Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers in the world, known for its speed, flexibility, and commitment to user privacy. While FunOS comes with Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) preinstalled by default, some users may prefer to use the latest standard release of Firefox to enjoy the newest features, security updates, and performance improvements as soon as they’re available.
This guide will walk you through two different ways to install the latest version of Firefox on FunOS — using the Mozilla Team PPA or the official Mozilla APT repository. Both methods allow you to get the official Firefox package directly from Mozilla or its trusted maintainers, ensuring that you always have the most up-to-date and secure version of the browser.
What is Firefox?
Firefox is a free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. It’s built on the Gecko engine and supports all major web standards, including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Firefox emphasizes user privacy, security, and customization, making it a favorite among Linux users who value control and transparency.
Some of Firefox’s key features include:
- Private Browsing Mode — helps prevent tracking by clearing cookies and history automatically.
- Enhanced Tracking Protection — blocks ads, trackers, and malicious scripts by default.
- Cross-Platform Sync — allows you to synchronize bookmarks, history, and passwords across multiple devices.
- Extensive Add-ons Library — supports thousands of extensions for productivity, privacy, and appearance customization.
- Open Source — its codebase is fully open, allowing the community to review and improve it continuously.
In FunOS, Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) is the default version, which prioritizes long-term stability. However, if you prefer faster updates with the latest web technologies, you can switch to the standard Firefox release using one of the methods below.
How to Install Firefox on FunOS
You can install Firefox on FunOS using one of two methods:
- From the Mozilla Team PPA (recommended for Ubuntu-based distributions like FunOS)
- From the official Mozilla repositories (directly maintained by Mozilla)
Method 1: Installing from the Mozilla Team PPA
Work on: 22.04.5 ✅ | 24.04.3 ✅ | 25.04 ✅ | 25.10 ✅ | 26.04 ✅
The Mozilla Team PPA is an Ubuntu-maintained Personal Package Archive (PPA) that provides up-to-date builds of Firefox and Thunderbird. FunOS includes this PPA by default, so you can install or update Firefox directly from it.
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal in any of these ways:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal.
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
Step 2: Add the Mozilla Team PPA (if needed)
The Mozilla Team PPA is already added by default in FunOS.
However, if it was accidentally removed, you can re-add it by running this command:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppaStep 3: Configure APT to Prioritize Mozilla Team Packages
To ensure that Firefox is always installed and updated from the Mozilla Team PPA, set a high priority for its packages:
echo '
Package: *
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam
Pin-Priority: 1001
' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillateamStep 4: Update the Package List
After setting up the repository preferences, update the package list to refresh the available packages:
sudo apt updateStep 5: Install Firefox
Install the latest version of Firefox using:
sudo apt install firefoxStep 6: Reload the Menu
After installation, reload the FunOS menu to make sure the Firefox entry appears:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner.
- Click Reload menu.
Method 2: Installing from the Mozilla Repositories
Work on: 22.04.5 ✅ | 24.04.3 ✅ | 25.04 ✅ | 25.10 ✅ | 26.04 ✅
If you prefer to get Firefox directly from Mozilla’s own APT repository, this method is for you. Mozilla provides an official repository that offers the latest Firefox packages for Linux distributions.
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal in any of these ways:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal.
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
Step 2: Update the Package List
Before adding a new repository, make sure your package list is up to date:
sudo apt updateStep 3: Install the Necessary Dependencies
Ensure that apt-transport-https is installed, as it allows APT to access repositories over HTTPS:
sudo apt install apt-transport-httpsStep 4: Add the GPG Key
Download and add the Mozilla repository signing key:
wget -q https://packages.mozilla.org/apt/repo-signing-key.gpg -O- | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc > /dev/nullStep 5: Add the Repository
Add Mozilla’s official APT repository to your system:
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.asc] https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list > /dev/nullStep 6: Configure APT to Prioritize Mozilla Repository Packages
Set APT preferences so that packages from the Mozilla repository take priority:
echo '
Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000
' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillaStep 7: Update the Package List
Refresh the package list so the new repository is recognized:
sudo apt updateStep 8: Install Firefox
Now install Firefox from the newly added Mozilla repository:
sudo apt install firefoxStep 9: Reload the Menu
After installation, make Firefox appear in the system menu:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner.
- Click Reload menu.
Launching Firefox
Once installed, you can launch Firefox in several ways:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner.
- Go to the Internet category.
- Click Firefox to start it.
You can also launch it from the Terminal by typing:
firefox &How to Uninstall Firefox on FunOS
If you no longer need Firefox or want to return to the default Firefox ESR version included in FunOS, you can easily uninstall the standard Firefox package. The uninstallation process depends on how you installed Firefox — either from the Mozilla Team PPA or from the Mozilla repositories. Follow the appropriate method below.
Uninstall Firefox Installed from the Mozilla Team PPA
Note: Do not remove the Mozilla Team PPA itself. FunOS uses this PPA for Firefox ESR, which is the browser that comes preinstalled by default.
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal in any of these ways:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal.
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
Step 2: Remove Firefox
Run the following command to completely remove the Firefox package:
sudo apt remove --purge firefoxStep 3: Remove Any Unused Dependencies
Clean up unused packages and dependencies:
sudo apt autoremove --purgeStep 4: Remove the Mozilla Team Preferences File (Optional)
If you previously created a preferences file to prioritize the Mozilla Team PPA packages, you can remove it with:
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillateamStep 5: Update the Package List
After removing the preferences file, update your package list:
sudo apt updateStep 6: Remove User Data (Optional)
If you want to completely erase Firefox’s user data and cache from your home directory, run:
rm -rf $HOME/.cache/mozilla/firefox
rm -rf $HOME/.mozilla/firefoxStep 7: Reload the Menu
To refresh the system menu after uninstalling Firefox:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner.
- Click Reload menu.
Uninstall Firefox Installed from the Mozilla Repositories
If you installed Firefox directly from the Mozilla repositories, you can remove it along with its repository files using the steps below.
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal in any of these ways:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal.
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.
Step 2: Remove Firefox
Remove the Firefox package completely:
sudo apt remove --purge firefoxStep 3: Remove Any Unused Dependencies
Clean up any packages no longer required:
sudo apt autoremove --purgeStep 4: Remove the Repository and Key (Optional)
If you no longer plan to use Mozilla’s APT repository, remove its configuration and GPG key:
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozilla.list
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/keyrings/packages.mozilla.org.ascStep 5: Remove the Mozilla Preferences File (Optional)
If you created a custom APT preferences file for the Mozilla repository, remove it with:
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillaStep 6: Update the Package List
After cleaning up the repository files, refresh the APT package index:
sudo apt updateStep 7: Remove User Data (Optional)
To delete all user data and settings associated with Firefox, run:
rm -rf $HOME/.cache/mozilla/firefox
rm -rf $HOME/.mozilla/firefoxStep 8: Reload the Menu
Finally, reload the FunOS menu to remove Firefox from the Internet category:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner.
- Click Reload menu.
Conclusion
Firefox is one of the most reliable and feature-rich browsers available for Linux systems. Although FunOS includes Firefox ESR by default for stability and long-term support, you can easily switch to the standard Firefox release using either the Mozilla Team PPA or Mozilla’s official repositories. Both options provide you with the latest updates, improved performance, and enhanced web compatibility.
If you ever wish to revert to the default Firefox ESR or remove the browser entirely, the uninstallation steps above ensure your system remains clean and organized. Whether you prefer stability or the cutting edge, FunOS gives you full control over your browsing experience.
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