1. Backup. There are going to be some websites that simply won’t function correctly with Shiretoko because it won’t identify itself as Firefox. The argument from Ubuntu is that it shouldn’t be a factor and it is actually bad programming on the part of the website to look for “firefox” and not “gecko” from the browser’s identification string. While this may be true, it still doesn’t solve the issue.

2. Support. Shiretoko is not the “supported” browser for Januty. FF3.0 is. While Ubuntu maintains the same effort in keeping Shiretoko up-to-date with FF3.5 releases, it still isn’t considered the default. This will change with the release of Ubuntu 9.10 in October.

3. Ability. There is nothing inherently wrong with FF3.0. Obviously it doesn’t benefit from the advances made with F3.5, but in the end FF3.0 is still a very stable and secure browser.

The last one, firefox, pointed at firefox-3.0. So to make firefox 3.5 the default browser, just destroy and recreate that symbolic link:
sudo unlink firefox
sudo ln -s firefox-3.5 firefox

Now firefox 3.5 will be your default browser for any programs that autolaunch firefox when clicking on links. And you can still start firefox 3.0 simply by editing the menu properties for the firefox launcher to point to ‘firefox-3.0 %u’

The apt: url link support, for the few who actually benefit from it, comes from the ubufox plugin which wasn’t getting along with 3.5 and won’t be fixed for Jaunty.

The frustrations some are having over Ubuntu’s approach to providing 3.5 are understandable. However, it has always been Ubuntu’s strategy to support a clearly defined set of versions for each distribution. While there have been instances of newer versions of applications being backported, they still maintain support for only the versions that were a part of that distribution. Meaning, if you want FF3.5, Ubuntu’s not going to provide it pre-Karmic as a default. You’ll either have to accept Ubuntu’s Shiretoko setup, or install 3.5 on your own either manually from Mozilla or through the use of a PPA.

That shouldn’t stop anyone from using the packages provided by Ubuntu. I’ve been using 3.5 since before it went final with only the rarest issue. After a few tweaks, I didn’t have any reason to use 3.0.11 again.

More like “coexist crappily”, amirite?

Instead of trying to run them side-by-side, with Firefox as the default browser that pops up when you click a link, and Shiretoko having its own clone of your profile that doesn’t remember anything you did in Firefox since you installed it, with a kludgy workaround to restore your profile in the next release, and apt: links not working in Shiretoko, and so on and so on, why can’t there just be a package that removes Firefox 3.1 and installs 3.5 in its place?

I’m sure there’s a reason for being able to run both side-by-side, and that should be possible, but most people just want to upgrade, and run a single browser that actually works right. That should be possible as a package, too.

now, firefox points to firefox-3.5 by default

Hopefully nothin screws up…