Are you an Ubuntu user who has been receiving the “Pending update of firefox snap” notification while using Firefox? If so, you’re not alone. This notification is caused by a change in the distribution method for Firefox in Ubuntu 22.04, where it was switched from an apt package to a snap package. This has resulted in a forced upgrade mechanism that many users don’t like, and it’s causing a lot of frustration.

In this article, I will discuss the reasons behind this notification and provide a step-by-step guide on how to fix it. I will also explore various methods of installing Firefox without using snap, which will allow you to avoid this issue altogether.

Understanding the Issue “Pending Update of Firefox Snap”

The “Pending update of ‘firefox’ snap” notification message is displayed when your Firefox snap package is pending an update. However, simply closing the browser won’t necessarily update it. In fact, even restarting your computer won’t update it. This is because the snap packages in Ubuntu refresh (update) automatically once or a couple of times a day. To avoid disruption of work where Firefox doesn’t let you browse anything until you restart to install the updates, Ubuntu doesn’t even update the Firefox Snap package in the background. Instead, when the Snap package refresh takes place, it shows the notification and expects you to close the browser so it can be updated with other Snap packages.

This notification message can be frustrating for users who may not want to close the browser or install an update on the timeline provided. Unfortunately, the message does not give you the complete information, leading you to believe that the application has been updated in the background and that a restart will upgrade it to the newer version.

Fixing the Issue

The good news is that there are various ways to fix the “Pending update of ‘firefox’ snap” notification issue. Here are the different approaches we can try.

Method 1: Refresh the Firefox Snap Package

If you prefer to continue using the Firefox snap package, the easiest way to update it is to run a command in the terminal. Here’s how:

1. Close all instances of Firefox. Make sure that your work in the Firefox browser is saved. Now, close all the Firefox browsers using your mouse or run this command in the terminal:sudo killall firefox This command will ensure that no instances of Firefox are running, allowing the update to take place.
2. If you need to, you can see the status of Snap updates by running the command snap refresh –list.
3. Refresh the Snap package(s). In the terminal, type the command:sudo snap refresh This command will refresh all your snap packages, including Firefox. You’ll see that it starts downloading the newer Firefox package. Once the update is finished, you’ll see the summary that Firefox has been upgraded to a newer version.

Method 2: Uninstall Firefox Snap and Install Firefox via a Different Method

If you want to completely avoid the forced upgrade problem, the best way to do so is to uninstall the Firefox snap package and install Firefox via a different method. I recommend installing Firefox using the self-contained zip method provided directly by Mozilla. This method will perform auto-updates using the same mechanism it uses on Windows, installing the updates when Firefox starts (but never forcing you to shut down a running browser).

Here’s how to uninstall the Firefox snap package:

1. Backup your bookmarks, extensions, and settings, if you care. For example, you can use Firefox Sync to automatically backup your bookmarks, browsing history, and even your open tabs.
2. Remove the snap package. Open a terminal and type the command:sudo snap remove --purge firefox Using --purge will remove the app data, which is probably what you want since the apt package stores its data in a different location.
3. Clean up after the snap version. In the terminal, type the command:rm -r ~/snap/firefox

Once you have removed the Firefox snap package, you can proceed to install Firefox via the self-contained zip method provided by Mozilla. Detailed instructions for this method can be found in this Firefox help article.

Conclusion

The “Pending update of ‘firefox’ snap” notification issue in Ubuntu can be frustrating for users who may not want to close the browser or install an update on the timeline provided. However, there are various ways to fix this issue, including refreshing the Firefox snap package in the terminal or simply uninstalling the Firefox snap package and installing Firefox via a different method.

I hope this article has provided you with a clear understanding of the issue and the steps to fix it. Remember to backup your Firefox data before making any changes, and feel free to explore other methods of installing Firefox that suit your needs.