[SOLVED]How do I update to v.28?

[markfilipak]

IMPORTANT
This is a total update and supercedes the thread starter (to which I can no longer add). This is the easiest, most straightforward way to update to v.28.0.0 and beyond.
After the procedure, I present a summary of what is happening & why it works.
Everyone Please Vote: Should I post this in a new thread with a dynamite title?

1 - Download 'palemoon-28.0.0.linux-x86_64.tar.bz2' to any convenient temporary directory.
2 - Launch a file manager as 'root' -- ask for help if you don't know how to do this.
3 - Close Pale Moon -- don't muck around while Pale Moon is running.
4 - Rename the '/opt/palemoon' directory to '/opt/palemoon (save)' (or really, any temporary name will do provided you do change it).
5 - Open 'palemoon-28.0.0.linux-x86_64.tar.bz2' -- double-clicking on it should open it, but ask for help if that doesn't work.
6 - Copy (drag) the 'palemoon' directory into '/opt/' (so that '/opt/palemoon' now exists again, but this time containing the new version of Pale Moon).
7 - Launch Pale Moon using the old (preexisting) menu launcher as usual -- the new version of Pale Moon should launch & run with no hiccups.
8 - If all is okay, then delete 'palemoon-28.0.0.linux-x86_64.tar.bz2' & '/opt/palemoon (save)'.
9 - Future updates, in the future, when Pale Moon wants to update, it will fail and blame permissions (true), so take the easy, safe path and do the following:
9.1 - Quit Pale Moon and open Terminal -- ask for help if you don't know how to do this.
9.2 - Submit this terminal command: sudo -H palemoon.
9.3 - Provide the 'root' password when prompted.
9.4 - Pale Moon will open with a generic interface (no customizations, no history, no nothing).
9.5 - Do (only) this: In the Pale Moon menu, 'Help', then 'About Pale Moon', then 'Check for Updates'.
9.6 - Allow Pale Moon to update.
9.7 - When prompted, choose to restart now.
9.8 - Allow Pale Moon to restart.
9.9 - Quit Pale Moon, and then quit Terminal.

You can now run Pale Moon normally (using your system's start menu).

What the procedure does:
Steps 1 to 8 update your Pale Moon to v.28.0.0. It does it with 'root' permissions, so there's no need to run the 'chown' command or to change any permissions -- simple & completely safe.
Steps 9.1 & 9.3 launches Pale Moon with 'root' permissions -- be sure to include the -H.
Steps 9.4 to 9.8 runs Pale Moon with 'root' permissions for the update, and then finalizes the update during the restart.
Step 9.9 ends the 'root' work.

To all who advised me: Thanks!

[New Tobin Paradigm]

And that precludes proper functioning of the internal automatic update service. Great job breaking it, hero.

[markfilipak]

And that precludes proper functioning of the internal automatic update service. Great job breaking it, hero.

Thanks.

[Lunokhod]

If you run Pale Moon as root you ARE root, your homedir is /root (on most systems) and you need to be root to look in it.
Try this in a terminal if you can, a root filebrowser showing hidden files might also work:

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$ ls -a ~/
$ sudo su
# ls -a /root
# exit
$

You have 2 .moonchild production folders, one in /root with no mods, and your usual one in ~/.
You shouldn't run a browser as root. Delete the extra profile in /root and don't do that again, well you can if you really want to (and if you were offline it wouldn't matter much) but I wouldn't.

The location of the browser matters because the method of exploiting it would change, but either location could be theoretically targeted by malware, that was my point.
This would be how you would use setfacl to give your user account write permission to a root owned directory called acltest incidentally:

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sudo setfacl -m u:$USER:rwx acltest/

[markfilipak]

This shouldn't be controversial, but unfortunately, it is.

The developers seem to think that, in order to implement auto-update, they need you to transfer ownership of '/opt/palemoon/' to an ordinary user (meaning: you). They recommend users run this terminal command:

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sudo chown -R "$USER:$USER" "/opt/palemoon".

But is that wise?

Developers take note: What might Pale Moon want to do in the future that it will not be able to do using ordinary user credentials? Only you can answer that.

Users take note: What will exploits be able to do if they are given the opportunity to write new code into the Pale Moon executable or a library residing with Pale Moon? Will an exploit utilize Pale Moon's Internet access to download a virus? Will an exploit add code to Pale Moon that, though limited to running only when Pale Moon runs, adds a child porn server? Or will an exploit access the user's email address book or other resource to which ordinary users have read access? -- this is everything in the system. Or will an exploit add code that prompts the user to elevate and thereby learn the 'root' password? -- this would give it universal access to read and write ANYTHING, even the UEFI used to boot the computer.

If asked, apparently by Pale Moon, for a privilage escalation, would an ordinary user say: "Why is Pale Moon asking for the password when it's running as an ordinary user?" Hell no. Ordinary users aren't going to know Pale Moon is running as an ordinary user; they're going to supply the password. This is how a computer is compromised.

Even if Pale Moon code starts out secure, but allows itself to be rewritten in userland, it will not remain secure.

[stevenpusser]

I would suggest that you add that your method is the "'simplest" if and only if PM is not available in a repository compatible with your distro. Linux users already know this, but many newcomers still have to break those Windows habits.

[markfilipak]

Hi Steve,

I would suggest that you add that your method is the "'simplest" if and only if PM is not available in a repository compatible with your distro. Linux users already know this, but many newcomers still have to break those Windows habits.

I'm amenable to argument. If I use your graciously offered repository, will I necessarily have to transfer ownership of '/opt/palemoon/' from 'root' to 'mark'?

[stevenpusser]

Hi Steve,

I would suggest that you add that your method is the "'simplest" if and only if PM is not available in a repository compatible with your distro. Linux users already know this, but many newcomers still have to break those Windows habits.

I'm amenable to argument. If I use your graciously offered repository, will I necessarily have to transfer ownership of '/opt/palemoon/' from 'root' to 'mark'?

No. You''ll get the updates from the repository, not directly from Pale Moon, like any other repository package, so no permission changes are necessary. Most desktop environments have something that'll notify you of available updates. I've been pretty good lately at getting them out a day or two after the release announcements.

[smoki]

PS: I'm running Mint 18 with Cinnamon in a VBox VM with Win10-1803 as host.

Since Linux Mint 18 is based on Ubuntu 16.04, just add stevepusser's repo for Ubuntu 16.04 and enjoy your life... is that hard to do?

@stevepusser

Maybe you can add into instructions coredponding Mint versions of Ubuntu, since that Mint is popular might be that their users does not know on what version of Ubuntu Mint is based of or something 17 is 14.04, 18 is 16.04, 19 is 18.04

And also for LMDE too... 2 is 8, 3 is 9

[markfilipak]

... If I use your graciously offered repository, will I necessarily have to transfer ownership of '/opt/palemoon/' from 'root' to 'mark'?

No. You''ll get the updates ... like any other repository package, so no permission changes are necessary. ...

Well, that sounds great. Thank you for your service! I use Synaptic. I was hoping I would find an entry to push your repository into Synaptic's 'Software Sources', 'Additional repositories', but I've failed. The format appears to be

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deb http://packages.domain.com/ xenial main

but I think the URL is just a template, so, needs to be made right. Got any help with this?

[smoki]

I use Synaptic. I was hoping I would find an entry to push your repository into Synaptic's 'Software Sources', 'Additional repositories', but I've failed. The format appears to be

Code: Select all

deb http://packages.domain.com/ xenial main

but I think the URL is just a template, so, needs to be made right. Got any help with this?

Without Synaptic you need to do this:

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sudo sh -c "echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser/xUbuntu_16.04/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:stevenpusser.list"
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install palemoon

In order to turn Linux into a real graphical operating system, the command line needs to be deleted.

OK, or with Synaptic, in template you need to add line:

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deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser/xUbuntu_16.04/ /

Copy>paste that, but take a note that last '/' at the end goes down into second colummn i guess
and then to click on button Reload (reload is 'that apt-get update' from command line) and after reloading you should see palemoon package, so just click on it to intsall it (from command line that is 'apt-get install palemoon')

[markfilipak]

... with Synaptic, in template you need to add line:

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deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser/xUbuntu_16.04/ /

...

I added that to Synaptic, then 'Reload', and got this error box:

• W: GPG error: http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... untu_16.04 Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 0FAD31CA8719FCE4
  W: The repository 'http://download.opensuse.org/repositori ... untu_16.04 Release' is not signed.

[smoki]

That is expected and normal (that isn't an error (E), but just a warning (W) as line begins with W) repo to be signed you need to also add signed key of that repo, so:

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wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:stevenpusser/xUbuntu_16.04/Release.key -O Release.key
sudo apt-key add - < Release.key
sudo apt-get update

This is from commandline, can't say for Synaptic or Mint GUIs about this really... search around in Synaptic if it have something to add keys, so just download that key and add it there.

[markfilipak]

Never mind......

[smoki]

Should have some Authenticate tab and Imprort key, so that is that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7HS--VzHwg

You know, GUIs come and go, not everbody use the same GUI tools, not same DE, etc... so instructions are what is most common - that is command line. Of course you can do most of it on click via GUIs of course, copy/paste, download, import, install, so that is it.

[markfilipak]

Should have some Authenticate tab and Imprort key, so that is that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7HS--VzHwg

You know, GUIs come and go, not everbody use the same GUI tools, not same DE, etc... so instructions are what is most common - that is command line. Of course you can do most of it on click via GUIs of course, copy/paste, download, import, install, so that is it.

Smoki, Are you taking your meds?

[stevenpusser]

Should have some Authenticate tab and Imprort key, so that is that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7HS--VzHwg

You know, GUIs come and go, not everbody use the same GUI tools, not same DE, etc... so instructions are what is most common - that is command line. Of course you can do most of it on click via GUIs of course, copy/paste, download, import, install, so that is it.

Smoki, Are you taking your meds?

Odd, I would think that's rather rude to say to someone that's only trying to help you.

And we use the command line instructions since they are the lowest common denominator and apply to all Debian or Ubuntu based systems, regardless of desktop GIU, or even if the user doesn't have one.

[markfilipak]

Should have some Authenticate tab and Imprort key, so that is that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7HS--VzHwg

You know, GUIs come and go, not everbody use the same GUI tools, not same DE, etc... so instructions are what is most common - that is command line. Of course you can do most of it on click via GUIs of course, copy/paste, download, import, install, so that is it.

Smoki, Are you taking your meds?

Odd, I would think that's rather rude to say to someone that's only trying to help you....

Whoa, Steve. Not so serious, eh? Have you seen that video? I thought I'd die laughing.