Mozilla Firefox Auto Updater

[BookMac]

Hello folks,

how do you deal with Mozilla Firefox and the Auto Updater if the users are not local admins and cannot install the helper tool? is there a way like with google chrome?

Cheers

[emily]

This guide from the App Installers team shows how to disable built-in auto-update across various applications, including Firefox.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
	<dict>
		<key>EnterprisePoliciesEnabled</key>
		<true/>
		<key>DisableAppUpdate</key>
		<true/>
	</dict>
</plist>

You could deploy this profile and to managed endpoints with Firefox installed and see if that does the trick for you.

Looks like you can review all possible management options/keys here.

[BookMac]

Hey @emily . Thx for the links.

My goal was rather that Firefox can be updated automatically by the user without requiring admin rights. With Chrome, the AutoUpdater works without admin rights and every user can keep Chrome up to date. As a workaround I had previously used armin's instructions for Firefox: https://scriptingosx.com/2020/06/using-installomator-with-jamf-pro/

[emily]

That I'm not as familiar with admittedly. We use App Installers to keep apps up to date and suppress the built-in auto-update notifications.

[BookMac]

I would like that too. only with app installers changing the language is not possible. only en-us is given as the source (https://releases.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/106.0.3/mac/en-US/Firefox%20106.0.3.dmg). or is there a way to switch to German?

[mainelysteve]

The only surefire way a user with standard rights can auto update an app is if the app bundle is located in ~/Applications versus /Applications. I've dealt with this numerous times this past month with Carbide Create/Motion, Cricut Design Space and several other constantly updating apps. The helper tool is most likely installing itself inside the app bundle and since the user isn't the owner of that app bundle it will prompt for user with admin rights.

Using Patch Management tools like AutoPkg , app installers, etc. and disabling the auto updater is easier in the long run than trying to string together a fix for the updater that may break at any time.

[AtillaTheC]

I leverage installomator for all app installs and updates