The first launch might take a while, so don’t worry, just leave it to do its thing and pretty soon you’ll be looking at a fresh install of the Firefox browser. Once the installation has finished you will be able to launch Firefox from the ‘Linux apps’ folder in your app drawer or by typing ‘firefox-esr’ in the terminal. Still in the terminal, enter the following command: sudo apt install firefox-esr Download and install Firefox on your Chromebook
It’s a good idea to make sure all packages are up to date using the following commands before going any further: sudo apt update Once it’s complete the terminal will open. When you’re happy, hit ‘Install’ and wait for your Chromebook to finish the installation of the Linux container. You’ll have to give your Linux container a name and decide how much storage you want to hand over to it. Click ‘Turn on’ and follow the on-screen instructions. Open up the ‘Settings’ app on your Chromebook and find the ‘Linux’ option in the sidebar. If you don't, the first step is to get it turned on. If you already have Linux enabled on your Chromebook then you can skip ahead to the next step. And it works just fine on ARM Chromebooks. It doesn’t have the latest features, but its security and stability patches are up to date. It involves using the ESR (Extended Support Release) of Firefox, more commonly deployed in enterprise or education.
Mozilla says that Firefox only officially supports x86 Chromebooks, but there is still a way to install the full-fat Firefox on ARM-powered laptops. If you’re using an ARM-powered Chromebook like the Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet, the method above won’t yield much success.
Until next time my little penguins.(Image credit: TechRadar) How to install Firefox on an ARM Chromebook If you have an app you want me to try or perhaps you’ve hit a dead-end with a piece of software that you just can’t get running, let me know in the comments. So, what now? I have a laundry list of applications that users have asked me to try and I’m working diligently to get them up and running for the next installment of Command Line. There are other methods to install Firefox on a Chromebook but I find this to be the cleanest path. For me, it’s all about trying new things and seeing what Chrome OS can do. Some users may be huge fans of Firefox and have been looking for a way to use the browser on Chrome OS. Personally, I’m totally content using Chrome on my Chromebook but that’s not why we’re here.
We’ve now successfully installed Firefox on Chrome OS. Sudo apt install -t sid firefox Firefox Quantum on Chrome OS Once it’s finished, you will find the Firefox icon in your launcher and you can see in the settings menu that you are running version 73. Run the following command and sit back while the process completes. You can do this all with the single line below.
First, we will update our package lists and upgrade any available packages. Once you’ve saved and exited Nano, it is now time to install Firefox. The ESR version of Firefox is actually on 68.5.0 and while it doesn’t have all of the newest features, it does come with all of the security of the 73 flavor. Currently, Firefox is on version 73 and features all of the latest and greatest Mozilla has to offer. Instead, Mozilla offers an ESR or extended support release for Stretch as well as enterprise users and it isn’t the latest version of the browser. Now, Debian 9 (Stretch) already has a version of Firefox available but what many of you may not know is that it isn’t the latest release. So, in today’s post, we’ll be installing an alternative browser on a Chromebook but not just any browser.
We’re setting out to see what Chrome OS is capable of now that official Linux support is part of the package. That’s the heart behind our new series, Command Line. “ Because it’s there.” Slightly less famous is my response to the question, “why are you installing all of these apps on your Chromebook?” Well, because I can. As the story is told, George Mallory was asked: “Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?” His reported response would forever go down in the annals of history.