Why is Ubuntu_Mate not recognizing Firefox as a supported browser?
You're without specifics.
If it's a Ubuntu deb package for example, the depends rules need to be met, which look for specific packages being installed, and thus won't detect programs/apps installed by other means.
Ubuntu MATE has no specific rule; except for what is included on the original ISO which is used as install media, and those are release specific... ie. via the seed file. All other rules will be specific to the package & packager/maintainer of the tool being included (and not Ubuntu MATE).
People often complain about the firefox stub file that people often see as doing nothing but install a firefox snap package, but it also leaves a trail on the system that will meet the deb requirement of having a browser that is required by other deb package/tools; ie. it does more than just installing a snap package.
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I feel that you are making excuses for bad programming.
When you can help me, I will respond.
The deb rules were created by the late Ian Murdock (the Ian in Debian) long ago.
Picking a package, ie. Ubuntu – Details of package libreoffice-help-en-us in questing you can see what packages it is coded to required in regards web browser (allowing a user to use online help options of help). Specific deb packaged browsers are encoded to be searched for.
Those rules are what the deb packages were created for (Deb being the name of Ian's girlfriend, later wife etc), and are so useful the deb packages are still used today; despite more modern alternatives being created.
Those rules are release and package specific; almost none of them are Ubuntu MATE specific.
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Your question is a bit ambiguous. It could mean what @guiverc Chris interpreted it as. Or it could mean something else.
For example, are you having trouble getting UM to use Firefox as the default web browser?
If that's the case, then open Preferences/Preferred Applications. Select the Internet tab of that dialog. Then select Firefox from the drop-down list under the heading "Web Browser".
If Firefox isn't in the drop-down list, that's a little more complicated. How did you install Firefox? It could be that:
- You are not launching Firefox from a desktop file, or
- The Firefox desktop file doesn't contain the key that tells UM that this desktop file describes a web browser. For example, the desktop file does not include a line similar to "
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;". Or the desktop file may be missing a "MimeType" key, or - The desktop file isn't located in one of the directories where UM looks for desktop files. The file needs to be located in a folder named "applications" directly under one of the folders listed in the XDG_DATA_DIRS environment variable. Use the command "
echo $XDG_DATA_DIRS" to display that list. Or, - The database that tracks which apps handle which MIME types may need to be updated. Use the command "
sudo update-desktop-database" to do this. Or, - Some combination of any or all of the above. For example, if you have to add or modify keys in the desktop file, then you'll also most likely need to run the "
sudo update-desktop-database" command.
Before you take any of the above steps, particularly modifying the desktop file, it's always a good idea to perform a system backup first.
Hope this helps.
If we still don't understand what your question is, please respond with more information on exactly what trouble you're having.
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