Firefox by default doesn't know what to do with .deb files

[Vadim Peretokin]

In what seems to be a rather annoying regression, Firefox doesn't know that it should be opening .debs with USC. Installed alpha3 and did latest updates.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: firefox 7.0~b1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.12-generic 3.0.3
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: vadi 1483 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20110819161726
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf8400000 irq 49'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC268'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0268,14c00025,00100003 HDA:10573055,10573055,00100700'
   Controls : 15
   Simple ctrls : 12
Channel: beta
Date: Mon Aug 22 18:32:39 2011
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Alpha amd64 (20110803.1)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.43.1 dev wlan0 proto static
 169.254.0.0/16 dev wlan0 scope link metric 1000
 192.168.43.0/24 dev wlan0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.43.161
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_AU:en
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_AU.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
Profile0Plugins:
 VLC Multimedia Plugin (compatible Totem 3.0.1) - Lib=libtotem-cone-plugin.so, Location=/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins (totem-mozilla)
 QuickTime Plug-in 7.6.6 - Lib=libtotem-narrowspace-plugin.so, Location=/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins (totem-mozilla)
 DivX® Web Player - Lib=libtotem-mully-plugin.so, Location=/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins (totem-mozilla)
 Windows Media Player Plug-in 10 (compatible; Totem) - Lib=libtotem-gmp-plugin.so, Location=/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins (totem-mozilla)
Profiles: Profile0 - LastVersion=7.0/20110819161726 (Running)
RelatedPackageVersions: totem-mozilla 3.0.1-0ubuntu4
RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-08-16 (6 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 09/27/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: COMPAL
dmi.bios.version: 1.13
dmi.board.name: IFL90
dmi.board.vendor: -
dmi.board.version: IFT00
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: -
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: No Enclosure
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnCOMPAL:bvr1.13:bd09/27/2007:svn-:pnN/A:pvrN/A:rvn-:rnIFL90:rvrIFT00:cvnNoEnclosure:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: N/A
dmi.product.version: N/A
dmi.sys.vendor: -

[madbiologist (me-again)]

This is not a proper fix, but might help if the Browse... button in your screenshot does not provide access to USC (I presume you mean Ubuntu Software Centre).

On Lucid, Firefox recognises that a .deb file is a software package and asks if you want to open it with GDebi. Try using the Browse button to navigate to gdebi in usr/bin
It's possible there is a bug/omission in shared-mime-info.

Not ideal, but a little better than having to save the file and then open it with another app.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Richard Sellam (richard-sellam)]

I can confirm this bug.
Still here on latest daily oneiric images.

DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: firefox 7.0~b1+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu1

[madbiologist (me-again)]

I've just tested this with the 11.10 beta 2 64bit LiveCD. Firefox recognised a .deb file as a Debian package and asked if I wanted to open it with the Ubuntu Software Center.

Package: firefox 7.0~b6+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu1

Please update and test again.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for firefox (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]