Ubuntu: Firefox DEB removed

Hmmm. Rodney sent me an email about being unable to download files. At first I didn't understand and asked for more information. Rodney sent a snapshot that showed the problem.

This is something that I did not anticipate. The Ubuntu package repo has, for example, Firefox 11.0 DEB which I think was the version in the first release of Ubuntu Precise Pangolin 12.04.

However, Ubuntu later released an upgrade, 12.04.1, which had Firefox 14.0.

However, Ubuntu has now removed that DEB and replaced it with version 16.0. The original 11.0 is still there:
http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/f/firefox/

This is a nuisance. It makes be think that I should have kept Precise Puppy at the original v12.04. If packages are going to disappear from the Ubuntu repo, then PPM is going to fail to download sometimes.

The PPM does have a database update feature in the Configuration window.

This is a very awkward situation. I am going to have to sync with the latest repo when I build Precise Puppy 5.4-final, but in time some packages will be dropped from the repo, and a database update will be required.
The user will only know something is wrong when a package fails to download.

I had expected, reasonably I think, that when they announced 12.04.1, that all the DEBs for that release would stay put in the repo.

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Comments

"Ubuntu has now removed that DEB and replaced it with version 16.0"
Username: Sage
Is this the same v.16 that the Mozilla corp. has recommended deletion? Perhaps that only applies to their v.16 for that [i]other[/i] OS? Either way, good to see you have a handle on events now that Moz. is coming in for major criticism, (along with Google-Chromium et al.)

Workaround for removed DEB
Username: BarryK
"As described above, building Precise Puppy from the updated DEBs is a moving target. Ubuntu did not "tag" 12.04.1 and leave those DEBs in the repo, instead they are just keeping the latest DEBs. In that case of Firefox, I am downloading the source right now, version 16.0.1, from here: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/16.0.1/source/ I intend to compile it and put it into the precise-puppy PET repo. As I am at Precise RC1, which is built from 12.04.1 DEBs, I do not want to sync with the latest DEBs on the Ubuntu repo and build RC2/final from that, as this pup is supposed to be frozen and who knows what problem might get introduced. So, RC2/final will get built from the 12.04.1 DEBs, and if the user chooses to download a DEB in the PPM that is no longer there, then I am going to modify PPM to detect that situation and offer to update the package database. A reasonable compromise I think, and hopefully there won't be too many packages in this situation anyway. I'll work on that mod. to the PPM tonight or tomorrow.

Ubuntu Repository Updates
Username: bigpup
"Ubuntu on a regular schedule will update programs in their repositories. For example Ubuntu Lucid: Ubuntu Updates "Important Security Updates (lucid-security)". Patches for security vulnerabilities in Ubuntu packages. They are managed by the Ubuntu Security Team and are designed to change the behavior of the package as little as possible -- in fact, the minimum required to resolve the security problem. As a result, they tend to be very low-risk to apply and all users are urged to apply security updates. "Recommended Updates (lucid-updates)". Updates for serious bugs in Ubuntu packaging that do not affect the security of the system. "Pre-released Updates (lucid-proposed)". The testing area for updates. This repository is recommended only to those interested in helping to test updates and provide feedback. "Unsupported Updates (lucid-backports)". As the name states, these are unsupported versions of future packages which are still in development. Packages may contain new features, may introduce new interfaces, and have not been sufficiently tested to be included in the 'proposed' repository. Their package manager updates the repository package list as part of checking for updates.

Re precise-updates
Username: BarryK
"I have examined what DEBs are different, building Precise Puppy from the 12.04.1 DEBs versus from the latest in the 'precise-updates' repo. Not many DEBs have changed. It looks ok, so I will build RC2/final from the latest DEBs.

Tags: puppy