Software Updater - It says there is an update but won't update

[ProfessorZorin]

When I click on update it just shows me the same screen again and again saying there is an update.

[Forpli]

Please run in terminal

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

and post the terminal output here.

[ProfessorZorin]

Hit:1 https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com stable InRelease
Hit:2 Index of /ubuntu noble-security InRelease
Hit:3 Index of /zorinos/apps/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:4 Index of /zorinos/drivers/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:5 Index of /zorinos/patches/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:6 Index of /zorinos/stable/ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:7 https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla InRelease
Hit:8 Index of /stable/ noble InRelease
Hit:9 Index of /patches/ noble InRelease
Hit:10 Index of /apps/ noble InRelease
Hit:11 Index of /drivers/ noble InRelease
Hit:12 Index of /ubuntu noble InRelease
Hit:13 Index of /ubuntu noble-updates InRelease
Hit:14 Index of /ubuntu noble-backports InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up-to-date.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
libfwupd2 libwoff1
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be DOWNGRADED:
firefox
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 1 to downgrade, 0 to remove and 0 not to upgrade.
Need to get 88.7 MB of archives.
After this operation, 324 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla/main amd64 firefox amd64 153.0.1~build2 [88.7 MB]
Fetched 88.7 MB in 11s (8,085 kB/s)
dpkg: warning: downgrading firefox from 1:1snap1-0ubuntu5 to 153.0.1~build2
(Reading database ... 295620 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../firefox_153.0.1~build2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking firefox (153.0.1~build2) over (1:1snap1-0ubuntu5) ...
Setting up firefox (153.0.1~build2) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.12.0-4build2) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.27-2build1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1.1ubuntu3) ...

It might have been because Firefox was open that it wouldn't install? If this is the case I thought I would be told to close Firefox before the update can complete?

[ProfessorZorin]

@ProfessorZorin

Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.

Should I run this?

[Forpli]

You can run the autoremove command if you like.
It are not so good news. Your firefox apt version was converted into the snap package. Ubuntu forces to use snaps instead of apt packages.

You can take a look at this thread:

Software Updater continuously re-prompts for 87.4mb update

[image] Zorin OS 18.1 Pro The updater presents what appears to be an empty update every day. It is 87.4 MB and the list of updates is empty. If I click install, the progress bar quickly fills and the dialog closes. A bit later, the same dialog re-appears. This will repeat until my keyboard is worn out. I now routinely click remind me later. I can find no reference to this in the forum. BTW other updates are installing without problems.

I don't know what the reason is that this update is permanently shown. Other users reported the same.

[ProfessorZorin]

'Software for this computer is up to date'.
It looks like everything is fine at the moment.

[ProfessorZorin]

I think I now have two versions of Firefox installed? I could be wrong.

[Ponce-De-Leon]

@Forpli

It are not so good news. Your firefox apt version was converted into the snap package.

It is actually the Oppsite.

There stands:

@ProfessorZorin

downgrading firefox from 1:1snap1-0ubuntu5 to 153.0.1~build2

So, it changed from the Snap Version to the .deb Version.

@ProfessorZorin

It might have been because Firefox was open that it wouldn't install? If this is the case I thought I would be told to close Firefox before the update can complete?

@ProfessorZorin: I guess, it was because of the mentioned ''Downgrade''. That You dind't got a Message ... Yes, would be nice to have but I guess it isn't available for this.

@ProfessorZorin

I think I now have two versions of Firefox installed? I could be wrong.

You can check this. Type in Terminal snap list and check if Firefoy is listed. Then type apt list firefox and check if the Package has at the End an [installed] Marker.

[ProfessorZorin]

Thanks for your help.
firefox/mozilla,now 153.0.3~build1 amd64 [installed]
N: There are 4 additional versions. Please use the '-a' switch to see them.

What does 'There are 4 additional versions.' mean?

[Forpli]

When you run

apt list -a firefox

you can see four other packages which are named firefox.

[swarfendor437]

You could run a grep command to see what is installed:

sudo dpkg --get-selections | grep browser

[Source: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76530844/getting-a-list-of-installed-browsers-on-the-linux-machine]

[ProfessorZorin]

firefox/noble,noble 1:1zorin1 amd64
firefox/noble 1:1snap1-0ubuntu5 amd64
firefox/mozilla,now 153.0.3~build1 amd64 [installed]
firefox/mozilla 153.0.1~build2 amd64
firefox/mozilla 153.0~build1 amd64
firefox/mozilla 152.0.6~build1 amd64
firefox/mozilla 152.0.5~build1 amd64

Not sure what it all means, but this is the result.

[ProfessorZorin]

brave-browser install
gnome-browser-connector install
gnome-shell-extension-zorin-connect-browsers install
zorin-os-www-browser

[Ponce-De-Leon]

These are other available Versions. But it shows that the .deb Version is installed. Did You got any Output for snap list too? Or was it empty?

[ProfessorZorin]

snap list

Name Version Rev Tracking Publisher Notes
bare 1.0 5 latest/stable canonical✓ base
core24 20260410 1643 latest/stable canonical✓ base
firefox 153.0.1-2 8702 latest/stable mozilla✓ -
gnome-46-2404 0+git.b31ceab-sdk0+git.f0723a0 164 latest/stable canonical✓ -
gtk-common-themes 0.1-81-g442e511 1535 latest/stable canonical✓ -
mesa-2404 25.2.8-snap288 1839 latest/stable canonical✓ -
snapd 2.76.1 27591 latest/stable canonical✓ snapd

[Forpli]

You have firefox installed as snap package. If you haven't installed it as snap yourself, then it was installed by an update.

[Ponce-De-Leon]

Okay, You have Firefox installed 2 Times. Which Version do You want keep? The Snap Version or the .deb Version?

[ProfessorZorin]

Whichever is best for Zorin OS.
I haven't a clue to tell you the truth.
It was changed to .deb and it seems to be working fine, so I'll stick with .deb I guess.

[Ponce-De-Leon]

Then, You can uninstall the Snap Version with

snap remove --purge firefox

To avoid future Installs of the Snap Version, You can check and add something. Type in Terminal

sudo nano /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla

and look that the File looks like that:

Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mozilla.org
Pin-Priority: 1000

Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -10

The first Part should already be there but You can add the last Part. When changed, press ctrl+o to save, Enter to confirm and ctrl+x to exit. Then type sudo apt update to refresh the Sources.

If You want go further and remove Snap entirely. If You want do that, I can give You Instructions for this, too.

[Forpli]

The commands to remove snap completely are in @ProfessorZorin's other thread

Uninstalling Flatpak and Snapd

Reading another thread 'Abdulhalim' mentioned that whenever he installs a clean install of Zorin OS he completely removes Flatpak and Snapd, which is interesting. Wouldn't that stop you from installing certain apps? I was wondering because I have a problem where Firefox has changed from the package I installed to the snap package. Uninstalling flakpak and snapd, would this have stopped it from happening?