. Do not besome the second MS, please.

[avoss]

Just want to add my voice here. Forcing users to restart at arbitrary times is really poor UX. Unlike what some people have said, this is not a problem just with snap but happens at least on MacOS as well. I can understand that there are some security considerations here but at least a button to postpone the update would be good. Even Apple does not force updates on you that hard.

People can be in a rush or occupied for all sorts of reasons. Imagine I am trying to find the way to the closest emergency room while this happens. Also very annoying during calls. I don't even have a 2nd browser available on my Linux box, so no workaround. Losing open private mode windows is an additional issue.

This is a fundamentally flawed design decision that needs to be remedied. Love and kisses from someone who loves Firefox and happens to think it does not need to be the fastest browser in the world as long as it does what it does right! I changes my update setting and will continue using your browser but please fix this for everyone, incl. users who do not like to dig into their settings.

[botulf]

I am disappointed that Mozilla doesn't listen. I have been a serious user and promoter for Mozilla since the last Netscape and the first firebird.

Guess its now grown over the level of users. Controlled by commercial companies probably.

Guess chromium is next sadly.

[Ipsrich]

I'm curious as to why nothing is being done to address this issue (or, at least, no assurance is being posted here that it is being addressed).  It's clearly massively annoying and inconveniencing lots of people - myself included, both today and yesterday on two separate machines.  I love Firefox but I really hate this aspect.  Please trust that I'm not an idiot and can be trusted to restart my browser when I'm ready.  Feel free to remind me on every new tab!