"Firefox will continue to be distributed as .deb packages through the official
Linux Mint repositories. Its configuration and the way it is built is changing
to make the Linux Mint version of Firefox much more similar (almost identical in
fact) to the version which is distributed by Mozilla.(...)
The default start page no longer points to https://www.linuxmint.com/start/
The default search engines no longer include Linux Mint search partners
(Yahoo, DuckDuckGo…) but Mozilla search partners (Google, Amazon, Bing,
DuckDuckGo, Ebay…)
The default configuration switches from Mint defaults to Mozilla defaults.
Firefox no longer includes code changes or patches from Linux Mint, Debian
or Ubuntu.
For Mozilla, the goal is to make Firefox work the same way across all platforms
to ease maintenance and simplify development and bug fixing. With these changes
Firefox will give the same experience in Linux Mint as it does in other
operating systems.
For us, this change means a tremendous simplification in terms of maintenance
and development. We used to build Firefox ourselves using Ubuntu’s packaging
(which is set to be discontinued as Ubuntu is moving towards snap). We now
package the Mozilla version of Firefox instead.(...)
In Linux Mint 20.3 the transition took place during the BETA with Firefox
version 95.(...)
The default engine will switch to Google.(...)
In Firefox the only engine which generates an income for Linux Mint is
Google.(...)"
Blog (with 110+ comments):
https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4244
Article (with comments):
https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/11/mozilla-and-linux-mint-sign-a-partnership-agreement/

"In Linux Mint 20.3 the transition took place during the BETA with Firefox
version 95."
Were we warned?

I checked the FFx settings and noticed that (some) telemetry options, which I
had disabled, had been re-enabled (by Mozilla, I assume).
Sneaky bastards!

Yrrah
---
F*ck Gugle, Fakebook, Twatter, Amacon, and other big tech internet terrorists
and data thieves.

On Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:29:28 +0100, Yrrah wrote:

> "Firefox will continue to be distributed as .deb packages through the
> official Linux Mint repositories. Its configuration and the way it is
> built is changing to make the Linux Mint version of Firefox much more
> similar (almost identical in fact) to the version which is distributed
> by Mozilla.(...)
> The default start page no longer points to
> https://www.linuxmint.com/start/
> The default search engines no longer include Linux Mint search
> partners
> (Yahoo, DuckDuckGo…) but Mozilla search partners (Google, Amazon, Bing,
> DuckDuckGo, Ebay…)
> The default configuration switches from Mint defaults to Mozilla
> defaults. Firefox no longer includes code changes or patches from
> Linux Mint, Debian
> or Ubuntu.
> For Mozilla, the goal is to make Firefox work the same way across all
> platforms to ease maintenance and simplify development and bug fixing.
> With these changes Firefox will give the same experience in Linux Mint
> as it does in other operating systems.
> For us, this change means a tremendous simplification in terms of
> maintenance and development. We used to build Firefox ourselves using
> Ubuntu’s packaging (which is set to be discontinued as Ubuntu is moving
> towards snap). We now package the Mozilla version of Firefox
> instead.(...)
> In Linux Mint 20.3 the transition took place during the BETA with
> Firefox version 95.(...)
> The default engine will switch to Google.(...)
> In Firefox the only engine which generates an income for Linux Mint is
> Google.(...)"
> Blog (with 110+ comments):
> https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4244 Article (with comments):
> https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/11/mozilla-and-linux-mint-sign-a-
partnership-agreement/
>
> "In Linux Mint 20.3 the transition took place during the BETA with
> Firefox version 95."
> Were we warned?
>
> I checked the FFx settings and noticed that (some) telemetry options,
> which I had disabled, had been re-enabled (by Mozilla, I assume).
> Sneaky bastards!
>
> Yrrah ---
> F*ck Gugle, Fakebook, Twatter, Amacon, and other big tech internet
> terrorists and data thieves.

I've been using Brave for a while, works well.

Yrrah wrote:
> Blog (with 110+ comments):
> https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4244
> Article (with comments):
> https://www.ghacks.net/2022/01/11/mozilla-and-linux-mint-sign-a-partnership-agreement/

There are a lot of different takes on this issue; the blog explains
pretty straightforward, ghacks isn't negative, here are two big contrasts:

This is pretty mean:

Linux Mint sells out for Mozilla money -- Google becomes default search
in Firefox
https://betanews.com/2022/01/10/linux-mint-mozilla-google-firefox/ (119
comments in 6 d)

This one LUVS Mint particularly vs Ub:

Linux Mint 20.3 appears – now with more Mozilla flavor: Why this distro
switched Firefox defaults back to Google
https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/12/mint_203_mozilla/ (78 comments in
4 d)

--
Mike Easter